Dale Jr. Sun Drop car has plenty of history

Long before Dale Earnhardt Jr. was even old enough to buy Budweiser, he was racing a car sponsored by Sun Drop, a popular soft drink brand in the southeast. Some fans will remember that Dale Earnhardt Sr. once served as a spokesman for Sun Drop, and a set of commemorative bottles created in his honor are among the most coveted of collectibles.

Dale Jr. piloted the Sun Drop Chevrolet Lumina during his stint in NASCAR's Late Model Stock car ranks, racing mainly at Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway.

Interestingly, Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief during the early part of his short track career was veteran racer Gary Hargette, of Marshville, NC. Hargette had gained notoriety more than 15 years earlier fielding Chevrolets first for Harry Gant and later for Dale Earnhardt himself on the old NASCAR Late Model Sportsman tour.

In a 1996 interview with this writer, Hargette recalled striking similarities in the way both Earnhardt's drove short tracks: "They drove almost exactly alike. Both of them like their cars set up loose. You could make it so loose most guys couldn't drive it, and they'd go out, run a few laps, and then come in complaining that it was too tight. We'd loosen it up some more and send them out again."

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Hargette also noted that father and son shared the same grim determination.

"That's the thing that set them apart from most," Hargette elaborated. "Most drivers, if their car wasn't exactly right, they'll just kind of ride it out until the crew can adjust on the car. Just sort of give up. Not the Earnhardts. If their car was off, they'd look for a way to make up for it with their driving style. They never gave up. Never"

The No. 3 Sun Drop Lumina has been replicated in 1:24 scale die-cast by Action Performance Companies, exclusive manufacturer of Dale Earnhardt Jr. die-cast. That collectible is now available at the NASCAR.com SuperStore.