On Thursday in Helena, Montanans had an opportunity to get an “up close” look at an authentic racecar.

The Dale Earnhardt, Junior NASCAR show car was brought to Montana by the Army National Guard, and this week, it made its way around the state for some local events.

On Thursday, the car was displayed at the Montana National Guard Recruiting Office in Helena. The #88 car travels around the country to various locations to allow NASCAR fans an opportunity to view the car in person. The car, now retired, was previously raced in NASCAR events by Earnhardt himself.

SSgt. William Cooper, Recruiting and Retention NCO, says, "We've been really busy, a lot of really die hard, Dale Earnhardt fans have showed up, and just a lot of people that have never really seen a NASCAR before, are here really kind of amazed at kind of the simplicity and the power that this thing has."

The car will continue to be displayed at the Army Aviation Support Facility during the Helena Military Open House this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.