It’s been 25 years since Dale Earnhardt drove the iconic No. 3 Corvette C5-R in the 2001 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, with his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and other team members. In his only start, Dale Earnhardt was the runner-up driver in his class and claimed P4 in the overall standings. The striking yellow Corvette bearing the No. 3 is still remembered by fans to date. 25 years later, fans will get to see it again.
To the delight of the NASCAR community, Dale Earnhardt’s Corvette is once again painted gold and black. And this time, the fourth generation of the Earnhardt racing family is behind the wheel.
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Bobby Dale Earnhardt brings back the classic colors of his family
Bobby Dale Earnhardt drove the color scheme on his first day of testing at Daytona, as he gets ready for the ARCA Series’ 2026 season. Bobby is going to drive the No. 89 Chevy for Rise Racing this year.
The No. 3 C5-R holds a special place in the memory of the NASCAR community and the Earnhardt family. The 24 Hours of Daytona 2001 was the last race that Dale Earnhardt completed. It was also the last race that Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove with his father. Only a few weeks later, Dale Earnhardt would lose his life in an unfortunate accident at the 2001 NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500. As such, the yellow and black paint scheme is Dale Earnhardt’s final legacy in motorsports.
Photo Credit: John Brooks
Bobby Dale Earnhardt, who is currently competing in the junior divisions, feels the same way about it. He was nearly 24 years old when his “Pawpaw” lost his life to motorsports.
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“Yeah, this scheme… it’s really special to me. It’s basically a recreation of the Corvette that Pawpaw [Dale Sr.] drove in the Rolex 24 back in 2001 with Dale Jr. and the team. That yellow with the black panels — it just screams Earnhardt legacy. Seeing it on the car today, especially here at Daytona where so much history happened… it’s emotional, man.”
From his words, it is quite evident that the eldest grandson of Dale Earnhardt has a deep emotional connection with his grandfather’s final paint scheme. Even though he started his racing career quite later, Bobby Earnhardt is still carrying the torch of his family’s legacy forward.
The first day of testing brought forth a positive attitude in him. It seems that the car was giving him the response he needed, and he was more than happy to clock in the required laps. Needless to say, in his own words, “I think we’re ready for Daytona.”
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The yellow and black paint scheme was unable to witness the greatness of its rightful owner. However, with Bobby Earnhardt behind the wheel, it seems that it might witness the greatness of the racing that runs in the family. Bobby’s successful test for the ARCA series is the first step forward in that direction.
When late Earnhardt Sr. pushed the No. 3 to victory
It was January 2021, the 20th anniversary of the only start of Dale Earnhardt in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Once more, the No. 3 Corvette sporting yellow and black colors was racing on the oval. This time, it was being driven by Wayne Taylor and co-driver Nicky Catsburg.
As fate would have it, the car went on to win the race. In fact, Corvette Racing was running strong throughout the race. And when the drivers came out, they voiced out the thoughts we all had in our minds.
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“Today, we were making our passes on the high banks, so maybe we had a little bit of Dale Sr. in the car with us.”
The track that snatched away Dale Earnhardt from the racing world was also the track that gave him his greatest success. For Dale Earnhardt, Daytona was extremely special. In fact, even on the day he died, the Daytona 500 was won by his team in a 1-2 finish. Earnhardt Sr.’s fame spread beyond the stock cars.
Daniel Ricciardo ended up adopting No. 3 as his racing number in Formula 1 as a tribute to Dale Earnhardt. Even today, The Intimidator continues to be among the very best in NASCAR, if not the best.
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