Watch As Dale, Jr. Takes A Few Laps In His Newest Race Car: Dale Sr.’s 1980 Rookie Season Monte Carlo!


Watch As Dale, Jr. Takes A Few Laps In His Newest Race Car: Dale Sr.’s 1980 Rookie Season Monte Carlo!

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is packing up his career at the end of 2017. That’s no surprise…it’s been in the works, and was put on an accelerated path after he sat out most of 2016 due to concussion-related issues. He’s been driving in the series since his first races back in 1996, and he’s suffered some pretty stout wrecks over the years, so you can’t blame him for sunsetting while he’s still in one piece. He’s had a hell of a career on his own, but no matter what he has done, there will always be a connection to Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr., the Intimidator. And after the Talladega race this year, in which Junior narrowly missed three different opportunities to wind up in the middle of a sheetmetal sandwich, Talladega had one more surprise left for him: the 1980 rookie season Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Dale Sr. drove.

The Monte Carlo was used by Earnhardt Sr. for his 1979 and 1980 seasons and is the car that earned him the 1980 Rookie of the Year award. The Monte has been in the International Motor Sports Hall of Fame for years, and technically will still belong to the state of Alabama, but will be on a “permanent loan” to Junior. In addition, Earnhardt was also given two bottles of champagne: one from Earnhardt Sr.’s final victory at Talladega back in 2000, and from Junior’s first win at the track in 2001. But you can easily tell that getting behind the wheel of the old Monte Carlo was the highlight for him.

As quoted on NASCAR.com: “I drove his No. 3 Goodwrench car a couple of times, did some tests that first year we were together,” he said. “But never anything old like this, you know, with some real history. “I love to be able to sit in the car and just see the perspective of … what the view was like. So different than our cars today. No headrests or nothing like that. Just kind of see everything and a lot of wind moving around and pretty crazy.”


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5 thoughts on “Watch As Dale, Jr. Takes A Few Laps In His Newest Race Car: Dale Sr.’s 1980 Rookie Season Monte Carlo!

  1. Patrick

    Good old days when the cars were cool.Too bad Jr married that chick, he will live to regret it. She already has her balls, and his ATM, in her pocket.

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