Dale Earnhardt scored his first victory at Talladega Superspeedway behind the wheel of the #15 Wrangler Ford Thunderbird on July 31st, 1983. To celebrate the upcoming 25th Anniversary of that historic first win, officials for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum (IMHOF) recently unveiled the famous car that started Earnhardt’s winning ways at Talladega. The car comes to the IMHOF at a fitting time, as the 25th Anniversary of Earnhardt’s win coincides with the 25th Anniversary of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum. Along with 10 Sprint Cup Series wins (a series record), Earnhardt also collected one Nationwide Series victory and three IROC wins, making him the most successful driver in Talladega Superspeedway history. Visitors to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum will find the #15 Ford Thunderbird on display in the Union 76 building through December.(TSS PR)(7-10-2008) UPDATE: A car unveiled at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Tuesday and touted as the car Dale Earnhardt drove to his first victory at Talladega Superspeedway is not that car, the car’s owner and Hall of Fame officials confirmed Wednesday. The 1982 Ford Thunderbird unveiled Tuesday was driven by Earnhardt but is not the car in which he won the 1983 Talladega 500. (Birmingham News)(7-10-2008)
