From the NASCAR media site:
WELCOME, N.C. (June 29, 2009) — The Richard Childress Racing No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo that seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt earned his 76th and final victory in will participate in this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in England on July 3-5, 2009.
Taylor Earnhardt, 20, Earnhardt’s youngest child, will drive the car in demonstration runs during the three-day festival. It is her inaugural turn behind the wheel of a stock car. She will be accompanied by her mother, Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc., founded in 1980 with her legendary husband.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual event held since 1993 at the Goodwood House in West Sussex, a place of great British motorsports history. Race cars old and new will participate in both demonstration and competition runs up the nine-turn 1.16-mile hillclimb circuit. This year’s gathering will include a number of NASCAR stock cars in honor of the 50th anniversary of Daytona International Speedway.
“I was honored to be asked by Lord March to have one of legendary RCR black No. 3 Chevrolets participate in this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “This is a great opportunity to promote the legacy of Dale Earnhardt not only in the United States but throughout the world. I also think it’s great that Taylor will have the opportunity to drive the car her father made so famous.”
Earnhardt drove this particular No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet to victory in the 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. It has been on permanent display at the RCR Museum since its grand opening in May 2003. The car was loaded onto the cargo ship Dublin Express and set sail June 6 from the port in Charleston, S.C., and is scheduled to arrive June 21 in Southampton, England.
“It is truly an honor to have Dale Earnhardt, Inc. included in this prestigious event,” said Teresa Earnhardt. “To see this winning Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet among the legendary race cars from past and present will be remarkable. To have Taylor honor her father’s legacy behind the wheel of this special race car will make this a memorable event for our organization.”
Taylor Earnhardt seconded her mother’s emotions about the historic event.
“It’s quite an honor to be a part of an event like this and all of the history and nostalgia associated with the Goodwood Festival. It’s very, very exciting,” said Taylor Earnhardt. “I’ve already spent some time in the car getting used to it, and I’m looking forward to the demonstration run. Hopefully, the fans in the United States and around the world will enjoy seeing one of my father’s winning cars participate in this awesome event”.
The car was prepared by and will be cared for at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by former No. 3 team crew members Danny Lawrence and Rich Burgess. Lawrence is currently the assistant head engine builder/trackside manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines and Burgess is the shop manager for RCR’s No. 31 Caterpillar team in the NSCS.
For General Motors, the automaker behind the GM Goodwrench brand proudly carried on the hood of the car, it is a chance to celebrate the history of the partnership with Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. and the legacy of Dale Earnhardt as a champion.
“The GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo brought incredible fame and prestige to the General Motors brand, and we are honored to see this racing legacy returning to action, if only for a one-time event,” said Jim Moloney, general director, marketing for General Motors’ Service and Parts Operation. “This participation in the Goodwood Festival provides a positive, emotional rallying point for Dale Earnhardt fans and those in the General Motors racing family. We look forward to hearing the engine fire up on the GM Goodwrench Chevrolet once again.”
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