http://wranglertraderspass.com/heritage/
I think this was just released. Very imformative and Dale sounds really interested in it; I know he enjoys history.....still wish they aired his old show "Back in the Day". It'd be nice if they started it back with new episodes, but heck, I'd be happy if they played re-runs now and again.
-Cody
Thanks, Cody.
RC's memory is both good and bad.
He is wrong on the first race. The August 1981 Bristol race was the second race Dale and Wrangler were with Richard Childress. But, Dale did wreck on pit road in that race. The first race was the week before at Michigan in August 1981.
He is exactly right about the $10,000. Every week, beginning at the August 1981 Michigan race I took a $10,000 check made out to RCR to the track. I had it in the hip pocket of my Wrangler jeans on pit road during first round qualifying. Our deal stipulated Richard would get the money ONLY if Dale made the field in first round qualifying. Back then all tracks had at least two rounds of qualifying and most of the superspeedways had three.
We paid the salary for Doug Richert and Robert Gee, as well as buying a ton of shop equipment for Richard. It was a win/win deal for him.
I particularly remember Michigan being the first race because I had two $10,000 checks with me. The other was made out to J.D. Stacy to change the paint scheme on his #2 car so it didn't look identical to the Wrangler design.
Below is a photo taken by our own RR member, John Betts of the Dale Earnhardt/Richard Childress/Wrangler #3 on pit road on Sunday morning before the start of the August 16, 1981 Champion Spark Plug 400 at Michigan International Speedway. It was Earnhardt's first race in the Childress ride. The following Saturday night in Bristol would be their second race together. Too bad somebody at Wrangler didn't check the facts before they put together that erroneous video piece. But, Wrangler is a different company (name only ) with different people and nobody there who was with the company in the racing days. They had to rely on Richard Childress' memory. Of course, they might have considered checking Racing Reference, lol.
In the photo above, that's Bud Moore (Benny Parsons was driving his Melling sponsored car) walking down pit road at Michigan giving Earnhardt and the Childress Pontiac the once over. Wonder what he was thinking??!!
I'd say that was a good day (Aug 16th is my birthday) lol. I would have to say I like this scheme better than any of the other Wrangler cars.
Thanks for all the info Dave, I really enjoy reading your memories!
The photo below is another John Betts photo taken at the August 1981 Michigan race. That's what the #2 JD Stacy car looked like the first time out without Dale Earnhardt at the wheel. Joe Ruttman was now in the car. For the $10,000 I paid him, Stacy painted the car solid blue, removing the yellow front end, and made the chevron solid yellow instead of the blue & yellow chevron previously on the car as designed by Wrangler.
Yeah, that's the paint scheme Chris Economaki said was the best he had ever seen on any stock car.
hey dave didnt dale sr drive a no 8 pontiac for childress a short stint then left and came back to drive the no 3 wrangler chevy
thanks pkl
Bingo
