Everybody gets a second chance at Christmas time, even Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Just a few months after being stung by Dale Jr.’s surprise decision to switch teams and racing numbers — a move that cost the NASCAR souvenir industry millions — gift shops have rolled out updated Dale merchandise in time for holiday shopping.

But this Yule season, souvenir makers aren’t putting all their eggs in Dale’s Chevy. They’re also betting on the power of nostalgia, hoping millions of fans will buy something to commemorate the 50th running of the Daytona 500 race, which takes place Feb. 17.

The people at Motorsports Authentics, the nation’s biggest distributor of racing apparel and souvenirs, have been running flat out to stock up on both driver-themed and track-themed items in time for the holidays.

“It’s a challenge because several of the marquee drivers — Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kasey Kahne, and Kyle Busch — have changed cars,” said Scott Warfield, spokesman for the Charlotte, N.C. company. “To do a new die-cast model, the lead time normally is several months, but we were able to rush through a few in time for Christmas.”

Sales of Earnhart’s old No. 8 product line briefly revived toward the end of the 2007 NASCAR season as fans speculated the obsolete goods might become collector’s items, Warfield said. Now, the marketing pendulum has swung to his new racing number, 88.

A Dale Jr. Impala model car, decorated with his National Guard sponsorship logo, has just raced onto store shelves with a $70 price tag. A decorative No. 88 vanity plate is available for $18.

And you don’t have to be human to show your Dale Jr. colors. The gift shop at Daytona International Speedway is selling an 88 nylon jersey, priced at $30, for any dog that might be on your shopping list.

The Daytona 500 anniversary should attract buyer interest because it’s a one-time milestone, Warfield added. Several classic die-cast models have been tweaked to add the 50th anniversary logo, with the largest, most detailed ones priced in the $70 range.

Daytona Beach News Journal

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