DARLINGTON, S.C. – As Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepares to take on his final Southern 500, driving a No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS inspired by a paint scheme from his NASCAR XFINITY Series days, it’s already been a Labor Day weekend full of reminiscing.
“This track’s definitely meant a lot to my family – dad had a lot of success here,” Earnhardt said Friday in the Darlington Raceway media center.
And to show Earnhardt how much he has meant to the track, Darlington Raceway pledged to donate 88 tickets every year to children in the region in honor of Earnhardt and his wife Amy.
The goal is to help promote the sport and bring the young fans every year to the thrilling, throwback race.
“That’s gonna be cool,” Earnhardt smiled. “Hopefully it brings some new fans over the years.”
The driver thanked the track and its staff, pointing out Darlington’s importance to him throughout his career.
“This track here has earned my respect more than any other for how difficult and challenging it can be,” he said, noting that he can’t wait to call races at the track “Too Tough to Tame” inside the NBC broadcast booth.
“I’m certainly looking forward to coming back here.”