Daniel Ricciardo finally realized his dream earlier today when he got to drive Dale Earnhardt’s NASCAR Cup car at COTA.
McLaren boss Zak Brown promised Ricciardo a test run in his hero’s car if he got a podium this season. After winning in Monza, Ricciardo and his fans have been yearning for this moment and we finally got to see it on Saturday.
Earnhardt’s car is owned by Brown who possesses a huge personal car collection.
Daniel Ricciardo races with the number 3 to pay homage to the NASCAR legend who passed away after a crash in Daytona in 2001. To pay further respects, he will be wearing a special helmet dedicated to the legendary driver this weekend.
A deal’s a deal. 🤝 @DanielRicciardo on track in Dale Earnhardt Sr’s 1984 Wrangler Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Owned by @ZBrownCEO, this was the prize for his first podium in papaya colours! 🧡#USGP 🇺🇸
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 23, 2021
Donut delight in the Circuit of the Americas, thanks to Daniel Ricciardo
The Australian driver won McLaren their first race since 2012 and led the team to their first 1-2 since 2010. He put on a show for the fans in Texas by performing donuts around the track ahead of FP3 in Austin.
Craving Donuts #Ricciardo? #cota #danielricciardo #nascar #f1 #Formula1 #austingp #USGP pic.twitter.com/8bgq2bHNKR
— fatima (@fatimacs) October 23, 2021
The McLaren driver would look to top off a dream weekend by putting in a strong performance in the race. With Ferrari breathing down on their shoulders, the Surrey-based team have to be at their best to secure P3 in the Constructor’s Championship.
Daniel Ricciardo currently sits 8th in the Championship with 95 points to his name.
