Everything’s bigger in Texas, and that was the case once again Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Less than six months removed from Eddie Gossage’s retirement gift to Jeff Gordon of a pair of Shetland ponies, the TMS president unveiled an unusual new mascot for the speedway. Lil’ Dale, a goat born with the number three on its coat, died in December, and it will now sit on the grounds of TMS to preserve Lil’ Dale’s legacy for NASCAR fans all around.
Rolled in the media center by remote control, the goat gained national attention in 2002 shortly after it was born at the farm run by Interlachen, Fla. Couple Laura and the late Jerry Pierson, who called the goat “magical.”
“Most people when they came to see or photograph her, were very, very skeptical,” Pierson said. “They thought was had painted or branded her some way or another. But once they saw her, their eyes lit up.
Lil’ Dale appeared in multiple national news stories back in 2002, making the Pierson’s farm an attraction for fans who wanted to see the goat in person, and Gossage followed its adventures for 13 years until it passed.
“We plan to permanently display Lil’ Dale here and adopt as part mascot, part good luck charm and to enjoy this magical creature.” Gossage said during the unveiling.
