Dollywood Parks & Resorts opened in 1986 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and in the weeks since beloved country music icon Dolly Parton’s death was announced on August 25, fans have visited the theme park to feel closer to her. This includes laying flowers and balloons outside the entrance. Now, Dollywood has announced its latest way to honor Parton: a custom race car.
Dollywood Shows Off Custom Race Car in Honor of Dolly Parton
Photos of the race car show the Dollywood Parks & Resorts branding, including Parton’s personal symbol, the butterfly. The race car also features pink butterflies, the words “I Will Always Love You” written in pink, a photo of Parton, and her signature.
17-year-old Quinn Davis will drive the car in the final race of the 2026 ARCA Menards East Series, People reports. The race will take place on Thursday, September 17, at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. For the race, Davis will also wear a custom-made fire suit featuring butterflies and the park’s branding. The firesuit will be auctioned after the race, with proceeds supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The car’s design is part of “Dollywood’s ongoing associate sponsorship of Davis and City Garage Motorsport’s (CGM) No. 85 race car,” People reports.
Davis shared photos and her thoughts on the latest collaboration on Instagram. “It was reveal day at @dollywood! It’s been a great couple of days at the resort; the staff was absolutely incredible!” she wrote. “We met and connected with so many race fans and influencers that we’re looking forward to seeing again Thursday at Bristol! What better way to represent Ol’ Rocky Top.”
When Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, announced her death in a video statement on behalf of their family, Davis was among those who paid tribute to the late star. Parton died from cancer, which she battled in private, and was 80 at the time of her death. In an Instagram post, Davis wrote, “Dear Dolly, thank you for everything.”
Dollywood Was Special to Dolly Parton
Parton, the former “American Idol” Season 7 guest mentor, said Dollywood was special, describing the location in the Smoky Mountains as “the most perfect place that God has created,” People reports.
“The Smokies—and the wonderful people who work here—are what make Dollywood so different than many of the other theme parks around the world,” she said. “We’re right on the front porch of the most-visited national park in the country, so we take what God gave us and use it to dream up the big dreams we want our guests to experience while they are here riding rides and making memories.”
Among Dollywood’s many attractions are 11 roller coasters, although Parton never rode them herself. “I don’t like to ride the rides, everybody knows that about me,” she said in a 2023 interview with Peachtree TV. “I have a tendency to have motion sickness, too. And then I’m a little bit claustrophobic. I don’t like to be closed in. And I just think, ‘Well, I just have too much to lose.’”
She jokingly added, “My boobs could fly out, my hair could fall off. Any number of things could happen to me on those rides.”
