Two NASCAR drivers swapped their racing gear for military boots, participating in rigorous training alongside Marines at Parris Island, S.C. Instead of racing on the NASCAR track, they experienced the demanding environment of Marine recruit training.
In preparation for the 75th Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, drill instructors at the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot guided Team Penske’s No. 12 driver, Ryan Blaney, and No. 2 driver, Austin Cindric, through a series of 11 challenging recruit courses designed to test their endurance and resilience.
From the moment the team Penske stars stepped out of the van and onto the yellow footprints, they no longer were in control.
“I definitely have gotten way more adrenaline today than I have racing for a while,” said Blaney.
Treated like new recruits, the drivers faced strict regimens that included being shouted at and pushed to their physical and mental limits. The immersive experience provided them with a glimpse into the life of a Marine recruit.
It was a switch up from their usual laps around the track.
“Do you understand?” yelled a drill instructor in their face as their feet were planted on the yellow footprints.
“Yes sir,” the Penske team responded, but not loud enough.
“All of you scream yes, sir,” the instructor then demanded.
At a louder level this time, the two drivers, alongside Darlington Raceway President, Josh Harris yelled back in unison, “Yes, sir!”
Cindric felt the transformation of stepping into a different persona, noting the added pressure of being alongside his teammate, Blaney, which required extra effort to stay composed.
“While I tend to laugh and take things lightly, the experience was genuinely serious and impactful for those who undergo it,” Cindric mentioned.
Blaney added on that he knew from the first drill they went through, that he gained a massive respect for the Marine training.
Blaney remarked, “The drill instructors were intense from the start. It was an unfamiliar experience for me, and they quickly established a strong sense of discipline and expectation from the outset.”
Both drivers say they had to put themselves in the first-year recruits’ shoes.
They worked through the mentally and physically tough tasks, like repelling from an eight-story rappel tower.
Both Cindric and Blaney, who are both adrenaline junkies, rappelled from the tower twice.
They also learned how to shoot military weapons and went through a day movement course which simulated a realistic recreation of a battlefield with wooded and urban terrain, high walls and barbed wire obstacles.
“In my position, I’m used to probably being more in control, or at least I try to be and there was a lot of listening that needed to happen in that moment. So, it was a bit of a flip there,” said Cindric in response to being led through the many different training courses.
The drivers said the different skills and leadership qualities they learned today, they hope to take with them into future races.
I would say that I’m a very process driven person in a lot of ways. So, I think there are a lot of parallels in running a race team and being a leader that I can take away,” said Cindric. “But this is definitely to the extreme.”
The Cookout Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway will take place Labor Day weekend.
