PHOTO: Supercross podium winner Aaron Plessinger rocks iconic #3 T-shirt to honor NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt’s legacy

Modified Mar 02, 2025 21:07 GMT

Motorsports: Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship - Source: Imagn

Aaron Plessinger, a professional motocross and supercross racer, was seen honoring the late Dale Earnhardt by sporting a T-shirt of the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Plessinger was seen wearing the Earnhardt merch after earning his first Supercross podium of the season.

Plessinger's shirt was of Earnhardt's classic black #3 GM Goodwrench car. The shirt was black with a giant #3 taking up most of the shirt, with the iconic #3 car featured on the front as well.

NBC Sports posted a clip of Plessinger's interview to X following his first podium finish of the year. In a clip, Plessinger was heard saying,

"You know we're always doing it for Dale."

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Plessinger placed third in the Daytona main event for his first podium outing of 2025. The 29-year-old, who's been active in motocross and supercross since 2015, has 15 career victories. Plessinger has eight AMA 250cc motocross wins, six AMA 250cc supercross victories, and one win in the AMA 450cc supercross.

Earnhardt's legacy still lives on today, even 24 years removed from his tragic death in a last-lap crash of the 2001 Daytona 500. His seven Cup championships are tied for the most of all-time alongside Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson. Earnhardt won 76 races, including the 1998 Daytona 500 after 20 years of trying, which ranks eighth all-time.

In the wake of Earnhardt's death, NASCAR made an effort to ensure driver safety. Things such as the head-and-neck safety device (HANS) and SAFER barriers have helped drivers walk away from big-time accidents. Since Earnhardt, no driver has been killed in a NASCAR national touring race.

Dale Earnhardt's son Dale Jr. said he loves the "Do it for Dale" quote

The late Dale Earnhardt's legacy lives on in more ways than one, whether it's his merchandise or the improvements in safety following his tragic passing. One way "The Intimidator" is remembered is by the quote "Do it for Dale," in reference to wanting to do something in honor of the late champion driver.

In a recent episode of "Dale Jr. Download," Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., was asked by YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland what he thought of the quote. Earnhardt Jr. said:

"I love it. My fear is that he'll one day just be forgotten with time. My worry would be that he would just disappear into the distance, right? As we get further and further removed from his career. I was like, 'I just hope he's never forgotten,' because he left such an impact on the sport. So, that kind of thing is the staying power. That is the reminder to me that he resonated with people."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a successful NASCAR career in his own right, winning 26 Cup Series races and two Daytona 500s. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021.

About the author

John Breeden is a NASCAR content writer at Sportskeeda with over three years of sports journalism experience. His career began back in 2021, when he started writing for The Breeze - a student-run publication at James Madison University that covered a wide variety of collegiate sports. He graduated from JMU in May 2022 with a degree in media arts and design concentrating in journalism. He currently writes for his local publication, the Daily News-Record, in Harrisonburg, VA, where he covers a variety of sports at the high school and collegiate level.

John has been a lifelong NASCAR fan and has followed the sport closely since 2005. He stays informed on motorsports developments through social media, NASCAR.com, and NASCAR podcasts, which help him craft unique and engaging stories. Interviewing Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at Martinsville Speedway was a career highlight for John, where he wrote about William Byron taking the famed No. 24 car back to the Championship 4.

Beyond motorsports, John enjoys writing about other sports such as football, baseball, and basketball. He believes that NASCAR could reach the global popularity of Formula 1 by expanding its audience with more international races and enhancing its mainstream appeal, just like F1 has done.

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Edited by Sumeet Kavthale