Old NASCAR Relic Shows How Popular Dale Earnhardt Jr. Used To Be

You can't spell NASCAR without Earnhardt or Elliott. 

Well, that's probably (definitely) not true, but you know what I mean. 

First, it was Dale Earnhardt and Bill Elliott. Then, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. Now, of course, it's Chase Elliott. 

Bottom line: you put those two names together, and you're gonna get eyeballs on the screen, no matter what. 

Anyway, Dale Jr. – NASCAR's former Most Popular Driver – is teaming up with Chase Elliott, the current MPD, later this spring at Darlington in a way that should have all the fans feeling things when the No. 9 Chevy hits the track. 

Elliott, it was announced Wednesday, will run Junior's 2014 Daytona 500-winning paint scheme for the May 12 Goodyear 500. If you're a NASCAR fan, you know the scheme I'm talking about. 

Iconic:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona 500 win caused Chase Elliott to miss school

Hard to believe it's been 10 years – 10 years! – since Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final Daytona 500 win. Yes, he won the Firecracker/Pepsi/Coke Zero Sugar 400 down here in 2015, but that was his final Daytona 500. Sad. 

Anyway, that particular race was memorable (aren't they all?) not only because an Earnhardt won it, but because it was rain-delayed for nearly seven hours and didn't end until laaaaaaaaate into the night. 

I stayed up to watch it, you stayed up to watch it, any NASCAR fan worth his or her salt stayed up to watch it. 

Because he's a great American, Chase Elliott obviously stayed up to watch it, which caused him to hit that snooze button a few times the next morning before first period Algebra. 

Elliott revealed Wednesday that not only was he late to class, but he still somehow has the tardy slip from that morning. 

I mean, what a reason – watching the race, thought for sure we'd have the day off. #Junior. 

Legend. Inject this attitude straight into my veins. This is why Chase Elliott is the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR by a mile. The guy gets it. 

He grew up in the sport. Lived it. Breathed it. Missed school because of it. 

You don't turn the TV off and head to bed when Junior's up front at Daytona. That's a sin in most bibles south of the Mason-Dixon. You watch till the bitter end and deal with the fallout in the morning. 

As for Chase bringing Dale's scheme back to life next month, let's hope it still has that same magic in it. 

It's been a while (18 months!) since Chase found himself in Victory Lane.