Dale Earnhardt was sitting in the
#2 Rod Osterlund "Wrangler Jeans Machine" PONTIAC NASCAR Winston Cup Series ride on pit road during January 1981 Daytona Speedway testing when photographer Dozier Mobley captured the steely-eyed "Earnhardt Stare" for sponsor Wrangler's 1981 press kit and photo mailer. You'd never catch Dale with a flat "rap-style" brim on his cap. He immediately personally "shaped" his ball caps when you handed him one.
This was Dale's "Mustard Yellow" driving suit with blue western shoulder motiff that he detested. We also had a blue Wrangler suit (he won at Nashville & Talladega in it) that he hated almost as much. He always preferred the light color white or creme colored suits.
Dave, Did you have anything to do with the putting the Wrangler sponsor patches on the Hinchman made firesuits that Dale Sr. race in? Noticed in above photo, Wrangler sponsor patches on front and shoulder section of Hinchman made firesuit. There's an small Wrangler shirt tag sewed on the collar of the Hinchman firesuit? Who worn the Wrangler shirts / pants products first? Who worn the Wrangler shirt tag sewed on collar of race uniform first? Dale Sr. Or King Richard? I have photos of King Richard wearing Wrangler Products even though, he wasn't sponsor or advertised the Wrangler Products on TV or in race magazines? Dennis Garrett Richmond, VA.
Oh yes, Dennis.. my assistant Wrangler NASCAR program manager, the late Bob Janelle made sure all the Wrangler ID was on Dale's 1981 uniforms, like the one in the picture. For a while around that time, Richard picked up a small associate sponsorship from Texas Jeans. We (Wrangler) had 99% of the garage and drivers wearing Wrangler products, but Richard was obligated to wear Texas Jeans.
Dennis, you might remember this discussion a few years back about Wrangler providing items to the AJ Foyt team and Bill Elliott/Melling team: http://racersreunion.com/community/forum/stock-car-racing-history/18556/when-dale-earnhardts-sponsor-helped-bill-elliott-aj-foyt Also, 4 times a year - at Rockingham, Riverside, Charlotte and Richmond, we (Wrangler) brought in several tractor-trailer loads of jeans and shirts and sold them at cost to teams and their families (including children) and to credentialed media members. These at cost sales were held next to the infield media centers. In addition, Wrangler furnished clothing at no charge to the Top-30 drivers in points each year. Below, you can see that award listed as one of the points of our 1983 Wrangler racing promotional program in a bulletin prepared for our Wrangler retailers: