Worried Man
Submitted by Dave Fulton, 2014
Wrangler Jeans driver Dale Earnhardt wore a worried look on his face in the Winston Cup garage at Talladega in the days leading up to the August 2, 1981 Talladega 500. His Pontiac car #2 racing operation had been sold by owner Rod Osterlund to Jim Stacy and Dale was not happy driving for Stacy and team manager Boobie Harrington. Before the Talladega weekend was over, sponsor Wrangler forged an agreement for driver Richard Childress to step out of his #3 car and field Pontiacs for Earnhardt for the final 11 races of 1981, beginning at the August Michigan race.
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Original comments
Did Dale Earnhardt Sr. fancy feathered straw cowboy hat maker made King Richard Petty’s fancy cowboy hats?
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond, Va. USA
Dale was wearing old frayed looking straw hats when Wrangler came aboard in 1980. They were really nothing like the really nice hats Richard was wearing. Cale also was wearing straw hats similar to Dale’s. I don’t know what the source was, but Wrangler was happy for him to wear anything remotely western looking. Bob Janelle had a blue and yellow hat band with “Wrangler” on it made up for Dale’s hats. Dale kind of shed the hats by 1982 and mostly was wearing our blue & yellow baseball style caps.
Dennis, here’s a 1979 version Dale Earnhardt denim hat from a screenshot of an interview at Rockingham by the late WRAL TV-5 Raleigh, NC sports director Rich Brenner.
Dave, somewhere in my racing junk pile is an white painted straw cowboy hat that has “Charlotte Motor Speedway” printed on it. My parents bought it at “Charlotte Motor Speedway” and watched Fireball Robertshorrible race accident from the top of my father’s 1963 Pontiac Bonneville from the infield in May 24, 1964.
My father bought Pontiacs in 1959, 1962, 1963 and 1966 and my family would cheer for all Pontiac race drivers in the races.
I almost lost that “Charlotte Motor Speedway” white painted straw cowboy hat at an Cape Hatteras, NC deep sea fishing trip in 1966.
I wished I could remember the name of the fishing Captain or the fishing boat that had tochased down and get thatcowboy hat that had blown off my head . It was water-logged and today still hasthat famous Atlantic Ocean sea salt on it.
Thanks for any information or photos posted.
Dennis Garrett
Richmond,Va. USA
That’s quite a special hat you have, Dennis.