CONCORD, N.C. — This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway.
And returning to the historic track means a trip home for R.J. Barnette, front-tire carrier for the No. 48 team.
“I just like going back,” Barnette said. “I love Alabama. It’s fun to just go back to where it all started.”
Barnette hails from Pinson, Alabama, and was a natural-born athlete from the beginning.
“I played sports my whole life,” Barnette said. “Honestly, I never had a break from football, baseball, and I played basketball when I was little. When I got to high school, it was baseball, wrestling, football and track.”
After high school, Barnette studied education at Samford University and played three years of football as a cornerback. While his passion in school was coaching football, an unexpected internship at Hendrick Motorsports led him to believe there was something else in store for his future.
“Growing up in Alabama playing football, I just had a passion for coaching and I thought I’d take the coaching path,” Barnette explained. “Ironically, I got an internship here (at Hendrick Motorsports) at the gym. I didn’t even know pit crews trained.”
It all started one afternoon after taking an exam at Samford. Barnette met with his professor to talk about his grade and was unexpectedly caught off guard after being asked about what his passion was for his career.
“I was just going to say teaching or kids, because I was an education major,” Barnette said. “I don’t know why but I blurted out NASCAR. I still have no idea why I said NASCAR to this day. It didn’t even make sense in the conversation we were having. I just said NASCAR.”
Barnette’s professor took the initiative to connect him with a contact from Hendrick Motorsports, where his journey began. In the summer of 2008, the eager student took an internship working in the weight room to assist in training the pit crew athletes. Not too long after, Barnette moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and was persistent in finding a full-time job in the sport.
“I felt loyal to Hendrick Motorsports because they gave me a shot,” Barnette said. “They were the reason I was here anyways. I was an intern and now I’m a co-worker.”
To this day, the Alabama native is still shocked by how he became a front-tire carrier at Hendrick Motorsports.
“I didn’t even dream this big,” Barnette said. “I don’t think people think of things like this. I had an opportunity and I did everything I could and gave everything I had to get this.”
With the upcoming Sprint Cup race at Talladega, Barnette reminisces about the memories of sitting in the grandstands at the superspeedway.
“I could probably name you all the grandstands,” Barnette said. “I could tell you where I sat. Less than 10 years ago, I was just a fan in the stands watching a race.”
From being a fan in the stands to now working in the sport, Barnette loves his hometown track and is excited to be back.
“It’s my favorite track, but I’m biased,” Barnette smiled. “I love the people. I love the racing. It’s exciting.”