Throwback Weekend is the annual celebration of racing history. The majority of drivers focus on NASCAR‘s biggest names when unveiling their tribute schemes, but Matt Mills is going a different route by highlighting the most famous Volkswagen Beetle.
According to an announcement on May 4, Mills will head to Darlington Raceway with a red, white, and blue scheme on the No. 53 Emerling-Gase Motorsports Ford Mustang. This livery will be a tribute to Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle made famous by a series of Disney films spanning multiple decades.
Herbie is racing at Darlington! #throwback #herbie
Mills will put this scheme on display multiple times during the NASCAR weekend at Darlington Raceway. He will kick off the weekend on Friday, May 12, with a practice session at 5 p.m. ET. Qualifying will take place immediately after with a start time of 5:30 p.m. ET.
The weekend will continue on Saturday, May 13. The Xfinity Series race will take place at 1:30 p.m. ET (FS1) as Mills and the rest of the drivers showcase unique schemes while battling for the win.
The Scheme References a Film With Heavy Ties To NASCAR
GettyHerbie competed against NASCAR’s best in a 2005 film.
The specific version of Herbie that Mills highlighted in his announcement post is from the 2005 film, “Herbie: Fully Loaded.” This entry in the series had Lindsey Lohan taking on the Nextel Cup Series in the Volkswagen Beetle and winning a race at California Speedway — now Auto Club Speedway.
There were multiple NASCAR competitors that had appearances in the Disney film. The list includes Jeff Gordon, who thought he saw Herbie winking at him. Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jarrett, and Tony Stewart all had lines in the film while Bobby Labonte, Kasey Kahne, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were all mentioned in the dialogue.
Mills will not be able to ride the fence like the No. 53 Bass Pro Shops Volkswagen Beetle during the Xfinity Series race, nor will he be able to win after a competitor flips on the final lap.
Mills also won’t have Michael Keaton as his crew chief, Justin Long as his jackman, and Breckin Meyer as his tire changer. However, he will still be able to put the red, white, and blue scheme on display during an important weekend on the NASCAR calendar.
Mills Will Make Another Start for Emerling-Gase Motorsports
GettyMatt Mills waves to fans at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Virginia native has made 120 starts in the Xfinity Series, primarily with BJ McLeod Motorsports, and he has a top-10 finish at Daytona International Speedway on his resume. Though he also joined JD Motorsports for select starts in 2017 and 2018.
Mills is a new addition to the Emerling-Gase Motorsports lineup. He made his debut with the team during the most recent trip to Martinsville Speedway, and he drove the No. 53 Ford Mustang to a 22nd-place finish at the historic short track.
Mills will now return to Emerling-Gase Motorsports and the No. 53 Ford Mustang while showcasing the Herbie scheme. He will do so at a track where he has six previous starts, all with BJ McLeod Motorsports. His best finish is 22nd in the September 2020 Xfinity Series race.
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‘Herbie’ Takes on NASCAR’s Throwback Weekend