Belle Vernon graduate Donnie Tasser goes from wrestling mat to race track

Western Pennsylvania has a history of its highest-level athletes making it into professional leagues. The University of Pittsburgh has become synonymous with placing its players into the NFL nearly every year. However, Belle Vernon native Donnie Tasser took the road less traveled.

Tasser is now a front-tire changer for Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. However, before that, he was a standout wrestler at both Belle Vernon High School and Pitt. He was the first wrestler in Belle Vernon's history to become a three-time state qualifier and had several colleges interested in him. 

Tasser was initially undecided about where he wanted to attend college but received a visit from then-Pitt wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer. 

"A couple of conversations with him, coupled with a scholarship offer, and I'm like, I really need to sit down and look at Pitt," Tasser said.

After graduating from Pitt, Tasser was focused on becoming a sportswriter and took several jobs, ranging from unloading trucks at UPS to freelancing for local papers. 

Then his life changed when he received a phone call from a number he didn't recognize: Hendrick Motorsports. After speaking with Tasser's wrestling coach, Tim Flynn, HMS inquired about whether he would be interested in trying out for its pit crew.

After multiple tryouts, Tasser was hired and began work immediately, and he knew his time as a wrestler would benefit him in this role.

"Especially as a tire changer, there are a lot of physical attributes that are similar to wrestling," Tasser said. "Working in a small, confined, closed place." 

It's become common in NASCAR for pit crew members to be former professional or collegiate athletes.

Tasser has been a tire changer for drivers like NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson and O'Reilly Series Champion Justin Allgaier. He has been a part of several big moments, but none bigger than at Phoenix Raceway in 2021 during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship. At the time, he was the tire changer for another Hendrick Motorsports driver: Kyle Larson.

Close to the end of the race, the leaders came to pit road for fuel and fresh tires. Tasser and the pit crew had one job: get Larson from fourth to first. And that's exactly what they did. Larson made it out ahead of his fellow competitors and won the race and the championship.

"That's what you do it for," Tasser said. "The stop ends and all of a sudden, it's like a movie moment."