Only a handful of NASCAR drivers get to compare themselves to the likes of Richard Petty. While it’s far-fetched for many, no man has come as close as Dale Earnhardt. But there was one thing that had been out of The Intimidator’s reach for over 20 years: the Daytona 500. “The Daytona 500 is ours. We won it! We won it!” Earnhardt exclaimed after winning at the Daytona International Speedway for the first time.

Following Earnhardt’s iconic celebration of carving No. 3 in the grass, every team’s excitement at the Intimidator’s victory was on full display as crew members lined up to congratulate the man of the hour. However, if we take things back to 1997, it was a completely different story for Larry McReynolds, who was Earnhardt’s crew chief, who feared for his life after the fans turned on him for supposedly ruining Earnhardt’s career with a miserable car that year.

‘I had to hire a bodyguard!’ Larry McReynolds relives the horrors of his 1997 season with Dale Earnhardt

Speaking to Kenny Wallace on his podcast, Larry McReynolds spoke about his time as Dale Earnhardt Sr’s Crew Chief under Richard Childress Racing and shared how the Daytona 500 had always escaped Earnhardt’s grasp. Referring to European Formula racers, he shared his experience during the year Earnhardt got so close yet remained defeated, with Kenny Wallace,

“We went winless in 1997, I thought I was going to have to hire a bodyguard! I could not even wear a Good Wrench uniform in or out of that racetrack because people were accusing me of sabotaging Dale Earnhardt’s career! It got really bad near the end of 97.” Even though Earnhardt had fought his way through a race plagued with slow pit stops and a car low on power, the unfortunate result caused McReynolds more trouble than he had anticipated.

However, the following year was a completely different story. After losing out on the coveted Daytona 500 twenty times, Earnhardt would grace the top step under McReynolds’ guidance for the first time in 1998. He had won everything prior to this but had always missed out in Florida due to last-minute blunders.

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Looking back on the turnaround, McReynolds shared with Wallace, “But, mid-February of 1998? Hell, I could’ve run for President and probably got votes after winning that 500. But we built that car in mid-1997, before January testing had even come along in 98, that car had already been in the wind tunnel two or three times.”

Given how poorly the car from 1997 had performed all year round, McReynolds and Co. had shifted their focus to the next year’s challenger, hoping their early advancements would reap benefits next year. While it was Earnhardt’s thirst to finally achieve the one victory that’s outpaced him all his life, the 98 car had a lot to do with the iconic win.

What did McReynolds do to make the 1998 RCR car so great?

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Reflecting on the fact that testing rules were non-existent in that era, McReynolds had no idea how many laps the 1998 car was tested by Dave Marcus around the Talladega speedway. There were talks of getting to work on the car’s body to better its aerodynamic capabilities. McReynolds shared, “Thank the good Lord we didn’t, and the reason we were about to cut the body off, Kenny, you’ve been to the wind tunnel, you’ll understand the terminology.”

McReynolds further shared just how excited the team was at their achievement, “Dave Marcus, the first time he drove it he said, ‘Dale’s gonna love this car.” he said when I go off in the corner and I turn the steering wheel, it doesn’t lose any RPM. And that’s what made that car so good. We could never duplicate that car but that’s what made the car so good.” 

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It’s safe to say that McReynolds, whilst humble regarding the part he played in cementing Earnhardt’s name in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, had traversed the dangers of being his crew chief with great mastery!