DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Her name is Amelia. And, boy, can she fly.
She will be forever treasured by Dale Earnhardt Jr., even though he wants nothing more than to give her away Sunday.
“Amelia Earhart” is the nickname of the sleek and superfast Chevrolet that Earnhardt drove to three victories last season. The car never finished lower than third in five races, and Earnhardt couldn’t find a reason to keep her out of the upcoming Daytona 500.
The decision was easy. Instead of building a new car specifically for “The Great American Race” — what most teams do every offseason — Earnhardt opted to give Amelia another shot at getting to Victory Lane.
She delivered Thursday night when Earnhardt won a 150-mile qualifying race to raise her record to four wins in six starts over the last 13 months.
“The car really does everything I ask it to do,” Earnhardt said after his win. “When you have a car that you know can do the things that this car can do, you’re willing to take those gambles and risks to pull out and pass. It’s just a fun car to drive. A really special car.”
When Rick Hendrick leaned into the window after Earnhardt’s latest victory, the longtime NASCAR star urged his team owner to keep track of Amelia and consider putting her on display in his museum.
For now, he is just fine if he says goodbye to her Sunday. Daytona International Speedway displays the winning car for a year, and the car’s team gladly exchanges it for the prestigious trophy. Earnhardt, a two-time 500 winner, decided chassis No. 88-872 needed a name when crew chief Greg Ives declined to retire the car.
“The fact that we’re going to keep running it, I said, ‘We have to name it,’ and we were thinking of a woman who has accomplished something that was an awesome person that was something we could be proud of,” Earnhardt said. “Amelia Earhart was the first thing that came to my mind. She must have been the most daring. She sort of fits that mold of the courage and determination that you need as a race car driver. She must have had that and more to be able to do the things she did in her lifetime.”
So it’s the car that gives Earnhardt the confidence to make the moves he did Thursday night while winning for the 17th time at Daytona. The victory came on the 15th anniversary of his father’s death.
Although he daydreamed about winning to honor his father, Earnhardt really just didn’t want to embarrass himself with a poor showing.
