Dale Earnhardt Jr wins Daytona 500

Florida No track, no race has given so much to Dale Earnhardt Jr as the Daytona 500, and taken so much. It was on the steep banks of the Daytona International Speedway three years ago that his father, seven-times NASCAR series champion Dale Senior, lost his life when he crashed on the last turn of the final lap here. After that tragedy, Junior experienced the ultimate joy on Sunday, powering to his first Daytona 500 victory as he survived a thrilling battle with Tony Stewart. "Every time we come to Daytona, we feel it," Dale Jr told reporters. "In a way it feels like you're your closer to dad but, at the same time, it feels like a reminder of losing him all over again. "So I wanted to come down here and win."

The younger Earnhardt, in only his fifth full season in the series, drives for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated (DEI), which was started by his late father. Dale Senior won 34 different events on this 2.5 mile super speedway and was a master of the art of drafting, using the air of the car in front to pull himself along aerodynamically to overtake the vehicle in front. But he won only one 500, in 1998 on his 20th attempt.

A bronze statue of Earnhardt Senior stands in front of the Daytona Speedway, a reminder and incentive to DEI, which has devoted a disproportionate amount of funds and effort to win here "I ain't ashamed to say that I put a lot of emphasis on this race because of what I've been through down here," said Dale Junior.
"He (Dale Senior) was over in the passenger seat, riding with me. I'm sure he was having a blast." Although the younger Earnhardt has yet to reach the domination of his father, who was known as "The Intimidator" for his aggressive driving, he now has ten wins here and has set himself a new goal of claiming the Nextel Series title. He leads the standings for the first time in his career. Junior's performance, witnessed by nearly 200,000 spectators including President Bush, has prompted stock car racing observers to believe he may go on to equal or even surpass his father's accomplishments. Like his father did in 1998, Junior paid tribute to his fans before facing the media in victory lane, stopping his car at the start-finish line and climbing out to salute them. "It was simple, I just wanted to have a minute for me to let it come in, let it all sink in," said Earnhardt.                                      

Source Lewis Franck Reuters