Dale Jr. to Run Special Valvoline Paint Scheme in Honor of Carl Yarborough at Southern 500
Earnhardt Jr. said Yarborough was one of the drivers he admired most growing up
Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012, Cale Yarborough is a three-time champion of NASCAR’s premier series and ranks sixth all-time with 83 victories over the course of his illustrious career.
To honor Yarborough’s accomplishments and also to help celebrate Valvoline’s impending 150th year anniversary, the Sprint Cup Series’ most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will be featuring a special Valvoline paint scheme on his No. 88 Chevrolet SS at the Bojangles’ Southern 500, inspired by the car Yarborough drove from 1981-82.
The Southern 500 at Darlington is a NASCAR tradition and a race that Yarborough won himself five different times. Darlington Raceway previously featured two NASCAR races a year–a 400-mile and a 500-mile race–but lost one as a result of a lawsuit. Darlington chose to keep the 500 mile distance for its remaining event, and this year marks the first time in ten years it will be held during Labor Day Weekend.
“I enjoy having some of my paint schemes being inspired by some of these racing schemes from the past,” Earnhardt Jr. said in a video released by Valvoline. “Being able to run a car, basically identical to Cale’s, is pretty special for me.”
Earnhardt Jr. has won two races so far this season and is currently third in the point standings, only 89 points behind the leader, Kevin Harvick.
The Bojangles’ Southern 500 is scheduled to begin at 7pm on September 6th and will be broadcast on NBC.
Video: Dale Jr. discusses Valvoline paint scheme
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