Dolly Parton tribute planned for NASCAR race at Bristol

Expect to see a lot of pink butterflies at the NASCAR races this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The iconic short track announced that it aims to honor the late country music icon Dolly Parton this weekend with a series of tributes. One of the ways they’re going to pay homage to Parton is by providing each NASCAR team and driver with race-ready pink butterfly decals for placement on their machines. The decal was created with approval from the Dollywood foundation.

Known for hit songs like “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You” and “9 to 5,” Parton died at the age of 80 on Aug. 25.

She was born and raised about 100 miles southwest of Bristol in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In a statement issued not long after her death, Jerry Caldwell, the president and general manager of Bristol Motor Speedway, called her an “extraordinary Tennessean.”

“Dolly’s impact reaches far beyond East Tennessee, but she’ll always have a special place here at home,” Caldwell said. “We wanted to create a meaningful way for our fans and race teams to join us in honoring her during one of Bristol’s biggest weekends. We’re grateful to the Dollywood Foundation for helping us bring…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/sports/