UConn Football Players Head To Racetrack Thursday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 27, 2007) - The University of Connecticut football team may have started its Thursday at the crack of dawn, but team members had no problem staying awake as they participated in one of the most highly-anticipated events of the week.

UConn quarterback Tyler Lorenzen celebrates after taking the first laps around the Lowe's Motor Speedway.

The Huskies took to the football field at Charlotte Latin School bright and early for a brief practice before heading back to the hotel to prepare for the day's activities at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in nearby Concord, N.C.

At the speedway, UConn and Wake Forest players were treated to a lunch of Carolina barbeque and laps around the track from the Richard Petty Driving Experience. The day was also marked by a tire-changing contest between head coach Randy Edsall and a Wake Forest assistant coach who filled in for Deacon skipper Jim Grobe.

With a trained driver at the wheel, UConn players and staff reached speeds of 165 mph while taking three laps around the speedway.

After team meetings Thursday afternoon, the Huskies will have some downtime in the evening.

Left: Randy Edsall prepares for the tire change competition. He would go on to win, defeating a Wake Forest assistant coach that competed in place of Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe. Right: Randy Edsall and Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe show off their new racing jackets after the tire change competition.

Left: The Huskies compete in a remote control car race before taking to the racetrack with the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Right: Team members gather on victory lane following their afternoon of driving.

Left: Tyvon Branch, Larry Taylor and Darius Butler get psyched up for their rides with the Richard Petty Driving Experience. Right: Darius Butler gets strapped in for his 165 mph trip around the Lowe's Motor Speedway.