news-record.com

CHARLOTTE — Eight years after his death, Dale Earnhardt bonds with fans through T-shirts, caps, diecast cars and memories.

And he's branching out. A man whose face has adorned candy bars will have his nickname and persona attached to roller coasters in North Carolina and Virginia.

Plans also are in the works to make Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s race shop kind of a Graceland for NASCAR fans. There might even be a fantasy camp where Earnhardt devotees can hear stories about the man and experience parts of his life, including fishing in his pond.

"Dale isn't gone; he still lives on," says Jeff Steiner, vice president of Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt still lives for fans who have kept him among the most popular NASCAR drivers in merchandise sales. They bought Earnhardt items after his death, then bought Legacy-branded items.

A Dale Earnhardt tribute concert followed in 2003 at Daytona that featured such acts as Alabama, Brooks & and Dunn and Hootie and the Blowfish.

Although ESPN did its own Earnhardt movie, the authorized biography was released in February 2007, with the late Paul Newman narrating. The movie, shown across the country in theatres, included behind-the-scenes footage.

Hershey released four collector's-edition candy bars featuring iconic images of Earnhardt. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of his lone Daytona 500 win — and the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 — a Car of Tomorrow diecast was issued with the paint scheme of Earnhardt's black No. 3 car.

Later that year, there were more diecast cars fans could buy that featured Earnhardt and other famous deceased celebrities. Earnhardt joined Johnny Cash, John Wayne and Elvis Presley in different paint schemes.

Then there are the roller coasters. Kings Dominion in Doswell, Va., recently announced that the Intimidator 305 roller coaster will open in April. The $25 million coaster will feature a 305-foot climb and reach speeds of up to 92 mph. Carowinds, located near Charlotte, announced Wednesday it will build the Intimidator roller coaster, which will feature seven drops (one for each of his Cup series titles), have a peak of 232 feet and reach speeds of nearly 80 mph.

These projects are part of a transition for Dale Earnhardt Inc. from souvenirs to fan experiences.

Steiner says a new theme for Earnhardt's legacy will be "The Legend Lives Here."

He said there are plans to convert some of the available room at DEI into a fan experience, such as seeing Earnhardt's original shop there. Steiner notes that Earnhardt's personal car collection numbers more than 50 vehicles and few have been publicly displayed. And there's the idea of the fantasy camp, where fans could tour the shops, listen to stories about Earnhardt from family members and maybe even get into a race car.

"The next step,'' Steiner said, "is getting fans to be able to get to know Dale beyond what they already know about Dale in a personal way."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com