Duke alum Cooper Flagg speaks on 'really cool' NASCAR experience
Cooper Flagg took a break to enjoy his offseason Sunday, attending the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Duke fans were surprised to see Cooper Flagg on TV Sunday, catching the Dallas Mavericks star on a NASCAR broadcast as the pace car driver. In addition to driving the pace car, Flagg took a lap with Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 car for Trackhouse racing.
Flagg and Zilisch are some of the youngest athletes in their respective sports, both 19 years old. Following the festivities, Flagg spoke about his experience and his connection with Zilisch. "I think just being able to connect on the fact that we're both young in our respective sports, that was really cool, and to be able to talk to someone that's going through a lot of similar things at a time in your life," Flagg said .
However, Flagg wasn't too proud to admit the ride scared him a little bit, saying, "We got going pretty fast, and I think half the ride I was more scared of what was going on. " Just like Flagg did for the Mavericks, Zilisch will hope to take home Rookie of the Year honors in 2026. This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Duke alum Cooper Flagg speaks on 'really cool' NASCAR experience