CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The National Guard has brought together Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the song "Citizen-Soldier" to unveil the NASCAR Sprint Cup No. 88 Guard car with a special grey and black paint scheme for the Sprint All-Star Race set for Saturday, May 17 at Lowes Motor Speedway, N.C.
"'Citizen Soldier,' is a great tribute to the National Guard," said Earnhardt. "Winning with this car would be a fitting way to pay respect to the citizen men and women who become Soldiers in times of need."
The "3 Doors Down" band name and the "Citizen-Soldier" song title are painted on the car's hood. The band's lead singer, Brad Arnold, said he was moved to write the song after watching 50,000 everyday citizens become active members of Guard units and provide disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
The car will also resemble the "Gray Ghost" that Buddy Baker drove to win the 1980 Daytona 500. The car earned its nickname because its colors made it difficult to see on the track, and a camouflaged Baker would sneak up and overtake the competition. After Baker's Daytona win, drivers complained to NASCAR, and Baker had to put reflector strips on his car.
Earnhardt won the 2000 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and has recorded seven top-10 finishes in his eight appearances in the event. The victory came in his first start in the winners-only, non-points race.
Crew chief Tony Eury Jr., and the No. 88 engineers have chosen Chassis No. 88-488 for the scheduled night-race. This is the same car that Earnhardt raced to a second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and a 12th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April. Earnhardt also won the pole position with Chassis 88-488 at Texas Motor Speedway in April.