CONCORD, N.C. – Yesterday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. presented the patients at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital with their very own Victory Bell.
The surprise? The bell was designed to look like a mini-replica of the special No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet SS that Earnhardt will pilot this weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
Ricky Blackwelder has been a fabricator/water jet operator at Hendrick Motorsports for 16 years and he volunteered his time for this project.
Over the course of three to four weeks, Blackwelder worked on designing and creating the victory bell for the hospital.
“I hope they’re jumping for joy,” Blackwelder said of the children at the hospital. “All the kids at the hospital, I hope it gives them something to smile about. I just think it would be neat to see him and the little car together, it’ll be an awesome experience for them. “
Check out these eight fun facts about the creation process of the Victory Bell.
1) First, Blackwelder drew up a full-sized sketch of the bell. “We have a couple Victory Bells around here but I wanted to make it look more like a car,” he said.
2) After he ordered the bell, the next step was to draw the framework of the miniature car and figure out the correct dimensions.
3) Blackwelder then took a picture of the design and put it into the software for the water jet. The first body panels he cut were the side panels.
4) Next, he cut some of the framework and began piecing that together before getting the wheels and tires.
5) Blackwelder built the suspension next, put it all together and attached the sides. He then began metal-shaping the top, back and front ends of the car and welded them together.
6) The bell frame came next, and he welded those pieces together and hung the bell.
7) Once everything was in place, the car went to paint and body, where it was painted and decaled.
8) The entire Victory Bell weighs 109 pounds, although it’s still light enough that a child can push and steer it.
For a photo gallery of the process, click here.