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Dale Earnhardt Jr Car Collection

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still one of NASCAR's most popular personalities even after moving to part time. Let’s check out his car collection and the NASCAR Graveyard he’s put together!
dalejr.com
dalejr.com

One of the Largest Personalities in Motorsports 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn’t just the son of “The Intimidator” but an accomplished driver, team owner, broadcaster, and motorsport personality. The 2021 NASCAR Hall of Famer didn’t let the shadow of his accomplished father stop him from making a name for himself. He climbed from humble beginnings as a mechanic at his father’s service shop racing Street Stocks and Late Models on weekends all the way up to being known as one of the most popular drivers of all time. Dale Jr.’s NASCAR record boasts two back-to-back Xfinity Series wins in ‘98 and ‘99 that helped him make his way into the Cup Series where he’d not only secure 26 victories over the course of his career, but two of those were at the highly regarded Daytona 500. He also was voted Most Popular Driver 15 times by fans over the course of career, just one short of the record held by Bill Elliot.

Dale Jr. has left full-time NASCAR Cup Series racing behind him, but he’s still racing part-time and co-owner of JR Motorsports. Today, he hosts a popular podcast called the Dale Jr. Download that’s centered around the world of racing, reminiscing on his past in motorsports, current NASCAR topics, and just general comradery with other motorsport personalities. Jr. has made his mark on the motorsport world and is still enjoying the limelight on his own time and in his own way.

2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo - carsforsale.com
2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo - carsforsale.com

After listening to his podcast for a while now and having been a fan of his while he was driving that red #8, I decided it’d be fun to take a peek into his garage. Now, I’m not talking about his special edition versions of the 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo or the Chevy Silverado. I’m interested in the third-generation NASCAR champion’s collection of great classic cars and his unique “graveyard” full of NASCAR wrecks. Let’s check out Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s car collection!

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Cars 

1948 Chevrolet TK 3100 Pickup

1948 Chevrolet TK 3100 - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com
1948 Chevrolet TK 3100 - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com

First on the list is Dale Jr.’s 1948 Chevrolet TK 3100 pickup. The green classic truck features a disheveled, patina look that helps give it a personality through its visible age and wear. While the exterior may look old, under the hood is a different story. Dale Jr. fitted the classic with a modern 5.3L Vortec V8 that helps this restomod stay dependable and powerful while out on the road.

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com

While this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air is no longer in Dale Jr.’s possession, it’s still a pretty cool restoration of a ‘50s classic. The Bel Air featured a stock look with the typical chrome trimmings and a two-tone paint job that made this car so iconic, but this thing is a restomod under the skin. It’s powered by a 434 CID small-block engine that made 500 horsepower sent through a five-speed manual transmission. While Dale Jr. isn’t typically one to let a car sit without being driven, this Bel Air apparently read zero on the odometer when it was sold off.

1956 Chevrolet Nomad 

1956 Chevrolet Nomad - Discovery on Youtube
1956 Chevrolet Nomad - Discovery on Youtube

Dale Jr. had a fun crossover with the Gas Monkey Garage in making his bright green 1956 Chevrolet Nomad wagon. The guys over at Gas Monkey Garage made this an eye-catching, tasteful restoration for the NASCAR champ to honor his #88 Diet Mountain Dew stock car. Not only did they customize this Nomad, but they put together a custom matching cooler to carry cold Diet Mountain Dew with him in the back.

1965 Chevrolet Impala 

1965 Chevrolet Impala - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com
1965 Chevrolet Impala - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com

The 1965 Chevrolet Impala in Dale Jr.’s garage has actually been passed down within his family since being purchased brand new. It was apparently used by family and friends of the Earnhardts whenever somebody needed a ride for a short while. He actually bought the car off of his father, Dale Sr., back in the 1990s. Dale Jr. hasn’t restomodded this classic and instead has kept it virtually true stock with some repairs and replacements. The only real difference between it coming off the floor back ‘64 and today is that the drum brakes were replaced by disc ones and the suspension has been updated.

1967 Chevrolet Camaro 

1967 Chevrolet Camaro - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com
1967 Chevrolet Camaro - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com

At one point, Dale Jr. had a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro that had become a headache to work with. He came across this 1967 Chevrolet Camaro that had been owned by an engine builder at Hendrick Motorsports. While this was already a nice restoration with a nice background history, Dale Jr. took the car to Kyle Tucker’s Detroit Speed Shop (DSE) to get it outfitted with a 4-link rear suspension, hydroformed subframe, subframe connectors, mini-tubs, along with some custom dash components and ‘80s Corvette seats. Under the hood is a Chevrolet Performance small-block crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Jr. has said this is one of his favorite rides.

1972 Chevrolet Camaro 

1972 Chevrolet Camaro - Nationwide Insurance on facebook.com
1972 Chevrolet Camaro - Nationwide Insurance on facebook.com

Dale Jr.’s other Camaro is also a slick ride that he had based off the classic Trans Am race cars of the ‘70s. This 1972 Chevrolet Camaro painted in Hugger Orange was also built by DSE to perform like a Trans Am race car. The team tubed the car’s chassis, updated and lowered the suspension, and tacked on a lot of other custom components to truly make this one of a kind. Powering this Camaro is a Chevrolet Performance LS2 crate engine

1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 

1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com
1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com

The Laguna had a successful racing past before being outlawed by NASCAR due to its aerodynamic advantage. Cale Yarborough took the Laguna to two consecutive Winston Cup Championships and secured him 34 wins while it was still legal. Due to its roots in NASCAR history, Dale Jr. felt the need to own one of these ‘70s classics. His blue 1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna Type S-3 was the last year of production for the model, but it’s been given some racing flair to separate it from stock. Dale Jr.’s Laguna features a front lip spoiler, a trimmed rear bumper, a rear trunk spoiler, and some vintage wheels that look like the ones seen on old NASCAR stock cars. This little history piece ended up being one of Dale Jr.’s favorite cars to drive for a while.

 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 

1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 - willis miller on Pinterest
1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 - willis miller on Pinterest

While Dale Jr. has a common affinity with Chevrolet products, he can enjoy some other General Motors cars with NASCAR heritage. Take for instance his 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442. This red classic also has some history in NASCAR as it was the same model car that Yarborough found his third consecutive Winston Cup Championship after moving on from the Laguna. Dale Jr.’s is a street model, but it’s been given some of the same NASCAR adornments that the Laguna had. It’s got the trimmed rear bumper, rear spoiler, front lip spoiler, and the same set of vintage styled wheels installed.

1977 Chevrolet Silverado C10 

1977 Chevrolet Silverado C10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X
1977 Chevrolet Silverado C10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X

Dale Jr. Has had a couple different C10s, but his current classic truck is an “avocado green” 1977 Chevrolet C10. It’s all polished up, lowered slightly, and has orange plaid interior upholstery. We’ve only seen this beauty a handful of times and fans had to bug him on social media to get some actual looks at it up close.

1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo #2 

1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo #2 - dalejr.com
1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo #2 - dalejr.com

As a retirement gift to Dale Jr. during his final NASCAR Cup Series tour, Talladega Superspeedway and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame gifted the driver his father’s rookie year blue and yellow #2 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo stock car that also went on to carry “The Intimidator” to his first Cup Series Championship in 1980. While the car is still technically owned by the state of Alabama, Dale Jr. has it in his possession and on display up at his shop.

1984 Chevrolet Nova #8 

1984 Chevrolet Nova #8 - NASCAR on NBC on X
1984 Chevrolet Nova #8 - NASCAR on NBC on X

That isn’t the only Dale Earnhardt Sr. stock car in his possession. Dale Jr. also restored his father’s #8 1984 Chevrolet Nova stock car from the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. It took him nearly two years to get the car how he remembered it, but he got it into shape and was able to drive it around the track at Darlington Raceway as the leading pace car to honor his late father. Fun fact, this stock car actually started as a Pontiac Ventura before its nose was chopped off to transition into the Nova we know now.

1985 Chevrolet Blazer Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Edition 

1985 Chevrolet Blazer Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Edition - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com
1985 Chevrolet Blazer Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Edition - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com

While this isn’t necessarily a Dale Earnhardt Sr. race car, it does hold some relation to his father. Dale Jr. was able to find a 1985 Chevrolet Blazer Dale Earnhardt Wrangler Edition in pretty great condition. A lot of these old Blazers have turned into rusted out husks over the years, but he was somehow able to find this special edition in near mint looking condition. Got to love that yellow Wrangler stitching design on this old SUV.

1988 Chevrolet S10 

1988 Chevrolet S10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X
1988 Chevrolet S10 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X

Some may not see the S10 as a desirable vehicle, but this truck has a special connection with Dale Jr. His 1988 Chevrolet S10 pickup is an almost exact replica of the first truck he ever owned. Being that he was 16 at the time, he didn’t necessarily appreciate the vehicle for what it was when he moved on from it and has since wanted to rekindle those memories with this remake. This pristine looking pickup was a full restoration by Ray Evernham and the Big Iron Garage using two S10s that were merged into one immaculate recreation. It’s a nice ride to go down memory lane for the NASCAR champion.

1999 Corvette Callaway C12 

1999 Corvette Callaway C12 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com
1999 Corvette Callaway C12 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on facebook.com

The 1999 Corvette Callaway C12 may be gone from Dale Jr.’s garage, but it was a unique sports car for his collection while he had it. This was a C5 Corvette redesigned by Callaway Cars in order to compete in the GT2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Only 20 of these cars were made and they came equipped with either a 6.2L V8 or a retuned version of the 5.7L LS1 V8 from the stock C5. The biggest visual change is the body kit that was added to this special Corvette that helped give it more aggressive aerodynamics.

2009 Pontiac G8 “HSV” 

2009 Pontiac G8 “HSV” - images.drive.com.au
2009 Pontiac G8 “HSV” - images.drive.com.au

Dale Jr. had an appreciation for Australian cars, more specifically Chevrolet’s cousin Holden. The race car driver fell in love with Holden Commodore, but more specifically the Holden Special Vehicles version. While Dale Jr. Wasn’t able to import a real HSV from Australia to the states due to importation laws, he was able to craft his own with the help of some HSV body panels and a Pontiac G8, the American version of the Commodore. He was even able to source a supercharged 6.2L V8 to fit under the hood with the help of Rick Hendrick. It may not be a real Holden, but it’s a nice homage to Aussie auto manufacturer.

2001 Chevrolet Corvette C5R 

2001 Chevrolet Corvette C5R - corvettemuseum on Youtube
2001 Chevrolet Corvette C5R - corvettemuseum on Youtube

The 2001 Chevrolet Corvette from the Rolex 24 at Daytona is a special vehicle for Dale Jr. This was a special event where Dale Sr. and Jr. drove as a team behind the wheel of the same race car through heavy rain and unfamiliarity with their car only to go on and secure fourth overall and second in their GTS class. The Earnhardts had considered entering the 24 Hours of Le Mans after doing so well on their first endurance race, but Dale Sr. unfortunately had his infamous crash just two weeks following the Rolex 24. It’s a bittersweet car to own, but makes you wonder what could have been.

2004 Chevrolet Silverado “Big Red” 

2004 Chevrolet Silverado “Big Red” - @dalejr on Instagram
2004 Chevrolet Silverado “Big Red” - @dalejr on Instagram

Dale Jr. had a fun truck build for a while that had been given the prerunner treatment with a wide fender kit, lifted suspension, front skid plate, visible spare wheel in the bed, and some KC roof lighting. That’s already cool for an older Silverado, but Dale Jr. also added a train horn in the bed just in case people weren’t already looking his direction.

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss Z71 

2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss Z71 - @DirtyMoMedia on Youtube
2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss Z71 - @DirtyMoMedia on Youtube

“Big Red” was eventually replaced by a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Trail Boss Z71 after Dale Jr. had attended the reveal event in person for the all-new generation of the Chevy truck. This was one of the first new cars he’d ever actually purchased rather than having Chevrolet loan him the vehicle to drive around in as a part of their motorsport relationship. The driver decided that this was the truck he wanted to buy and that it’d be the one he’d drive into the ground until his next purchase.

The Racecar Graveyard 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 1967 Chevrolet C30 flatbed farm truck - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 1967 Chevrolet C30 flatbed farm truck - Dale Earnhardt Jr. on X

Now for Dale Jr.’s Racecar Graveyard. There’s a ton of wrecked late models, truck series, NASCAR stock cars laying out on Dale Jr.’s property. It isn’t laid out in an organized manner either. His team just takes the wreckages out on his C30 flatbed farm truck and tosses them out in the backwoods of “Dirty Mo Acres”. There are cars in creek beds, up in trees, and strewn about carelessly wherever you look. While that doesn’t sound that appealing, it’s quite the sight from what’s been shown to the public.

Racecar Graveyard - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com
Racecar Graveyard - Dustin Lee on vimeo.com

These aren’t just Dale Jr. or JR Motorsports crashes either. He’s collected wrecked cars from the likes of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliot, Mark Martin, Aric Almirola, Alex Bowman, Danica Patrick, Clint Bowyer, William Byron, Brad Keselowski, and so many more. The last count was around one hundred different crashed racecars sitting on Dale Jr.’s property. Unfortunately, the Racecar Graveyard isn’t open to the public and has only been showcased by Dale Jr. himself and his colleagues that work on the property. Hopefully one day it can be opened up as a NASCAR Graceland or something, because there is a lot of motorsports history in those woods.

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Jesse McGraw

Jesse McGraw brings his life-long car obsession into his writing. A fun childhood that involved growing up around race tracks, working on a rusty ‘99 Dodge Dakota held together by zip ties, and collecting Hot Wheels developed into a strong appreciation for automotive history. If there is an old, obscure, or rare car, he wants to know about it. With a bachelor's degree in Web Development & Design from Dakota State University, Jesse can talk shop about car or computer specs, focusing on classic cars, imports, and car culture.

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