Dale Earnhardt’s career spanned over two decades, and his performances etched his legacy in NASCAR history. One friend who stood beside Earnhardt since its inception is none other than his iconic #3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The 1986 NASCAR Cup season was a defining moment in Dale Earnhardt’s career as he entered his third year piloting the iconic #3 car for Richard Childress Racing (RCR).

It was during this season that Earnhardt could make it to 16 top-five finishes and 23 top-10 finishes. It did not end here. He was also able to claim his second NASCAR Cup Series championship title and his first of six in the #3 Chevy, although the 1984-1987 paint scheme was special. With the exotic and bold blue and yellow paint, this car stands as the true testimony of Earnhardt’s legacy. But now that years have passed, this beautiful car is up for grabs and is currently going as the highest bid in auctions. 

The Legacy of Dale Earnhardt’s Chevy Monte Carlo 

The car is quite well adorned as well, and along with the bright paint scheme, you will find the iconic Wrangler Jeans livery. To add to that, the car boasts a V8 engine to go with its dazzling features. Throughout the tenure that Earnhardt has been for Richard Childress Racing, from the latter half of 1981 to again from 1984 until he passed away in 2001, the #3 Chevy has been his confidante. However, there is finally some good news for all the racing car enthusiasts. 

Mecum Auctions, renowned for its race car knowledge and as the largest collector car auction, is currently auctioning this car in Kissimmee, Florida. It is expected that given the legacy of the car; it is supposed to attract a lot of potential investors from around the world. The auction is live at Osecola Heritage Park between January 7th to 19th, and you can simply choose to register to bid. The car is registered under the name of “1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Aerocoupe Race Car”. 

Since this legendary car is going into auction, let’s dive into more about Dale Earnhardt’s achievements in this car. The Wrangler sponsorship stretched from Dale’s second stint at RCR from 1984 to 1987. In these four years, Dale piloted the stylish blue and yellow car to victory lane on 22 occasions, securing back-to-back championships in 1986 and 1987.

When Dale Earnhardt shocked the world

In 1988 Goodwrench came along and the Intimidator made that his most iconic livery, winning four more championships with Goodwrench on his side. However, 1986 was a pivotal year for Earnhardt as he was into his third year with RCR and failed to win the championship in his first two, with an 8th-place finish in 1985. One story of his determination to win from the 1986 season hilariously stands out.

Racing through Richmond Raceway in 1986, there was some unanticipated mud in Dale Earnhardt’s car that required him to slow down and enter the pit lane. However, being the exhilarating driver that he is, Dale Earnhardt chose to climb out of his seat with a knee on the steering wheel and clean the windshield. Isn’t the guts to try this feat out simply out of the world? This made the already dashing car even more iconic.

The Intimidator was coming off a disappointing 14th-place finish at the Daytona 500 to start the season, which explains his desperation to win this race. Speaking of the incident and the moments that followed, crew chief Chocolate Myers said, “We’re racing at Richmond, and he’s got the car — it’s totally covered in mud — and he hollers on the radio, ‘Richard, I need to pit’. And Richard says, ‘Dale, I’d hate to come in and pit, lose all that track position’. And Dale comes on the radio and says, ‘I’m gonna be off the radio for a few minutes’. And then you see Dale driving with his knee and got one head and he’s cleaning the windshield off”. 

However, his race was marred by a collision with Darrell Waltrip, which saw him end the race in third place. Waltrip said after the race, “I drove off into Turn 1, dropped the tire down off the track in the dirt and slid up the hill and bump into Dale a little bit. Not hard, I didn’t wreck him or anything.” Unfortunately, Dale Earnhardt didn’t take Waltrip’s push lightly.

On Turn 3, Earnhardt hooked the rear of Waltrip’s car and the cars locking horns started a multi-car wreck. Neither of them won the race, with Waltrip ending in 5th place. Following the race, the Intimidator was fined $5000 for intentionally wrecking and sabotaging another driver. Despite this rocky start to the season, Dale Earnhardt clinched the championship and immortalized the #3 Chevy Wrangler forever.