Video: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Surprises Veteran with Blimp Ride at Daytona 500

We gave one lucky veteran a ride in the Goodyear Blimp at Daytona International Speedway before Sunday’s Daytona 500. But, we didn’t mention that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be his pilot.

Paul Siverson is a Marine Corps veteran with decades of service under his belt, including deployments in Vietnam, Somalia and Desert Storm. Paul also volunteers at NCServes (http://www.americaserves.org/veterans…) where he helps veterans and service members transition back to their civilian lives. Paul is also a diehard NASCAR fan. His favorite driver? Dale Earnhardt Jr.

We decided to use Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s return to racing as the perfect excuse to celebrate Paul’s life of service. We called Paul and offered him and his wife a free trip to the Daytona 500 and a ride aboard our world famous Goodyear Blimp. What we didn’t mention was Dale Jr. himself would be waiting onboard with a charitable donation for NCServes.

Check out how Dale Earnhardt Jr. prepared for his maiden blimp voyage