The former 49er expresses a desire to 'be part of' NASCAR.
By Debbie Arrington
The Sacramento Bee
NFL great Jerry Rice dodged cars instead of tackles as he made the rounds through the garage area Sunday at Infineon Raceway.
He hung out with California-born drivers Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, the latter "a big-time 49er football fan; he has a helmet with my signature on it and also (Joe) Montana's -- that's from way back in the day," Rice said.
As grand marshal of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, the legendary 49er got a crash course in NASCAR racing this week. Fortunately, Rice said, there were no collisions.
As part of his NASCAR immersion, Rice took a ride-along with a pro driver from the Richard Petty Driving Experience.
"I really didn't want to get close to that wall," Rice said. "I've walked away from so many tackles, but I didn't want to slam against the wall at that speed.
"Here I was, the macho football player about to lose it," Rice said. "But the athlete I am, I didn't give in to it. ... It really has been the experience of a lifetime."
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