Lil’ Dale to be honored forever at Texas Motor Speedway

Honoring Lil’Dale

You might be a redneck if … in 2002 you traveled to a farm in Interlachen, Fla., carrying gifts of fried pork rinds, Old Milwaukee and a carton of Winstons to the newborn Intimidator, Lil’ Dale.

Lil’ Dale was a brown goat born that year with a distinguishing white “3” marking on her right side. Less than a year after the death of Dale Earnhardt, fans were convinced she was a sign and made the pilgrimage to see the kid.

“That’s how God created her,” TMS president Eddie Gossage recalled fondly on Friday.

Well, Lil’ Dale died in December, but she will spend eternal life … at Texas Motor Speedway.

Gossage directed officials to have her stuffed and brought to Texas, where she will be put on permanent display year-round at the Speedway Club so that TMS can “continue to pay tribute.”

High (Texas) Tech guy

The crew chief for Xfinity Series points leader Daniel Suarez might be a native of upstate New York, but don’t jump to conclusions.

He’s a Texas Tech guy.

Scott Graves earned a degree in mechanical engineering on the South Plains in 1994 after graduating high school in El Paso, where his parents moved when he was in elementary school.

Graves, in his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing after leading the crew of 2015 Xfinity champ Chris Buescher of Roush Fenway Racing, didn’t discover NASCAR as a career until after college and a first job at Halliburton.

“Going to college, you don’t always know what you want to do,” Graves said. “It was always something I was interested in.”

He worked in motorsports with SCCA as a hobby on the side.

“When I developed more of an interest in it, I kept looking for opportunities to get in NASCAR until I did.”

A warrior’s benefits

The father of Chris Kyle said he only wished that his son were here to be a part of the good deeds being done in his honor.

“It’s bittersweet,” said Wayne Kyle as he and his wife, Debbie, stood in front of the No. 13 Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit car, driven by Matt DiBenedetto, before Friday’s Xfinity O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. “We wished Chris was here to experience it.”

Last year the American Valor Foundation raised $450,000 for Guardian for Heroes. This year, proceeds raised through the foundation will benefit Spirit of a Hero.

Each driver in Friday’s race signed the hood of the No. 13, which will be auctioned off at the Chris Kyle Memorial Benefit, set for May 14 at River Ranch Stockyards on Fort Worth’s north side.

To buy tickets, go to www.chriskylememorialbenefit.com.

This story was originally published April 8, 2016 at 8:22 PM with the headline "Lil’ Dale to be honored forever at Texas Motor Speedway."