The Darlington Throwback Weekend, one of NASCAR’s most tradition-heavy weekends, always leans on nostalgia, but this year, Carson Hocevar has already divided fans with his tribute to Dale Earnhardt Sr..

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has backed the design, calling the 1981 scheme one of his personal favorites despite it coming from a difficult stretch in his father’s career.

“This is my favourite Dale Earnhardt paint scheme. It's the 1981 car, and it gets no love because 81 was a lost year,” Dale Jr. said on The Dale Jr. Download. "The car is underrated."

That approval gives the tribute credibility, but it has not settled the conversation.

Hocevar’s No. 77 Chevrolet, fielded by Spire Motorsports with Chili's, brings back the blue and yellow 1981 look with vintage striping and an old number font, along with a modern “Marg Machine” branding layer.

The design is accurate. The reaction is where things shift.

Fans Split Over Throwback Choice

Most NASCAR fans associate Earnhardt with the black No. 3 era. Choosing 1981 shifts the focus to a lesser-known chapter, and that has divided opinion.

The risk is what makes it stand out. Most throwbacks lean on instantly recognizable moments. This one does not. It pulls from a season that is often ignored, which makes it feel more specific, but also easier for fans to question. It is a tribute that relies on knowledge, not just nostalgia.

By choosing a lesser-known scheme instead of the iconic black No. 3, this lets Hocevar tap into Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s legacy without being directly compared to his peak.

Some fans appreciated the execution: “As tired as I am of people throwing back to this one, they actually did it the right way, and it looks great! They nailed the 1981 font.”

Others questioned the decision itself: “This throwback is amazing, but a part of me wonders why they didn’t use Dale’s Hy-Gain scheme from when he ran in the 1976 Dixie 500.”

There were also reactions beyond the design. Some fans pointed out the contrast between Carson Hocevar’s Michigan roots and the western theme, joking about the “cowboy or western cosplay.”

Hocevar’s aggressive style has already drawn comparisons to a young Dale Earnhardt Sr., and this tribute only adds to that narrative.

At that point, it stops being just a throwback. It puts Carson Hocevar in a comparison he now has to back up on track.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav