Roman PerrymanHendrick Motorsports has long recruited former NCAA student-athletes to join its pit crews. One of their recruiters contacted WVU strength and conditioning coach Tanner Kolb, who passed along Perryman's name. Along with a number of former football players, baseball players and fellow wrestlers, Perryman headed to Charlotte this May to compete for one of eight spots on the Hendrick team.
It's a two-step process. First, Perryman was put through a workout similar to the NFL combine, where participants demonstrated their athletic abilities through a series of physical tests, including vertical jump, bench press, sprints and more. A few days after completing the combine, Perryman was invited back to a two-day camp that put participants in the garage.
"We started with specific individual drills and finished together doing a full, four-tire pit stop," said Perryman. "Prior to this opportunity, my main experience with cars was riding shotgun. I'm essentially going from no car to NASCAR. I think it might work to my advantage. With no predispositions, they can mold me into exactly what they're look for."
After completing the tryout, Perryman was offered a five-year contract as a tire changer, one of just eight people to be offered a position with the Hendrick team. The Springfield, Va. native will re-locate to the Charlotte area this fall to learn all the ins and outs of being a member of a big-time NASCAR pit crew.
"First, I have to learn my trade," said Perryman. "Once Hendrick feels that I'm ready, my first time over the wall in a race will be in the NASCAR Truck Series. As I continue to become faster and more efficient, I'll have the opportunity to work my way into the Xfinity Series and ultimately to the Sprint Cup, which is the pinnacle of NASCAR."
West Virginia head coach Sammie Henson is confident Perryman has the temperament to do well in NASCAR, having asked his wrestler to make the sacrifice for the team last season by dropping down from 157 pounds into an opening at 149. Perryman made it to the finals at the 2015 Big 12 Conference Championships, losing a close decision.
"Roman epitomizes what WVU wrestling is about," Henson said. "Sacrifice, dedication and commitment to the process of being the best. He is a true team player, and I have no doubt he will be a rock star for Hendrick Motorsports."
Hendrick appears to be seeing the strengths that former college wrestlers can bring to its pit crews - physical strength, balance, speed, and a work ethic second to none. Just last month, InterMat profiled Alex Polizzi, recent Northwestern grad, who was about to head to Charlotte for his final test in the qualifying process. Last year, the Pitt wrestling website trumpeted that a trio of former Panther wrestlers -- Matt Wilps, Donnie Tasser and Zac Thomusseitt -- had joined the Hendricks Motorsports development program.
As Deven Dittrich, former wrestler and long-time coach who is also a NASCAR fan -- and has recommended individual wrestlers to Hendrick's Pit Crew Athlete Development Program, told InterMat, "I am hoping that a by-product of all of these stud wrestlers on pit crews will be four-fold. First, that it can bring higher-quality coaching at wrestling clubs in the Charlotte area. Second, that NASCAR will bring media attention to amateur wrestling to the southeastern US, while a NASCAR hotbed, has been historically soft spot for amateur wrestling. Third, that USA Wrestling will find a way to piggy back off the good publicity generated by these wrestlers in mainstream media, and, finally, a new high-paying career opportunity for wrestlers so that they can help donate to fundraising efforts of their former college programs that helped them get this job."
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