Which Dale Earnhardt NASCAR Is Daniel Ricciardo Set to Drive After Winning Zak Brown F1 Bet?

Daniel Ricciardo continues his tradition of troubling his team principals. It looks like he had extra motivation to clinch his first win for McLaren. After placing a bet with Cyril, what crazy thing has Ricciardo asked for this time? Zak Brown, CEO of the team, promised to let the driver get behind one of his cars – but it was no ordinary machine.

Zak Brown owns the 1984 NASCAR Chevrolet Monte Carlo; this was one driven by Ricciardo’s idol – Dale Earnhardt Sr. He would now have to give the car to the Aussie. During a press conference, Daniel revealed his plans for the car.

Ricciardo said, “I’m like, maybe he gives me the car? I think it was always a podium, I get to drive it. We never talked about a win, so I gave him my shoe that he drank out of, so maybe he gives me the car. It’s a good trade.”

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The driver drives under his hero’s number as well. A big moment for the fanboy, Danny can’t wait. “To have a chance to get behind the wheel of one of his cars is crazy. That will certainly be a ‘pinch me’ moment.”

The CEO has even revealed that he’s getting the car ready for his driver. After all, Ricciardo’s victory was a well-earned surprise.

Daniel Ricciardo honors another hero

The Honey Badger‘s thrilling victory was an ode to his F1 hero. An Ayrton Senna fan at heart, Ricciardo is honored to share something with him.

In the interview, Ricciardo explained his newfound connection to his hero. “When I think of McLaren, I think of [Ayrton] Senna. That’s the early memories and I’ve seen you know, like the trophies in the cabinet at the MTC [McLaren Technology Centre] and to have a winning trophy now with my name in pretty much the same cabinet is crazy.”

A crucial win for the team and the driver, the victory clearly means a lot to Ricciardo. After his initial struggles with the car, Monza was the breakthrough he required. The additional bonus of sharing something with his heroes has to be thrilling for the driver.

“These are like two little things today that I certainly appreciate, and they are two little surreal moments that I guess have hit me.”

Having finally found his footing in the car, one can expect more DR3 podium appearances. With the Russian GP coming up, all the effort will go into keeping the momentum going.

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