Carolina Panthers head Ron Rivera believes that Nascar and the NFL have similar team-building philosophies.

Rivera spent time with crew chief Chad Knaus and feels that having a good rapport is just as important between the pit crew as it is in an NFL team.

Rivera told ESPN: "This guy may jack the car up a 10th of a second faster, but he doesn't work as well together with others, while this guy may be a 10th of a second slower, yet he works well with everybody.

"We're the same way. It's about, 'How does this guy fit in the locker room?'"

The Panthers finished with a 12-4 record in the 2013 season.