Dale Earnhardt Jr. paced the Steakhouse Elite 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race in his father’s car on a track that his father dominated.
In the spring of 1984, Legendary race car driver Dale Earnhardt and his brother-in-law converted his Pontiac Ventura with a Wrangler livery into a 1977 Nova and finished it in the iconic Goodwrench paint scheme. The car went on to win the first-ever Busch Series race at Daytona in 1986. After being retired from the NASCAR track the car made appearances at vintage races in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Find out what Dale Earnhardt Jr's favorite car is here.
The former race car was reportedly fitted with a 700-horsepower 358-cid V8 engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. The exterior still wore its original Goodwrench finish and the interior was finished in red and featured a full roll cage. According to an ad, in 2019 the car was in good running condition and was a part of a private collection.
In 2019, the car was put up for auction at the Barrett Jackson Palm Beach event where it sold for over $200k. Since then the car has been authenticated by Dale Jr. and Robert Gee Jr. and restored to its original racing condition by JR Motorsports. Behind the wheel of his father’s infamous number 8 car, Dale Earnhardt Jr. paced the Steakhouse Elite 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday May 8, 2021 at Darlington Raceway. The story of this car, its history, and the family that created it is truly fascinating. More information on this car, how Dale Earnhardt Jr. acquired the car, and more can be found on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, The Dale Jr. Download.
