---
title: "Watch Daniel Ricciardo Drive Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Vintage NASCAR"
description: "Childhood dream fulfilled."
date: "2021-10-23"
modified: "2022-02-15"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/42858/watch-daniel-ricciardo-drive-dale-earnhardt-sr-s-vintage-nascar"
categories:
  - "NASCAR"
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
---

# Watch Daniel Ricciardo Drive Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Vintage NASCAR

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/10/IMG_4837.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

McLaren Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo was able to fulfill a childhood dream Saturday morning at the [Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/42857/f1s-yuki-tsunoda-is-unimpressed-by-texas-bbq-hates-a-sweaty-ass>). The Australian got behind the wheel of Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1984 Chevy Monte Carlo NASCAR and lapped the 3.4-mile track several times, even stopping to do donuts for the cheering fans.

As you may already know, McLaren CEO Zak Brown likes to incentivize his drivers with extraordinary perks, hoping that it'll motivate them to push even harder on the track. Earlier this year, Brown [promised to gift Ricciardo a joyride](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/40006/ricciardo-will-get-a-joyride-in-dale-earnhardts-84-nascar-monte-carlo-after-first-mclaren-f1-podium>) in his idol's iconic NASCAR whenever he scored his first podium with the F1 squad. Ricciardo did one even better and [delivered McLaren's first win 3,123 days at the Italian Grand Prix](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/42346/mclarens-f1-victory-at-monza-concludes-3123-days-of-struggle>).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVYJKpBlakK

Of course, it was time to pay up, so Brown took The Intimidator's Chevy out of his personal collection in Europe and brought it to Austin so Ricciardo could drive it during the [U.S. Grand Prix weekend](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/42808/acura-returns-to-f1-in-red-bull-livery-for-this-weekends-us-grand-prix>).

Formula 1 took some additional (but un-embeddable) [up-close videos](<https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.daniel-ricciardo-drives-the-late-dale-earnhardts-chevrolet-around-cota.1714430819114609771.html>) of Ricciardo in the car, and the [in-car view](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIZItRqlzwg>) practically radiates pure joy from the screen.

As you can see in the [photos and videos](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CVYJKpBlakK/?utm_medium=copy_link>) above, Ricciardo wasted no time getting up to speed and winding up that roaring V8.

*Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com*

*\[Updated 2/15/2022: Added links to Formula 1's videos above.\]*

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)