MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 27, 2017) – The Gray Ghost paint scheme on the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS that raced in the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway during Throwback Weekend in 2016 was missing one important piece: driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the Gray Ghost paint scheme will ride once more, with Earnhardt Jr. at the controls, thanks to a fan vote by longtime partner and race sponsor Nationwide Insurance. Earnhardt Jr. missed that 2016 race while recovering from concussion symptoms.
The vote, which ended on Sept. 26, allowed JR Nation and other race fans to help choose the paint scheme for Earnhardt Jr.’s final race at Martinsville as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. The Gray Ghost was one possible choice, along with the patriotic schemes from 2015, 2016 and 2017; the 2015 and 2016 Nationwide schemes and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital schemes from 2016 and 2017.
As part of the fan contest, one lucky respondent will win Dale Jr.’s signed, race-worn gloves from the race and a signed replica helmet.
The car itself is a replica scheme based on the 1980 NAPA/Regal Ride Shocks Oldsmobile that Buddy Baker drove to victory in the Daytona 500 that year. The car, owned by Harry Ranier and crew-chiefed by the legendary Waddell Wilson, led 143 of the 200 laps that day, and carried Baker to his only Daytona 500 triumph. He set the record for fastest average speed in Daytona 500 history as well, and that record still stands 37 years later.
The car, which Earnhardt Jr. was supposed to drive in the Southern 500 at Darlington last year, did run there with Jeff Gordon behind the wheel. Gordon finished 14th that day.
Its paint scheme was heavily influenced by Earnhardt Jr., according to Nationwide’s director of sports marketing Jim McCoy.
“We tapped into Dale’s passion when designing (the) throwback car,” McCoy said. “The No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS throwback design honors Buddy Baker’s No. 28 Gray Ghost paint scheme.”
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.
The paint scheme is nearly identical to that Darlington car, with small tweaks to the Nationwide logos and some of the colors.
Nationwide boasts a long-term partnership with Earnhardt Jr. and his family, as they have been members and clients for nearly 40 years.
“We’ve also had a long relationship with the Earnhardt family, who have been Nationwide members for almost 40 years,” McCoy said. “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.”