With stay-at-home-orders still in effect across the country, collector car auctions have had to adapt and overcome. Earlier this month, we wrote about how auction houses have either cancelled events or are holding them completely online. Barrett-Jackson is one of those collector car auctions that has had to adjust for the pandemic and will be holding an entire auction online May 8-17, 2020.
A very special vehicle was just added to the docket by NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. Mr. Childress will auction off his beloved and original No. 3 Chevrolet for charities that are aiding COVID-19 relief efforts. What makes this Chevrolet so important is that it was once driven by legendary NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt!
The generosity of Mr. Childress is simply incredible! It is not an easy choice to let go of this car which will be the first time Childress has parted with an original Earnhardt car from his collection. In an interview with Barrett-Jackson, Richard has this to say…
“I’ve grown my personal collection of memorabilia throughout my career in NASCAR and have especially enjoyed the Dale Earnhardt cars in my collection because they each have such a unique history that bring back priceless memories of my years winning and racing with Dale. I have never parted with an Earnhardt Chevrolet from my collection, but with a global pandemic taking place and people in our communities suffering, it is time to do what I can to help. All proceeds will benefit much-needed causes to fight the devastating effects of COVID-19 on a local and national level.”
Dale Earnhardt drove this Chevrolet at tracks such as Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Rockingham Speedway and Darlington Raceway between 1996 and 1999. Highlighted by a win at Rockingham Speedway in 1996, Earnhardt did not finish worse than fourth with Chassis No. 22 in its first three on-track appearances.
Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, had this to say about Richard’s generous donation to the auction. “We’re incredibly honored to assist Richard Childress during this crucial time in our nation’s history,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. “Not only is this a rare chance to own an original race car from his NASCAR collection, but it’s a chance to come together as Americans and help those who have been affected by COVID-19.”
All proceeds from the sale of the Earnhardt-driven Chevrolet will go help both local and national organizations that are battling the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the proceeds will go to support local first responders and front-line workers in need of personal protection equipment. A part of the proceeds will be sent to Feeding America, which helps to deliver meals to children that are currently out of school as well as helping fund food banks as well.
We want to applaud Mr. Childress for his selfless and heartwarming donation to the auction house and a special thanks to Barrett-Jackson for facilitating the sale of such a historical car! It is times like these that we get to see people’s (and organization’s) true colors! When all of this is over, people will remember those that stepped up to help fight and make a difference in this world. Bravo to you all!
If you would like to register to bid on the No. 3 Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, you can head on over to the registration page. You can view all vehicles up for auction May 8-17, 2020 on the docket on the Barrett-Jackson website. Happy bidding!