As Batman prepares for one more battle in "The Dark Knight Rises," NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a heroic run at Michigan International Speedway on June 17, 2012. Sporting a special Batman-themed paint job, Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag and won after leading for 95 laps.
His victory helps his special Batman car join the ranks of four other superhero cars that have taken to the pavement in NASCAR races. Maybe Earnhardt Jr. should stick to the luckily paint job for future races.
The Superman Car - Jeff Gordon
Back in 1999, NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon took to the raceway with his bright blue Superman car. Featuring the Superman symbol on the hood and Clark Kent dressed as Superman on the sides, the car captured the perfect mix of Gordon's car designs with the DC Comics hero. He finished third in the race using the car.
The Ultimate Spider-Man Car - Bill Elliot
Just like Spider-Man weaves between city buildings, Bill Elliot weaved in and out of lanes in 2001 using the themed car. Spider-Man appears on the hood of the car with a web backdrop. The side of the car is painted a bright red as Spider-Man hangs right next to the trademark number 9.
Spider-Man 2 Car - Terry Labonte
Spider-Man made a return to the raceway in 2004 when Terry Labonte painted his car in honor of the "Spider-Man 2" release. Spider-Man crawls along the hood of the car as black webbing extends around the roof and sides. Extra Spider-Man decals appear on the side of the car in a clean, impressive design.
Batman Begins Car - Mark Martin
Mark Martin has a huge advantage in 2005. Not only was his car designed specially for the "Batman Begins" movie, but the race was dubbed the "Batman Begins 400." Martin was foiled by Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart as he finished third in the race. The dark blue design was great to see on the raceway as the Batman symbol boldly stood out as Martin raced his way around the track.
Alan Donahue has written hundreds of pop-culture and sports articles. His favorite athletes include Kobe Bryant, Eli Manning and CM Punk.
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