McLaren driver If Daniel Ricciardo had heard Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s reaction to his driving the ex-Earnhardt Sr. 1984 Chevrolet NASCAR at Circuit of The Americas, he says he would have cried.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown had promised to let Ricciardo drive the car he owned if the Aussie ace won the Italian Grand Prix, because Earnhardt Sr. was a hero to Ricciardo as a kid.
Ricciardo’s wish came true on Saturday at Circuit of The Americas, where he piloted the blue-and-yellow Wrangler-backed car over the 3.426-mile road course and performed donuts for the crowd.
“It was sick, it was so much fun,” said Ricciardo. “It’s so different as well. I got my kicks out of it because it’s so raw and foreign. The noise, smashing gears, the driving position… Like everything’s quite unique.
“And it’s Dale’s car – one of my all-time heroes. So that was surreal. Good fun.
“And I think to do it here as well. If we had rented a private track somewhere in England, I don’t know, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. So I’m really grateful that Zak flew it out here.”
Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press asked Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his opinion, and he responded through Twitter: “I’m happy for Daniel. I’m also appreciative for how he celebrates my father. That makes a lot of dad’s family members and fans smile.”
Following an interview, commentator Will Buxton informed Ricciardo of Junior’s response. Asked later what that meant to him, Ricciardo replied: “When Will Buxton told me at the end of the interview, I immediately got goosebumps. Honestly, if we’d been in a private setting and he [Junior] told me that one-on-one, I think I’d probably have cried a little bit.
“It was pretty crazy – like, happy-crazy – to be appreciated by that family in general. I’ve been such a fan.
“After Senior, I was a massive fan of Junior. I was watching every NASCAR race for years. I’d wake up and watch Junior try and win the 500 every February.
“It was pretty cool just to be recognized and appreciated for having support for his dad.”
Ricciardo revealed that he was torn when F1 drivers were first given the option of choosing their car numbers, and he went with the ‘3’ that Earnhardt Sr. made popular in NASCAR.
“I ran the 3 in his font on my helmet… and I remember speaking to Dale Jr.,” said Ricciardo. “I was like, ‘Do I ask if I can do it?’ Even before I asked, he was like, ‘That’s so cool, we really appreciate you.’
“But I was also confident enough in my ‘fanboy’. I’d followed Dale for so many years as a kid, and then Dale Jr., so I was confident that if I got questioned about it I could speak truly and truthfully about it.
“And to bring that into F1 – it’s a bit like myself and Lando with Valentino Rossi. He’s got nothing to do with F1 but he’s a huge figure in motorsport and I appreciate that. It’s the same with Earnhardt.”
Several masks inspired by NASCAR racing drivers are currently available at the following websites for a reasonable price:
