Jensen Ackles’ first Tracker episode this season is sure to get Supernatural fans excited.
When Ackles first appeared as Colton Shaw’s (Justin Hartley) brother Russell in season 1 of the hit CBS series, he was spotted patting down a 1967 Chevrolet Impala before getting into Colton’s truck. And in the new season, Ackles, 46, drives the car throughout the second episode.
As Supernatural fans know, that handsome muscle car isn’t there by accident. Ackles’ character, Dean Winchester, drove the Impala, nicknamed Baby, throughout the entire 15 seasons of the fantasy series.
Related: Justin Hartley Says Jensen Ackles Takes Tracker to ‘New Heights’ as They Reunite for Season 2: See the First Look! (Exclusive) In the episode that aired on Sunday, October 20, Russell helped get Colton, who was searching for a missing man while looking for answers about aliens, out of a strange government black site.
Near the end of the episode, Colton asked about driving one day, and Russell replied, “That’s never going to happen.”
Moments later, when Russell dropped Colton off to go find his car, Colton seemed frustrated that Russell wouldn’t continue driving off the asphalt.
“This baby can’t drive on gravel,” Russell joked — a clear nod to the car’s nickname.
Related: The Cast of Supernatural: Where Are They Now?
When Supernatural ended in 2020, Ackles was still known for the iconic car. In fact, he said it was written into his contract for the show’s 15th season.
“In terms of bringing something on the last day, I’m definitely bringing something that I’ve had my eye on since day one of Supernatural,” he told Digital Spy of the car in 2020. “But it’s okay, I’m not stealing it. I got permission. I begged and begged for years, but I finally got it this year. They’re letting me drive the Impala home.”
Related: Tracker’s Justin Hartley Says He’s Finally Found ‘Peace’ and Wants to Leave ‘On-Screen Drama’ (Exclusive) Hartley was always excited to work with Ackles on the show.
“We’ve got him, he’s coming back,” Hartley, 47, said at San Diego Comic-Con this summer. “We’re having a lot of fun with it. It’s a great story.”
Earlier this month, Hartley PEOPLE said, “Jensen and I have known each other for a long time, we just never had the opportunity to work together. Jensen is the perfect person to play Russell. It’s a character that’s so well-developed in the books and even better than what we did on the show. And then Jensen just takes it to the next level.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
