MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 13, 2016) – The Gray Ghost has been resurrected. As part of the throwback schemes planned for Darlington (S.C.) Raceway’s annual Bojangles Southern 500 over Labor Day weekend, the iconic livery is revived in the form of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet.
In an announcement earlier today, Earnhardt Jr. and partner Nationwide revealed the throwback paint scheme Earnhardt Jr. will race at Darlington, and it has a lot of significance to the 41-year-old third-generation driver.
His No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS will carry the paint scheme used by Buddy Baker in his 1980 Daytona 500 victory, with significant period-relevant signage from Nationwide, which celebrates its 90th anniversary today.
“As a significant NASCAR sponsor for almost 20 years, it was very hard for Nationwide not to be the primary sponsor last year in Darlington and sit on the sidelines for the inaugural throwback weekend,” said Jim McCoy, director of sports marketing for Nationwide. “When it came time for the 2016 race draft, we made Darlington a priority because of what Chip [Darlington Raceway General Manager Chip Wile] and the team have built around this race, but more importantly because of our shared passion with Dale for the history of this great sport.
“We tapped into Dale’s passion when designing this year’s throwback car. The 2016 No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS throwback design honors Buddy Baker’s No. 28 Gray Ghost paint scheme.”
Veteran car owner Harry Ranier owned that car, and Baker drove it to victory at the fastest average speed in Daytona 500 history, a record that still stands today.
It’s not the first time Earnhardt Jr., a fan of all things retro from the late 1970s and early 1980s, has driven with the same basic paint scheme, either. He ran a car in the silver, gray and black livery during the 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
He also felt a special affinity for Baker, one of the top drivers in the sport during that era, as the son of champion stock-car driver Buck Baker.
“When I was really young, I grew aware of his [Baker’s] situation,” Dale Jr. said last year on Sirius/XM Radio of the second-generation star, who passed away late last season. “I hadn’t become a driver yet and I didn’t feel like I could relate to him. But I knew what growing up in his household must have been like, the yearning to compete and get into the series, to do what your father was doing and be a part of it to be more a part of his life. Being part of his life is one of the main reasons why you get involved.”
As sons of famous racing fathers, there was a lot of room for connection.
“He may have been able to appreciate what it was like, and there aren’t a whole lot of us out there,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “A lot of guys, like Dale Jarrett, I feel that connection with, of wanting to be in that shadow when you’re young and starting out, and then trying to get out of that shadow as you get older. I wouldn’t call it a struggle, but it’s a unique situation.”
In keeping with the historical and retro theme, McCoy took the opportunity to point out that the paint scheme enables the company to retro-brand the iconic car with its own marks.
“While Dale Jr. uses this opportunity to honor NASCAR’s storied heritage, this paint scheme is also a way for Nationwide to pay homage to its own past,” McCoy said. “As you’ll see, the paint scheme features colors and logos used by Nationwide during the same time that Baker’s original Gray Ghost was on the track. The orange Nationwide Insurance logo with “Nationwide is on your side” tagline was used in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and also aligns with the original orange NAPA Auto Parts logo from the Gray Ghost that ran in in the late 1970’s.”
The Earnhardts have had a long and successful partnership with Nationwide, almost as long and Earnhardt Jr. has been alive, McCoy said.
“We’ve also had a long relationship with the Earnhardt family, who have been Nationwide members for almost 40 years. We take great pride in being able to protect the many sides of Dale Jr., including his small business, life, cars, houses and even his dog, Gus.”
The Bojangles Southern 500 is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4 at Darlington, and will be televised by NBC Sports at 6 p.m. ET.