Dale Jr., Nationwide Reveal Scheme for Final Southern 500

Ron Lemasters | JR Motorsports | 7/18/2017

Dale Jr. Darlington Nationwide News

Dale Jr. and Nationwide today unveiled the No. 88's throwback paint scheme for Darlington Raceway's Southern 500, a tribute to the iconic ACDelco livery he drove in 1998-99.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 18, 2017) – Standing in the NASCAR Hall of Fame here Tuesday afternoon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Nationwide revealed the throwback paint scheme for the 42-year-old NASCAR star’s final Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway over the Labor Day weekend.

It did not disappoint.

The No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet will showcase the colors that Earnhardt Jr. carried to consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series championships in 1998 and 1999, the blue, white and red of the No. 3 ACDelco Chevrolet out of the Dale Earnhardt Inc. racing stable.

Earnhardt Jr. drove the car to 13 victories over the two seasons, earning 34 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes in 63 races on the junior NASCAR circuit prior to heading to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time the following season in the No. 8 machine. It remains one of the most iconic schemes Earnhardt Jr. has driven in his career.

The unveil took place at 2 p.m. ET in the Great Hall at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and was followed by a media session and an event that gave the first 88 fans with a paid NASCAR ticket the opportunity to have their picture taken with Earnhardt Jr. next to the No. 88 as part of the JR National Appreci88ion Tour. The Appreci88ion Tour will run through the end of the 2017 season and is Earnhardt Jr.’s way of saying thank you to his legion of fans, the sport, its competitors and all the people who made his 18-year career possible.