Earnhardt Jr. will go retro on May 10 at Darlington

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race a special one-time-only throwback paint scheme on the No. 88 Chevrolet at Darlington.

To kick off Mountain Dew's "Old School New School" promotion, Earnhardt will pilot the No. 88 Mountain Dew AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet with a throwback paint scheme modeled after the 1981-82 entry driven by Darrell Waltrip.

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Check out the Dale Jr. retro gear in the Superstore.

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• Junior die-cast cars

"I'm so excited about this paint scheme. To run a paint scheme like the Mountain Dew one is a tribute to the history of the sport and the heritage at Darlington," said Earnhardt. "I can't wait to see how the car looks on the track because it looks awesome on paper."

Could the throwback Mountain Dew paint-scheme be a good-luck charm for Earnhardt as he chases that elusive Darlington victory? The Mountain Dew colors have certainly proven to be lucky at Darlington in the past. Mountain Dew was on the hood of Darrell Waltrip's car in 1981 when he won 12 races, including the Rebel 500 at Darlington.

Mountain Dew also will launch the "Old School New School" promotion that will give consumers the chance to win "Cars, Kicks and More." Those who participate in the "Old School New School" promotion will be able to decide which "school" they prefer. Beginning May 19, winning consumers will choose between new and retro prizes like 2009 Corvette or a vintage Corvette, an arcade game or an Xbox and many other items. You can learn more about Mountain Dew "Old School New School" by going to www.oldschoolornew.com.

"Dale Earnhardt Jr. has such high regard for our sports past, it's only fitting that he be the one to bring back the retro Mountain Dew paint scheme at a historic track like Darlington Raceway," said Mark Dyer, President and CEO of Motorsports Authentics. "We are pleased to partner with Dale Jr., AMP Energy/Mountain Dew and Darlington Raceway on this program by giving fans the opportunity to commemorate this event with Action Racing Collectables die-cast and other 'Old School New School' memorabilia."