Alvin Kamara: NASCAR at Dover Motor Speedway reminds me of South Georgia high school football

Alvin Kamara is a big fan of the NASCAR track Dover Motor Speedway because it reminds him of his high school playing days. While appearing on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, the New Orleans Saints running back and NASCAR’s Growth and Engagement Officer revealed that he enjoys Dover because it reminds him of a high school football atmosphere.

“I’m from Atlanta, so it just felt like a South Georgia high school football game where they kind of like shut the city down and everybody goes to the game, like signs at the front of these businesses and it’s like that’s what’s going on,” Kamara said. “Even like the stands and everything, it just felt like it gave that kind of feel, like this is what’s going on here, this is what we have, nothing else matters.”

Dover Motor Speedway, located in Dover, Delaware, opened in 1969 and can seat up to 58,500 people. It’s home to the Würth 400, and Denny Hamlin won this year’s race. Dover previously had over 135,000 seats which made it the largest sports venue in the mid-Atlantic region in 2001.

Kamara played high school football at Norcross High School which is located in the metro Atlanta area. He helped Norcross win the state title in 2012, and some of the other Gergogia teams they played are Camden County and Colquitt County. Those two teams have a tradition of winning, but the most successful South Georgia team is Valdosta. The school has 952 career wins, the most in high school football history. Valdosta has won 24 state championships and six national championships in its history.

Alvin Kamara made history with New Orleans Saints in 2023

While Kamara loves the work he’s doing with NASCAR, he also wants to do big things with the Saints in 2024. Last year, the 28-year-old rushed for a career low 694 yards on 180 carries. He played in 13 of the Saints 17 games due to his three-game suspension by the NFL for his involment in a physical altercation in February 2022.

While Kamara’s rushing total was low in 2023, he did make history. He became the Saints’ all-time leader in rushing touchdowns with 54 and total touchdowns with 78. Since joining the Saints in 2017, Kamara, has been named to the Pro Bowl five times and seelcted to the All-Pro Second Team twice. He also holds the NFL record with Ernie Nevers with the most rushing touchdowns in an NFL game with six.