2003 Season

BMS to dedicate Dale Earnhardt Terrace during Sharpie 500 pre-race ceremonies
Bristol Motor Speedway

(August 12, 2003)
Bristol Motor Speedway officially will dedicate the new Dale Earnhardt Terrace Grandstand during Sharpie 500 pre-race ceremonies on August 23. The late Dale Earnhardt joins Richard Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Alan Kulwicki, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and the Allisons in having a grandstand named in his honor.

At Bristol on April 1, 1979, Dale Earnhardt recorded the first of his 76 career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories. The seven-time champion won nine Winston Cup races and one Busch Series event on "The World's Fastest Half-Mile." From 1985 to 1988, he won five out of eight Winston Cup events here. He made his mark in the sport and at Bristol Motor Speedway not just by winning, but also by how he won. His intense driving style and his desire to win always came to the forefront at Bristol and helped establish him as the icon of NASCAR racing throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

"Dale Earnhardt truly is one of Bristol Motor Speedway’s all-time greatest heroes, if not the greatest," said Jeff Byrd, BMS president and general manager. "It is only fitting that we honor his accomplishments and the memorable moments he gave us here at Bristol by adding his name to the list of legendary figures which grace our grandstands."

A variety of weekend features and pre-race activities highlight the Earnhardt Terrace dedication.

Upon their arrival to Bristol Motor Speedway for the race weekend, fans will notice the new Earnhardt Terrace signage at Elevator Tower 7. The backlit verbiage reads "Earnhardt Terrace" in red letters. Located above the terrace designation is a 20’ x 20’ panel reflecting the Dale Earnhardt Legacy logo.

The official Sharpie 500 Souvenir Program cover features artwork from renown racing artist Sam Bass. To commemorate the Earnhardt Terrace dedication Bass combined more than a dozen scenes from the driver’s memorable Bristol history into one montage. The artwork spans the years from Earnhardt’s first career Winston Cup win through the hugely successful ‘80s (when he won five of the eight Cup races from 1985-’88) to his last performance at the track.

Bass will make a special presentation of the artwork during the dedication ceremony.

The pre-race dedication will originate from the middle of the backstretch facing the Earnhardt Terrace and will include the unveiling of the Earnhardt Plaque. The plaque will become part of the "Heroes of Bristol" garden to be located at Bristol’s new office building complex on which construction begins following the Sharpie 500 race weekend. The plaque will be displayed along with the plaques of others who have grandstands named in their honor.

The ceremony also will include radio highlights (MRN and PRN race recordings) of Earnhardt’s great Bristol moments as well as a Winston Vision montage of Earnhardt’s Bristol career.

A U.S. Navy fly-over consisting of three jets and three fireworks blasts, signifying Earnhardt’s familiar Car No. 3 will accent the terrace dedication ceremonies.

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