Mark Zuckerberg is no stranger to innovation, but the CEO of Facebook tested the limits on something entirely new on Tuesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Zuckerberg joined Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a high-speed ride around the iconic 1.5-mile superspeedway before climbing behind the wheel of a NASCAR Racing Experience stock car.
Zuckerberg's trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway is part of a year-long challenge that involves visiting every U.S. state and meeting with people to learn more from communities and help Facebook continue to positively influence the world. Zuckerberg's 800-horsepower adrenaline rush followed an earlier tour of the nearby Hendrick Motorsports facility and a meeting with Charlotte Motor Speedway President and General Manager Marcus Smith.
"This is fun," Zuckerberg said during his drive around the track. "I understand why so many people love this."
Riding shotgun alongside Earnhardt, the driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Insurance Chevrolet, proved to be a fun endeavor for both participants.
"It was fun to go out there for a few laps with Mark and to give him an idea of what you feel when you're in a race car," Earnhardt said. "We definitely got up to a pretty good speed there."
Having the acclaimed developer visit the speedway was a thrill for Smith.
"It's really neat to have Mark in North Carolina and to have him visit Charlotte Motor Speedway," Smith said. "It's a priceless opportunity. It's great to see these worlds collide. Dale Jr. and NASCAR have a huge community on Facebook so it's really cool to see all of this come together."
Zuckerberg used Facebook Live to broadcast the experience at Charlotte Motor Speedway. To learn more about his challenge, visit his Facebook profile or the Year of Travel Page.
