This weekend, NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway for the primary of the observe’s two Cup races this 12 months. The historic observe is without doubt one of the most troublesome (and thrilling) on the schedule, and has hosted Cup races since 1950.
The South Carolina observe will play host to the sixth spherical of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season, and we have already been given a glimpse of among the throwback schemes groups will probably be operating. For instance, all three RFK Racing entries will honor Greg Biffle, who was killed in a aircraft crash alongside six others final December.
Spire Motorsports can be paying tribute to a different legend of the game — seven-time NASCAR Cup Sequence champion and first-ballot Corridor of Famer Dale Earnhardt.
Carson Hocevar, who has been much-criticized by his rivals for his extremely aggressive fashion, will run the blue-and-yellow Wrangler colours (however with Chili’s because the sponsor) as a tribute to Earnhardt.
25 of Earnhardt’s 76 Cup wins got here with Wrangler as the first sponsor, together with 4 at Darlington (1982, 1984, 1987×2).
Hocevar continues to be looking for his first win on the Cup degree, and will probably be making his 87th profession begin this weekend. He has two runner-up finishes, however his finest at Darlington is ninth, which occurred in final fall’s Southern 500.
Even the firesuit is a throwback, reimagining the blue jean and suede vest set Earnhardt himself wore in promotional photographs in 1981.
“Final 12 months, we seen the chatter evaluating Carson’s driving fashion to a younger Dale Earnhardt, and it’s solely grown louder as huge names within the sport make the comparability,” stated Chili’s Director of Media Tim Forman. “Given the dialogue, we needed to honor Dale’s legacy, utilizing his 1981 paint scheme because the inspiration for what we’re calling the Marg Machine. Spire and Carson had been all in, and we hope followers take pleasure in seeing the enduring blue and yellow on observe once more.”
Added Hocevar: “Chili’s all the time knocks it out of the park with their swimsuit and automotive designs, and the Marg Machine isn’t any totally different. Everybody at Chili’s and Spire put in plenty of work to get the automotive as near the unique as doable, they usually did an excellent job. We’ve had daring fits prior to now, however this is likely to be one among my favorites. It’s actually a privilege to honor Dale’s legacy on Alumni Weekend down in Darlington, and hopefully we may give him and all the oldsters from Chili’s an excellent run on Sunday.”
This additionally is not the primary time Spire has used its #77 entry to run an Earnhardt-inspired paint scheme. In 2020, Ross Chastain drove a Spire automotive with the identical colours because the pink/white/blue #77 Chevy Earnhardt piloted in his third profession begin. Soiled Mo Media, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., sponsored that effort.
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