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Jeffrey Earnhardt Will Pay Tribute to his Grandfather at Darlington with Special Paint Job

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In his career, the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. won a total of 76 races in NASCAR’s premier series and also captured seven championships. This September, his grandson Jeffrey Earnhardt will pay tribute to the legendary stock car driver by racing in the Southern 500 with a special paint job, which is reminiscent of the 1981 Wrangler Chevrolet his grandfather piloted during the 1981 season.

This is the second consecutive year that NASCAR will feature racecars with retro style paint schemes in the September race at Darlington. Last year, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is Jeffrey’s uncle, drove a Valvoline-sponsored racecar that paid tribute to NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough.

For the younger Earnhardt, the decision to honor his grandfather was not difficult, according to the owner of his car, Archie St. Hilaire.

“When we were going through the process of which paint scheme to run for this year’s race at Darlington, the idea of a tribute to Dale Earnhardt’s 1981 season stood out to all of us above the rest,” said St. Hilaire. “Throw in the fact that we get to have Jeffrey showcase his family’s heritage and pay tribute to his grandfather, as well — that’s just icing on the cake.”

Earnhardt Sr. drove his blue-and-yellow Chevrolet to 17 top-10 and nine top-five finishes during the 1981 season. One of those top-10s was a sixth-place effort in that year’s Southern 500.

In fact, when Earnhardt began the 1981 season, he was driving the No. 2 car, but after an ownership change halfway through the season, he switched to No. 3, which is the reason why Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive the No. 32 car as a tribute, as it combines both numbers.

“I’m pretty excited to have the famous yellow and blue paint scheme in honor of my grandfather for this year’s Southern 500,” said Jeffrey Earnhardt. “I know we’ll have a lot of fun with it, and hope all the great fans enjoy it as well.”

News Source: NASCAR