@dave-fulton10 years ago
This was the first race for Dale Earnhardt with Richard Childress. Wrangler contracted with Childress to pay him $10,000 per race for the last 11 races of the 1981 season. The contract read that Childress would only be paidIF Dale made the race field in FIRST Round qualifying. I had two $10,000 checks with me that weekend. One was for Childress and the other was for JD Stacy to change the paint scheme on his previously sponsored Wrangler cars. Note Dale's car owner for the next two years - Bud Moore - walking by and eyeballing the situation.
@dave-fulton10 years ago
Looks like Joe Millikan (Chase???) sitting on pit wall. By the way, Dale drove the Childress car to a 10th place starting position in 1st round qualifying and I gave Childress the folded over check from Wrangler for $10,000 from the back hip pocket of my jeans.
@dave-fulton10 years ago
How Earnhardt would fare with Childress beginning with this 1981 Michigan race was of national interest on the racing scene as shown in this headline Associated Press story carried in the Wilmington, NC newspaper: Back in the days before car wraps and clutter all over the car. No mistaking who the sponsor was.
This was the first race for Dale Earnhardt with Richard Childress. Wrangler contracted with Childress to pay him $10,000 per race for the last 11 races of the 1981 season. The contract read that Childress would only be paid IF Dale made the race field in FIRST Round qualifying. I had two $10,000 checks with me that weekend. One was for Childress and the other was for JD Stacy to change the paint scheme on his previously sponsored Wrangler cars. Note Dale's car owner for the next two years - Bud Moore - walking by and eyeballing the situation.
Looks like Joe Millikan (Chase???) sitting on pit wall. By the way, Dale drove the Childress car to a 10th place starting position in 1st round qualifying and I gave Childress the folded over check from Wrangler for $10,000 from the back hip pocket of my jeans.
How Earnhardt would fare with Childress beginning with this 1981 Michigan race was of national interest on the racing scene as shown in this headline Associated Press story carried in the Wilmington, NC newspaper: