Nineteen times, Dale Earnhardt fired the engine of his NASCAR Cup Series car with visions of winning the DAYTONA 500®. A victory in the biggest race had eluded its biggest star in each of those 19 attempts. While Earnhardt had championships and the most race wins of any driver in history at DAYTONA®, and numerous wins in other events at other race tracks, he had yet to cross the DAYTONA 500 victory off is already legendary status.
That all changed on February 15, 1998.The 1998 DAYTONA 500 marked the beginning of the 50th Anniversary season of NASCAR. Earnhardt, driving the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Richard Childress Racing, started the race from the fourth position. As he had many times at DAYTONA, Earnhardt raced in the lead pack and spent time at the front of the field on several occasions. A caution flag with just 26 laps remaining saw all of the leaders hit pit road. Earnhardt’s ultra-fast pit crew got him back out in front for the restart that came with 22 laps to go.
Earnhardt remained out front with just two laps remaining, but two competitors were riding in his tire tracks as cars went crashing behind them. In the era where drivers could race back to the caution flag, Earnhardt not only had to keep the competition in his rear view mirror, but also had to negotiate lapped traffic to get to the white and caution flags that were flying simultaneously.
Like the DAYTONA master that he was, Earnhardt remained in the lead, took the white and caution flags, and eventually cruised beneath the checkered flag to the adoration and excitement of the tens of thousands of NASCAR fans in attendance at DAYTONA.
Earnhardt’s DAYTONA 500® win not only brought a highlight to his incredible career, but it was celebrated throughout the garage. Nearly every pit crew member of every race team congratulated Earnhardt with high-fives as he drove down pit road en-route to Victory Lane in what has become one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR® history.
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Details:
- Material: 100% Diecast Metal
- High quality paint
- Fully die-cast body
- Some interior detail
- Plastic driver side window net
- Rolling Goodyear tires
- Plastic chassis
- Hand-applied decals
