How Dax Hollifield went from Virginia Tech linebacker to Hendrick Motorsports jackman
The new college football pipeline isn’t to another stick and ball sport, it’s to the NASCAR pit road. Dax Hollifield of Hendrick Motorsports is the latest example. Hollifield spent five years as a Virginia Tech Hokie linebacker. Now, he’s ready to get his first taste of Cup Series action in 2024.
While it isn’t guaranteed for this season, Hollifield is on his way there soon enough. He is also with a premier organization in NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports. That doesn’t mean he’s always working on a Hendrick car, though.
For now, the linebacker-turned-jackman is still learning. He’s done a ton of learning in the lower ranks of the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.
Lining up for a big third down stop or getting ready to execute a pit stop in under 10 seconds, it’s more alike than you might think at first.
“It’s very similar. I compare it to like third down,” Hollifield said, via HendrickMotorsports.com. “The adrenaline is pumping out there right before you are about to jump in front of a car. It is a high-pressure moment, but you’ve got to be relaxed and very focused as it is a very critical situation. The strong survive. The people that thrive in those situations usually turn out to be the best.”
Hollifield was a talented athlete at Virginia Tech. In five seasons, he totaled 355 career tackles, top-five all-time at Va Tech. That includes 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, and four interceptions. It was there that pit crew development coach Keith Flynn noticed Hollifield. In fact, Flynn coached Hollifield’s dad at Wake Forest.
While his NFL dreams didn’t work out after college, Hollifield is still in professional sports. And soon, he hopes to reach the highest levels of NASCAR.
Dax Hollifield hopes to grow with Hendrick Motorsports
Things have moved at superspeedway speeds for Hollifield at Hendrick Motorsports. While he works his way up to the Cup Series, he’s putting in a ton of work elsewhere. That includes a stint with Emerling-Gase Motorsports in the Xfinity Series as well as Young’s Motorsports in the Truck Series.
Competing is the ultimate goal for Hollifield. Getting that feeling out on the track that he’s about to do something to help his team succeed. It’s what motivates him.
“It is such a rush being out at the track every weekend and being in the thick of competition,” Hollifield said. “Every little detail matters. It’s a great environment.”
As far as his Cup Series dreams with Hendrick Motorsports go, he’s hoping that he can make it to those ranks soon. He has learned quickly in NASCAR and that has led to opportunities.
“I’d love to pit Cup,” Hollifield said. “There’s some guys ahead of me who have been here a little bit longer but I expect myself to compete for that position. … My goal is to pit all three series and hopefully get at least part-time on the Cup Series this year.”
Virginia Tech fans now have a reason to cheer for a few NASCAR teams. Dax Hollifield made huge stops in college on defense, and he’s still making huge stops on pit road – just in a different way.