F1's Daniel Ricciardo had so much fun driving Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at COTA
A once-in-a-lifetime ride.
Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo went for the ride of a lifetime Saturday at Circuit of the Americas, the Austin track which will host the United States Grand Prix on Sunday.
The 32-year-old McLaren driver from Australia was already having a great time embracing all things Texas this week, including busting out his southern accent impression. But this definitely has to be a major highlight of Ricciardo’s trip to the U.S.
He got behind the wheel of the 1984 Wrangler Chevrolet Monte Carlo once driven by the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., a hero of Ricciardo’s, and hit the track. With a massive smile on his face, Ricciardo rode around in the vintage car and even did a burnout on the track with it.
We've all got our dream cars, and this is @danielricciardo's!
His prize for his first podium for @McLarenF1 was a drive in his hero Dale Earnhardt's iconic 1984 Chevrolet, which is now owned by Zak Brown#USGP
#F1 pic.twitter.com/BT6Wm4XLqt
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 23, 2021
You can literally see him smiling at the wheel
https://t.co/ooDU4y7yWq pic.twitter.com/AKZfilWvQQ
— WTF1 (@wtf1official) October 23, 2021
“That was fun!”
#USGP
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 23, 2021
And Dale Earnhardt Jr. loved it too and tweeted: “I’m happy for Daniel. I’m also appreciative for how he celebrates my father. That makes a lot of dads family members and fans smile.”
Ricciardo’s unique ride around COTA all started as a bet between him and the head of McLaren Racing, Zak Brown, who owns the car as part of his personal collection. As Jalopnik previously noted, when Ricciardo joined his new F1 team, he and Brown wagered that if he could get a podium finish this season, he’d get to drive a car from Brown’s collection.
Then Ricciardo ended up winning the Italian Grand Prix in September, and a deal is a deal.
When you get behind the wheel of the car once driven by your racing hero.
Dale Earnhardt’s 1984 Wrangler Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
#USGP
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 23, 2021
Before
vs After
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) October 23, 2021
Think he quite enjoyed it
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 23, 2021
Going with the weekend’s theme, Ricciardo also has a Dale Earnhardt Sr.-inspired helmet: