My wife's uncle Bud (Will Cronkrite) built this 1976 Ford Torino. Willy T. Ribbs, an African American road racer from out west, was slated to drive it in Charlotte in 1978, but Willy got into a scrape with the law in Raleigh. Humpy Wheeler suggested that Will replace Ribbs with another young driver, Dale Earnhart, thus providing Dale with one of his first Winston Cup rides. The W with the circle C on the hood stands for White Crown Engineering and also for Will Cronkrite. This may be the only Earnhardt car that hasn't been produced as a diecast.
