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Semi-retired NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of the first drivers to drive for Hendrick Motorsports in the organizational test at Daytona International Speedway. The two-time winner of the Daytona 500 used to drive the team's Chevrolet #5, currently driven by Kyle Larson.
The veteran driver took to his Twitter account to reminisce about the unforgettable moment, writing:
“Sure was an incredible experience.”
Earnhardt Jr. reflected on the good old days when he landed at Hendrick Motorsports in 2007. His first task for the team was to run a test in the #5 Chevrolet Impala SS in red and white at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Chevrolet #5 was a fifth-generation car dubbed 'Car of Tomorrow' (CoT). The CoT was formally introduced in 2007 at Food City 500. They, however, made their full season debut in the 2008 Cup Series season, running until 2012 when the sixth-generation cars were introduced.
The CoTs were first tested in 2005 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, before heading to Daytona International Speedway, and lastly to Bristol and Martinsville.
Compared to previous cars, CoTs were designed in such a way that their bodies were somehow bigger and more comfortable. Following a crash that led to the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2001, the CoTs were immensely improved in terms of safety.
Following several tests in 2007, the cars were supposed to make their official debut in 2009. To save costs, however, NASCAR brought forward the year they made their official debut to 2008. The CoTs went on to retire in 2013, with Brian France terming the model a failure since they lacked a manufacturer identity.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s earned position in Hall of Fame and brief highlight of his career
Apart from being an accomplished stock car racing driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is also one of the best sports analysts for NASCAR on NBC. He was recently inducted into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame, for which voting took place in June 2020. The ceremony, however, could not take place due to COVID-19, and was postponed until February 2021.
Earnhardt Jr. earned his position in the Hall of Fame owing to a successful career as a driver and his contribution to the sports community. He followed in his father Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s footsteps, who was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2006.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. switched over to being a Hendrick driver after leaving his father’s Dale Earnhardt Inc. Racing in 2007, signing a five-year contract with the former.
Before his retirement from full-time NASCAR racing in 2017, Earnhardt Jr. had 26 wins in the Cup Series, ranking as the 31st driver in NASCAR history to hit that mark.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. also won NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award 15 times consecutively, starting in 2003 all the way up to 2017 when he retired. The legendary driver took his first Daytona 500 trophy in 2004, after which it stayed for 10 years without coming close to the trophy before reclaiming it in 2014.
Apart from being an analyst, he is also a part-time driver in NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving Chevrolet #8 for JR Motorsports.
