This 21-year-old plays D-I lacrosse, is in Army ROTC — and now a national NASCAR series

Football was the first sport Jayson Alexander recalls wanting to play, but it was far from the only one that piqued his interest.

Alexander, an Apex native and former high school quarterback, has regularly watched Cup Series races throughout his life, starting with Daytona 500s early in his childhood. His athletic ventures were mainly on the gridiron until he picked up lacrosse later in high school.

His love for racing never waned, especially once he started playing collegiate lacrosse in NASCAR’s hometown. He decided to participate in an internship with a Truck Series team, where he was sweeping floors and doing whatever he could to be exposed within the sport.

The experience helped Alexander — who majors in business administration and minors in military science at Queens University of Charlotte — develop his marketing skills.

And at 21, he secured a ride of his own.

“I just can’t find the words to say it,” an ecstatic Alexander said Friday morning in the Charlotte Motor Speedway garage area. “I never thought I would be here with this opportunity. When these conversations first started coming about, I was hopeful. And now that we’re actually here. We’re actually doing it.

“It’s a dream come true.”

A year after pulling an all-nighter at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Alexander, currently a junior at Queens University, feels he’s always wanted to be a race-car driver.

A goalie on the Royals’ Division-I men’s lacrosse team, Alexander has been finding ways to get involved with NASCAR since initially coming to Charlotte in 2021. It hasn’t always come easily.

This time last year, he was working with a team in the ARCA Menards Series. It took longer than anticipated to finish getting the race car ready — and Alexander never went to sleep.

“We pulled an all-nighter the night before,” Alexander recalled. “Didn’t sleep at all for about two days. It’s really cool to see the difference coming in as a crew guy — trying to get the car prepared — and now I get to go out and drive and do it myself.”

Military aspirations

When he was a junior at Middle Creek High, Alexander realized the opportunity that presented itself in college lacrosse and decided to pursue the sport over football.

Knowing he’d have more time throughout the year than if he tried college football, other potential opportunities jumped out. He’s long had an interest in joining the U.S. Army and was intrigued by the ROTC program that Queens offers through UNC Charlotte’s 49er Battalion.

Queens had yet to make its jump to the Division-I level when he started there, and Alexander knew that would also give him a chance to get out to race shops. He has both a military and athletic scholarship to the university in Myers Park area.

On top of all his other commitments, Alexander and his fellow Army ROTC cadets have personal training starting at 5 a.m. at least three days a week.

“Do as much as possible while you have the time”

Alexander was involved in both theater and choir during high school.

He’s played instruments throughout his life and always had an interest in music. Drums have long been his favorite — and he’s also a self-taught pianist.

Alexander finds himself quite busy these days — being a Division-I athlete, an Army ROTC cadet and now a professional race-car driver. That’s how he’s always wanted it.

“I’ve always had the same motto: Do as much as possible while you have the time,” Alexander said. “As long as it’s not taking away from something else, try to go out there and broaden your horizons. I’ve met incredible people in every single thing I’ve done, and I’ve built awesome relationships and experienced incredible things.

“It led me to where I am now. Using my marketing abilities to pay for my racing. And get in the seat much later in life than other people did.”

“Something I never really thought I’d ever have a chance to do”

Alexander made his main ARCA Series race debut on Friday night at Charlotte.

He’s loved racing for a long time — and, like many drivers, had cut his teeth through online iRacing. And now that he’s made his way into a cockpit, he’s falling in love with the sport even more.

Intrigued by the business side of the NASCAR, Alexander got his start by representing other drivers and selling sponsors with them.

At this point, he’s built a significant network within this sport — whether he stays in it or not.

Even the choir-singing quarterback couldn’t imagine that.

“Racing was just in the back of my mind,” Alexander said. “Something I loved. Something I supported. Something I watched. Something I never really thought I’d ever have a chance to do.”