Every high school athlete dreams of playing in the largest and loudest venues in the world. That dream became a reality for Glendale’s Nick Covey, a Mountain Ridge High School alum.
A linebacker/tight end hybrid, Covey helped lead his Mountain Lions his senior year to the 2004 5A State Championship Game as the 16 seed, which is still MRHS’ only state title appearance. Covey compiled a slew of NCAA Division I offers and chose to attend the University of Nebraska over Oregon, UCLA, Washington State, and even his home-state Arizona Wildcats.
Even after a great high school career, the majority of Covey’s college career was spent on the sideline. Injuries crumbled his hopes of making an NFL roster. It looked like his athletic career was over until an unlikely opportunity arose, bringing Covey to a NASCAR pit crew combine. And the rest is history.
Ten years after making his high school state championship game, Covey won the coveted Daytona 500 in 2014 as the Jackman for NASCAR 15-Time Most Popular Driver and Hall of Famer, Dale Earnhardt Jr. And ten years after that, Covey is a staple in the NASCAR garage, now serving as the Jackman for the legendary Richard Childress Racing No. 3 in 2024.
NASCAR returns to Phoenix Raceway for the Shriners Children’s 500 weekend March 8-10, with limited tickets still available for Sunday’s main event. Plus, NASCAR Championship Weekend returns to Phoenix Raceway to crown four champions in three days from November 8-10.
Devon Henry
