Junior Races #3 Last Time And Wins At Daytona

Earnhardt races No. 3 to Daytona's Victory Lane

By Jim Utter - jutter@charlotteobserver.com

Friday, Jul. 02, 2010

There was no burnout.

Just tears, satisfaction and a reverse victory lap.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s return to Victory Lane Friday night in the NASCAR Nationwide Series ended a two-year victory drought and brought back a flood of memories of his late father, who died in a last-lap wreck in the 2001 Daytona 500.

For one race only, Earnhardt Jr. returned to the Nationwide Series to drive a No. 3 Chevrolet adorned with the sponsor and colors of his late father at Daytona International Speedway in the Subway 250.

"We lost everything here," said Earnhardt's crew chief, Tony Eury Jr. "To come back with that number and do this, it means everything."

Earnhardt Jr. had to hold off a tough challenge from Joey Logano in a green-white-checkered finish to claim his first NASCAR win since 2008 in a Cup race in Michigan. His most recent Nationwide victory came in 2006.

"I don't know where to start, it's been so long," Earnhardt said in Victory lane. "This is it, no more No. 3 for me.

"I hope the fans got a lot out of it. It was trying emotionally to put it together."

Earnhardt remained in the hunt for the win most of the race and passed Kyle Busch for the lead on Lap 70 of 100, just before a caution came out for debris on the backstretch.

Earnhardt was first off pit road and remained in the lead on the restart on Lap 75.

Paul Menard slammed the wall to bring out another caution with four laps remaining. Earnhardt and eight other cars elected not to pit. After a slow restart on the green-white-checkered, Earnhardt began to pull away.

Richard Childress, the late Dale Earnhardt's team owner, told Earnhart Jr. repeatedly in Victory Lane that his father would be proud.

"Who would know better than him? I never knew what I'd get with daddy sometimes," Earnhardt Jr. said.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished third, series points leader Brad Keselowski was fourth and Kevin Harvick fifth.

Earnhardt Jr. faced enormous pressure returning to the track in the famed No. 3. In a pre-race interview on ESPN, he said it would be a "huge disappointment" if he didn't win Friday night's race.

First win since 08. Isn't that good pub for NASCAR. I smell fish.