The Pickleball Tournament On The NASCAR Pavement Of Pit Road

What happens when one of the fastest growing sports takes over one of the fastest tracks in NASCAR? It was a pickleball tournament like no other. This wasn’t race day at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but the competition was in full force as 32 teams battled it out in the Inaugural Pit Road Pickleball Tournament.

“It’s cool to be at a racetrack and not be racing, because when we get going here in February it doesn’t stop.”

Several NASCAR drivers, including Austin Dillon, traded their racing gloves for a pickleball paddle, all for a good cause.

“I love pickleball and 32 teams came out to support Speedway Children’s Charities, and we’re out here going to have a little fun.” Dillon says he didn’t just come to play. He came to win. “I didn’t drive an hour to lose, so, I’m here to take home the golden pickle.”

No dinking for Denny Hamlin this time, but his fiance Jordan Fish had fun showing off her serve.

“She likes to hit the ball hard, that’s for sure,” Hamlin said. “She loves playing, she’s an addict. She’ll play 3 times a week.”

“We did good.” Jordan Fish says she had a lot of fun. “We did pretty good. Won one, lost two, but it’s a great day to play pickleball.”

Former Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart may have been a “big dill” out on the football field, but the team’s all-time leading rusher doesn’t plan to go pro in pickleball any time soon.

“It’s a fun game, but I suck at it. My wife is really good.” Stewart laughed at himself, “I can get to every ball but for some reason it’s hard to send it back.”

Natalie Stewart agreed with her husband. “He can’t be good at everything. Tennis is kind of my thing so hopefully that translates, it makes me better than him at this. But he’s still faster (laughs).” Austin Dillon was the big winner in the end and took home the coveted golden pickle trophy.