Reasons to tune into NASCAR Canada just got a little more interesting, as former NFL first-rounder Jared Odrick is taking his shot at stock car racing this weekend.
Odrick has already gone from Penn State standout to NFL first-round pick to championship-winning race car driver. Now, the 38-year-old is set to add another chapter to what has become a rather unconventional second career.
The former Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end will make his NASCAR Canada Series debut this weekend at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres, driving the No. 24 BC Race Cars Inc. Ford. This will be Odrick’s first start in a NASCAR-sanctioned stock car and the first step into another new world of racing.
First things first, Odrick’s NASCAR Canada debut is no walk in the park, especially with his first race coming at one of the most demanding venues on the schedule.
The GP3R weekend, set to commence on August 7, will put more than 30 drivers on the series’ first street circuit of the season. The weekend also introduces a new wrinkle, with two 15-lap Sprints Omnifab Duels on Saturday to determine the starting lineup for Sunday’s Le 45 Tours CarGurus.
In addition, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania native will have plenty of experienced company. Andrew Ranger will return to the No. 27 GM Paille Chevrolet after earning his fifth NASCAR Canada victory at Trois-Rivières last year.
Meanwhile, former winners Marc-Antoine Camirand, Alex Guenette, Alex Tagliani, Louis-Philippe Dumoulin, Kevin Lacroix, and D.J. Kennington are also expected to give the newcomer a real test.
Camirand arrives as the championship leader with 397 points, giving Odrick a front-row seat to a series featuring some of Canada’s most established stock car racers. But the biggest question for this weekend may simply be how quickly the former NFL defensive end adapts.
As of now, Odrick is scheduled to compete in the remaining road-course events on the 2026 NASCAR Canada calendar, making his Trois-Rivieres run more than a one-off appearance.
For those unfamiliar with his story, Odrick spent seven seasons in the NFL after the Dolphins selected him 28th overall in the 2010 draft. But when his football career ended, he took some time off to work out his options.
Odrick developed an interest in racing in 2021. In spring 2022, he bought a Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup car, attended racing school at Summit Point Motorsports Park, and began competing in SCCA events. He went on to win the SCCA National Championship Runoffs GT2 title in 2023 before joining the Trans Am TA2 Series in 2024.
Despite the odds and the obvious inexperience, Odrick adapted rather steadily. After winning once in the Trans-Am TA2 Pro Am class in 2024, he came back stronger the following year, picking up four victories and nine overall podium finishes over 12 races, eventually taking home the Pro Am championship.
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