NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't a car collector. He's a car hoarder. Want evidence? Just turn to Google Maps to see the smashed-up race car graveyard on his massive property outside of Mooresville, North Carolina.
It's a little strange, but mostly incredible, since the cars were all destroyed in accidents. Check out all the stuff he's collected inside and let's see how many we can identify.
Remember in late February when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed his car into a Jet Dryer at Daytona? Montoya's car is now in Earnhardt Jr's collection (although, probably not on this older image).
Here's what Earnhardt had to say about his strange tribute to the NASCAR car crash in an interview with Yahoo! Sports:
"I got about 50 or 60 cars out there and I didn't buy any of them," Earnhardt said. "We get a forklift or a tractor with a forklift or front-end loader and just carry it into the woods and just set it out there somewhere." (Why is it no surprise that Earnhardt's backyard is like some backwoods version of the warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark"?)
So where does the Montoya car rank among Junior's collection?
"That one's good," he said. "That one ranks right up there. I've got the car (Dennis) Setzer flipped when he was driving for Keselowski at Talladega so that was pretty cool, but it ranks right up there. It's one of the top two or three."
It's impressive that Earnhardt Jr. never pays for these cars. They're a part of history, but a part of history no one else seems to want.
Is it morbid? Yeah, a little. His dad died in the most famous NASCAR crash ever. To us, it seems strange. But maybe it's cathartic. No one needs to remind Earnhardt Jr. of the potential dangers of racing. Maybe the only way to face it is to face it.
Also, those are the coolest lawn ornaments ever.
When you get tired of trying to identify wrecked cars, move on to admiring the small tracks he's setup outside of his home. Here's the Google Maps Link to help you in the search.