Dale Earnhardt Sr. is a NASCAR racing legend. It did not matter if a fan liked him or hated him. There was certainly a lot of respect in both camps for the way Earnhardt could drive. He became a top competitor week in and week out until his tragic during a race on February 18, 2001. Richard Childress owns a lot of racing momentos from the past, including one of Earnhardt’s old race cars. Now, he going to auction it off to benefit COVID-19 recovery efforts.

When is the auction?

Between Friday, May 8th, and Saturday, May 16th, NASCAR legend himself, Richard Childress, will have one of Dale Earnhardt’s old cars auctioned off. The auction will be through Barrett-Jackson, in Scottsdale, Arizona. It marks the first time Childress has let go of any original Earnhardt Sr. car from his personal collection. According to Barrett-Jackson’s website, 

“The entire sale price will be donated to benefit COVID-19 relief efforts.”

Richard Childress’s own words

Childress commented on the vehicle and the auction,

“I’ve grown my personal collection of memorabilia throughout my career in NASCAR and have especially enjoyed the Dale Earnhardt cars in my collection because they each have such a unique history that bring back priceless memories of my years winning and racing with Dale,” said Childress. “I’ve never parted with an Earnhardt Chevrolet from my collection, but with a global pandemic taking place and people in our communities suffering, it’s time to do what I can to help. All proceeds will benefit much-needed causes to fight the devastating effects of COVID-19 on a local and national level.”

The specific car details

This black and silver number three Chevrolet, was actually raced by Earnhardt. It is not a show car that toured to different corporate events. This particular car was raced at Bristol Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Dover International Speedway, and Rockingham Speedway. The car also registered a win at the Rockingham track. 

The iconic Goodwrench livery is on the car. That is the livery that Earnhardt Sr. was most associated with during his many years of racing. It is in that livery that he became famously known as The Intimidator. Drivers often commented that seeing the black Chevy driven by Earnhardt coming up behind them in their mirrors was intimidating. They knew Earnhardt was a driver that never eased up. Earnhardt’s mastering of drafting and the slingshot maneuver to get around drivers, made drivers uneasy when his racecar was around. So, the auction of the black Goodwrench Chevrolet should do well if enough NASCAR fans are involved in the bidding.

A historic friendship

This auction of the car will certainly be a mix of emotions for Childress. Earnhardt won 67 races with Richard Childress Racing. So, Earnhardt and Richard Childress had a long developed bond of friendship. Earnhardt also won six of his seven championships while employed there. Although Childress has already placed many pieces of racing memorabilia on EBay also to raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts, the car will be a high profile sale. So, the Barrett-Jackson auction house was asked to become involved. 

Now is the time for NASCAR fans with the wherewithal to capture a piece of racing history. The historical attachment of the car to Earnhardt and Childress alone would normally command a good bidding war. However, the fact that the auction of the car is also to benefit COVID-19 recovery certainly means that emotions and motivation will also be higher. This auction will most assuredly be watched closely by NASCAR fans.