CORNELIUS, N.C. — Life is good for Wes Evans.
The former tight end on Arizona State’s 2008 football team will be honored on the Sun Devil Stadium video board Saturday night when his alma mater takes on highly ranked Notre Dame.
Less than 24 hours later he’ll serve as jackman on Brian Vickers’ No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine pit crew in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at nearby Phoenix International Raceway.
“It seems like it was just yesterday when I was playing at ASU,” laughed the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder who made four starts and played in all 12 games for ASU in 2008. That year he won the team’s iron man award for exemplary work ethic in the weight room, on the field and in the community.
Evans became interested in NASCAR after meeting pit crew members who visited the ASU campus for a workout in 2007. That contact led Evans to a life as a NASCAR pit crew member and his ASU degree led him to a job in the Michael Waltrip Racing marketing office.
Each week Evans hosts the “Wednesday’s With Wes– Ask MWR” video feature on the team website answering viewer questions about NASCAR racing.
“I didn’t want an office job right out of college,” said Evans who became a first-time father when wife Lindsay gave birth to a baby boy in Charlotte on Oct. 21.
“My work lets me stay competitive like I was in football, but it also allows me to learn about the business world and prepare myself for the day I stop going over the wall.”
Admittedly, life is good for Evans, but excuse him if he wants just a little bit more.
“It’s going to be so cool to be back in the stadium Saturday and see old friends. The perfect weekend would be beating Notre Dame Saturday night and a Brian Vickers win on Sunday afternoon.”
BRIAN VICKERS ON PHOENIX: “Phoenix is all about track position. Success at Phoenix will be about getting your car right in practice, getting a good qualifying spot and then putting together a good race program. The Aaron’s Dream Machine was quick in March before we ran into some bad luck cutting a tire. I expect we’ll be fast again. For us, the race begins Friday in qualifying because the starting spot and pit selection matter here as much as it matters anywhere we race.”
NOTES:
· CHASSIS: Primary: 805 finished ninth at Bristol in March, 14th at Kansas in May, 21st and 10th at NHMS. Backup: 797 finished 43rd at Dover in June.
· TESTING: Brian Vickers and the No. 55 team tested at Phoenix on Oct. 14-15.
CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT: No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Crew Chief Billy Scott began racing motorcycles as a 5-year-old and stock cars when he turned 15. He worked in the truck series as a mechanic before he returned to college to obtain an engineering degree. After graduating in 2005 Scott worked at Robert Yates Racing and began as an engineer at MWR in 2008. The 36-year-old served exclusively as the No. 55 team’s lead engineer the last two seasons.
· AARON’S INC: Aaron’s joined MWR in 2000 serving as a primary sponsor in Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races. The Atlanta-based company, with more than 2,100 stores across the country, helps customers own the life they want. Aaron’s carries only the best brand names in furniture, electronics, and appliances with a variety of flexible payment options. It’s really easy to “Own It” at Aaron’s with customers who are now pre-approved for up to $2,500 in merchandise – no credit needed. Don’t miss it. Get a sneak peek of Aaron’s Black Friday event and be the first to learn about Black Friday savings at Aarons.com.
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