The white-on-black No. 3 Chevy driven by the late Dale Earnhardt is arguably the most iconic paint scheme in NASCAR history. However, it almost didn’t happen. Richard Childress, who owned that black No. 3 Chevy, recently revealed that General Motors wanted Earnhardt’s car to be blue – but Childress put his foot down and convinced GM execs otherwise.
Sitting down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Childress said that GM wanted Earnhardt’s Goodwrench sponsored car to race with a light blue base paint overlaid with white numbers and logos. Childress felt that this livery just didn’t have the contrast necessary to make Earnhardt’s machine stick out on track and fought against it. Even though GM was the one writing the checks for the race car, Childress wasn’t willing to budge on Earnhardt’s colors.
The half-black, half-blue paint scheme cooked up by Childress. Photo from TheDaleEarnhardtArchive.
“The GM Goodwrench brake boxes were blue and white,” Childress said. “They wanted that same color blue and white [for the race car].”
GM took some convincing, though, so Childress displayed a bit of malicious compliance. He created strange livery to prove the manufacturer wrong. Childress allowed the left side of the race car to be adorned in GM’s preferred blue and white, while the right side was blacked out with white numbers.
“I took black duct tape and silver duct tape and taped the right side of the car, and put Goodwrench on it with decals and the No. 3,” he said. “We ended up convincing them that it would show up a lot better on the racetrack as a black car and No. 3 and the Goodwrench being white.”
GM caved and approved the white-on-black No. 3 car for Dale Earnhardt. However, Childress deviated from that simple, recognizable paint scheme once, running an extremely loud, neon tie-dye livery designed by artist Peter Max. Earnhardt understood the need for a different scheme and relented on driving it on a one-off basis, but he absolutely refused to wear the matching firesuit and opted for his standard white uniform.
“He says, ‘I’ll drive that damn car, but I’ll tell you one thing. I ain’t wearing that damn uniform,'” Childress said, recalling his conversation with Dale Earnhardt over the funky livery. “He didn’t have to. He wasn’t about to wear that uniform.”
Comments
Too close to being Petty Blue, an all-time iconic color fit for only one driver and garage, The King & Petty Enterprises. Childress did the right thing in holding out for black.
The “Intimidator” wearing baby blue is just wrong. NASCAR has not been the same since Dale Earnhardt’s passing.
You’re right. Its a lot safer for the drivers.
Can’t say that I’ve heard that story.
I remember when Dale paid us a visit at the Chevrolet Central Office Bldg at the Tech Ctr. After lunch in the main cafeteria, he spoke then sat down at a table they had set up for him and he proceeded to sign autographs for what had to be over 200 employees. Despite being waaay past his scheduled appearance time he wouldn’t refused leave until he gave an autograph to everyone that wanted one.
The Intimidator was in fact a total class act.
Sorry
…he refused to leave until he gave….
Think you meant SILVER on black?. Not white.
I don’t believe Richard’s story. Every single GM Goodwrench racecar was black and silver for YEARS before they became the primary on the 3. Whether it was Dale’s Grand National team (the 8 car) or NHRA or Hendrick’s Corvette GTP program, those colors were always the same. Never blue and white.
I think Richard is misremembering, like maybe there was one guy at GM who suggested it, but I sincerely doubt it was actually up for consideration.
Either way I love the story