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Will we see Ricciardo driving a NASCAR car soon?

Will we see Ricciardo driving a NASCAR car soon?

14-09-2021 19:21 Last update: 20:00
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GPblog.com

It was a great weekend in Monza for Daniel Ricciardo. For the first time since 2018, the Australian won a race in Formula 1 and it was a long time coming for McLaren as well.

The weekend started well with second place in the sprint race on Saturday. On Sunday, Ricciardo immediately overtook Max Verstappen at the start of the race and drove to victory.

In March, McLaren CEO Zak Brown challenged Ricciardo to get his first podium finish for McLaren. If he could pull this off, Brown promised him a ride in his 1984 NASCAR Chevrolet Monte Carlo. That's not just any car, it's the car of Ricciardo's hero Dale Earnhardt Sr.

'Maybe he gives me the car?'

Now that the McLaren driver has not only secured a podium finish, but an immediate victory, he's taking it one step further. “I’m like, maybe he gives me the car? I think it was always a podium, I get to drive it. We never talked about a win, so I gave him my shoe that he drank out of, so maybe he gives me the car. It’s a good trade", Ricciardo told the Formula One Official Website.

"Dale Earnhardt is a big hero of mine and to have a chance to get behind the wheel of one of his cars is crazy. That will certainly be a 'pinch me' moment", he said. Ricciardo is a huge NASCAR fan and chose his race number #3 as a tribute to Earnhardt Sr.