Courtesy of Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations
FORT WORTH, Texas – Lil’ Dale will feel right at home at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo beginning today at Amon Carter Exhibit Hall.
Lil’ Dale is the late Nubian female goat from Interlachen, Fla., that received national media attention beginning in 2002 for a white “3” marking born into its brown coat that served as a tribute among race fans to the number of the late seven-time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Lil’ Dale will be on display at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo from Jan. 12 – Feb. 3.
Lil’ Dale will be among the many prized goats arriving for the month-long Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo as she will be on preserved display at the exhibit hall booth, where Texas Motor Speedway has partnered with its official radio broadcast partner, 95.9 The Ranch, at the event.
In honor of Lil’ Dale’s NASCAR heritage and the upcoming racing season, Texas Motor Speedway will be conducting a promotion for fans to vote for their NASCAR G.O.A.T, which is the acronym for “Greatest Of All Time,” during the length of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.
Fans can visit the booth onsite during normal stock show hours to vote or go online at www.texasmotorspeedway.com/stockshow to enter to win a prize package for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, April 8, at Texas Motor Speedway.
Following the conclusion of the stock show on Saturday, Feb. 3, one random winner will be selected and that person will win a prize package for two that consists of race tickets to the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, special access to the Cup drivers’ meeting, passes to the Loud & Proud Pre-Race show and VIP parking.
Stock show visitors also are encouraged to stop by the booth and get a photo or selfie with the world-famous Lil’ Dale.
Lil’ Dale attracted the attention of race fans across the country during her time on the goat farm of Laura Pierson in Interlachen. Just a year after the death of Earnhardt Sr., following an accident in the 2001 Daytona 500, Laura and her late husband, Jerry, delivered a goat that forever changed their lives. With a unique marking that resembled the “3” made famous by Earnhardt Sr., the couple appropriately named her Lil’ Dale.
Lil’ Dale captured the attention of the country, appearing in countless stories in publications that included Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and The Orlando Sentinel. As word spread of Lil’ Dale’s unique marking, the Pierson farm became an attraction for fans to catch a glimpse of the one-of-a-kind goat, especially during Speed Weeks for the season-opening Daytona 500 each February.
Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage had followed this story and the goat ever since and when Lil’ Dale passed away in December of 2015 he asked Ms. Pierson if he could preserve the legacy of the goat for the NASCAR masses.
Tickets for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend, which also includes the XFINITY Series My Bariatric Solutions on Saturday, April 7, are available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling the speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500.
