On the morning of Dale Earnhardt’s death on the last lap of the Daytona 500, the racing legend’s staff and West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles officials were finalizing details for filming a March promotional video, featuring the NASCAR icon and Gov. Bob Wise. The March shooting appearance was to take place at Earnhardt’s Charlotte, N.C., racing headquarters. A 30-second television spot was planned to boost sales for the DMV’s NASCAR series of custom license plates and collectors’ plates, and a similar, minutelong tape was to be played on video monitors in DMV customer services offices. Following Earnhardt’s death, DMV officials contacted the racing legend’s business partners and family members at Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Richard Childress Racing, to determine the most appropriate course to take concerning the sale of the plate. See more at the Charleston Gazette: Earnhardt plates still available (2-25-2001)
