Merchandisers seek the Intimidator's sales touch

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Eight years after his death, Dale Earnhardt's bond with fans is typically seen through T-shirts, caps and die-cast cars.

But that's changing.

A man whose face has adorned candy bars now will have his nickname and persona attached to roller coasters in North Carolina and Virginia. They will be among the fastest - of course - and tallest on the East Coast.

Plans also are in the works to make Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s race shop kind of a Graceland for NASCAR fans. There might even be a fantasy camp where Earnhardt devotees can hear stories about the man and experience parts of his life, including fishing in his pond.

"Dale isn't gone, he still lives on," said Jeff Steiner, executive vice president at Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Earnhardt does for many fans who have kept him among the most popular drivers in NASCAR merchandise sales. They bought Earnhardt items after his death, then bought Legacy-branded items about a year later.

A Dale Earnhardt Tribute concert followed in 2003 at Daytona and featured such acts as Alabama, Brooks & Dunn and Hootie and the Blowfish.

Although ESPN did its own Earnhardt movie, the authorized biography was released in February 2007, with the late Paul Newman narrating. The movie, shown in theaters across the country, included behind-the-scenes footage of Earnhardt.

Last year saw Earnhardt pop up in many forms. The Hershey Co. debuted four collector-edition candy bars featuring iconic images of Earnhardt. To commemorate the 10th anniversary of his lone Daytona 500 win - and the 50th anniversary of the Daytona 500 - a Car of Tomorrow die-cast was issued with the paint scheme of Earnhardt's black No. 3 car.

Later in the year, more die-cast cars featured Earnhardt and other famous celebrities who have died. Earnhardt joined Johnny Cash, John Wayne and Elvis Presley in different paint schemes.

Now come the announcements of the roller coasters. Kings Dominion in Doswell, recently announced the Intimidator 305 roller coaster will open next April. The $25 million ride will feature a 305-foot climb and reach speeds of up to 92 mph.

Carowinds, located near Charlotte, announced Wednesday it will build an Intimidator roller coaster, which will feature seven drops - one for each of his series titles - have a peak of 232 feet and reach speeds near 80 mph.

These projects are part of a transition for Dale Earnhardt Inc. from souvenirs to fan experience.

Steiner said a new theme for Earnhardt's legacy will be "The Legend Lives Here."

He said there are plans to convert some of the available room at DEI into a fan experience - for example, allowing people to go through Earnhardt's original race shop there. Steiner noted that Earnhardt's personal car collection numbers more than 50 vehicles, and few have been publicly displayed.

There's also the idea of a fantasy camp where fans could tour the shops, listen to stories about Earnhardt from family members and maybe even get into a race car.

"The next step," Steiner said, "is getting fans to be able to get to know Dale beyond what they already know about Dale in a personal way."