Wallace Jr. breaks down following second-place finish at Daytona...
Darrell Wallace Jr. gets emotional discussing the journey him and his family have been on over the last two years.
Wallace Jr. breaks down following second-place finish at Daytona
Each season, NASCAR begins with its biggest race, the Daytona 500, a quirk that is unique in sports. On Sunday, the 60th annual Daytona 500 goes green at Daytona International Speedway at 3 p.m. ET and can be seen on FOX.
Alex Bowman (195.644 mph) and Denny Hamlin (195.092 mph), the 2016 race winner, share the front row after posting the fastest speeds in qualifying last weekend. Bowman is making his first start as the full-time driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, replacing the retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. Heralded third-year drivers Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott start third and fourth, respectively, earning those positions by winning their Duel qualifying races on Thursday.
Defending Daytona 500 winner, Kurt Busch, starts 11th, alongside younger brother Kyle Busch, the 2015 Cup Series champion who is still seeking his first Daytona 500 win. If Kurt Busch wins Sunday, he will become just the fourth driver to win consecutive Daytona 500s, joining Richard Petty (1973-74), Cale Yarborough (1983-84), and Sterling Marlin (1994-95).
Danica Patrick will make her final career NASCAR start from the 28th position, having announced last November she would retire from NASCAR after this weekend. Patrick is the only female driver to win the Daytona 500 pole (2013) — or in any Cup Series race — and she is also the only woman to lead a lap in the Daytona 500.
Earnhardt, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, will serve as the grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Other notables in attendance include former NFL quarterback and five-time MVP Peyton Manning, Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron, and Chipper Jones, one of baseball’s newest Hall of Famers.
SB Nation will provided continuous live coverage throughout the race.
Prerace reading
While there has been a surprise winner or two over the last five seasons -- David Ragan (2013, Talladega) and Aric Almirola (2014, Daytona) more than qualify -- a look at drivers who’ve won the previous 20 plate races shows a lot of the same names. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have won 16 of those 20 races, an 80 percent winning clip.
Continuing a theme that has swept over the sport, NASCAR’s youth movement was on full display Thursday night at Daytona International Speedway. Twenty-four-year-old Ryan Blaney and 22-year-old Chase Elliott each won their Duel qualifying races in advance of Sunday’s Daytona 500, positioning themselves as viable contenders in the Cup Series season opener.
Patrick had to stop and compose herself multiple times when she announced last November at Homestead-Miami Speedway that her full-time racing career was coming to an end following the 2017 Cup Series season finale. That emotion was absent Saturday, Patrick explained, because she came to peace with her decision and is excited about her prospects of competing in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in May, then calling transitioning to a life outside motorsports.
For those that had to make the changeover, Friday was about thrashing, hammering and getting a backup ready with the hope it was as good the primary. Aric Almirola, William Byron, Matt DiBenedetto, Austin Dillon, David Gilliland, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson are those who are now behind the wheel of a backup car. They will each have to fall to the rear of the starting grid.
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As anticipated, the scene surrounding Danica Patrick’s car prior to the race was chaotic. Among those wishing Patrick well before her final NASCAR race was her family and close friends, along with boyfriend and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Danica Patrick, Aaron Rodgers along with family and friends prior to the Daytona 500. pic.twitter.com/L4oEdt60Vn — Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) February 18, 2018
Lap 5
Denny Hamlin passed pole-sitter Alex Bowman to lead the opening lap of the Daytona 500. Rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. continued his strong Speedweeks and is running second to Hamlin, with Erik Jones third, Kurt Busch fourth and Ryan Blaney fifth.
Lap 9
Corey LaJoie broguht the first caution on the afternoon when the engine in his No. 72 Chevrolet suffered a failure. During the caution period the field pitted where leader Denny Hamlin overshot his pit stall and was subsequently penalized one lap for getting service while the car was outside the pit stall.
Lap 20
Alex Bowman is leading the Daytona 500, passing defending race-winner Kurt Busch. Bowman did not race in the Cup Series last season and is making his first start on a restrictor-plate track since October 2016 at Talladega Superspeedway.
Lap 33
Kyle Busch is the latest Joe Gibbs Racing driver to have an early issue, joining teammate Denny Hamlin. Busch had a flat left-rear tire forcing an unscheduled green-flag pit stop, but was able to get the No. 18 car back to the pits without damaging it. He did, however, lose a lap.
Lap 51
Kyle Busch’s hopes of winning a first-ever Daytona 500 took a big blow following a second flat tire that caused him to crash. The accident occurred in Turn 3 and in the aftermath Jamie McMurray and D.J. Kennington also suffered damage. All three drivers were able to make repairs and return to the race, though McMurray fell a lap down while Bsuch is now three laps behind.
More tire issues for Kyle Busch. It didn't go quite as smoothly this time. https://t.co/BzSorEMhK6 — FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 18, 2018
Lap 60
The “Big One” has struck and several notables were collected in the pileup, including Jimmie Johnson, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Kyle Larson and Erik Jones. The crash happened on the final lap of Stage 1 when contact between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney stacked up the field and in the aftermath Suarez was tagged and sent slamming into the wall.
None of the seven drivers involved in the accident were injured.
Defending Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch won the first stage, collecting 10 championship points. Alex Bowman finished second, followed by Stenhouse, Blaney, Martin Truex Jr., Michael McDowell, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Larson, and Paul Menard.
Lap 88
Ford, which swept all four restrictor-plate races last season, has taken control of the Daytona 500 as the race nears the halfway point (Lap 100). The manufacturer holds the top four positions with Ryan Blaney leading, Paul Menard second, Brad Keselowski third and Kevin Harvick fourth.
Lap 102
Danica Patrick’s NASCAR career came to an end early, as she got swept up in a wreck that started when Chase Elliott hit the wall near the front of the pack.
Brad Keselowski’s day ended as well.
Lap 120
Stage 2 has ended with Ryan Blaney in the lead. He’s now led 46 of 120 laps. Paul Menard and Joey Logano round out the top three. Just 21 teams are on the lead lap, while 11 of the 40 teams are now off the track for the remainder of the race.
Lap 160
Following two multi-car crashes that knocked out several contenders, the Daytona 500 has settled down and is in amidst the longest green-flag racing stretch of the afternoon. Ryan Blaney continues lead, with Joey Logano second and Denny Hamlin third.
Lap 190
A spin by rookie William Byron has setup a 10-lap shootout. Blaney is leading, with defending Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr. second, defending Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch in third, pole-sitter Alex Bowman in fourth, and 2016 Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin in fifth.
Lap 198
The big one, late version, struck on Lap 198 when Kurt Busch got turned around by Ryan Blaney and took out a majority of the field. Denny Hamlin will take the field to start/finish line for a green-white-checker when the mess is cleaned up.
The BIG One happens with 2 laps to go!! #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/GbtW7C5ZIx — NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 18, 2018
Austin Dillon wins the Daytona 500
Austin Dillon, driving the No. 3 car made famous by Dale Earnhardt, took the lead late to win the Daytona 500. It was Dillon’s only lap led. Rookie Darryl Wallace Jr, driving the 43 in his first Daytona 500, finished second. Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.
Dillon celebrated the victory by sliding through the infield grass just as Earnhardt did when he won his first Daytona 500, 20 years ago.
NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne spoke after a crash forced him out of the Daytona 500 race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne spoke after a crash forced him out of the Daytona 500 race at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
NASCAR driver Danica Patrick thanked fans for their support after a crash forced her out of the Daytona 500 race on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR driver Danica Patrick thanked fans for their support after a crash forced her out of the Daytona 500 race on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR driver 'Bubba' Wallace explains why he became emotional after his second place finish at the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
NASCAR driver 'Bubba' Wallace explains why he became emotional after his second place finish at the Daytona 500 on Sunday.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon celebrated with his team at victory lane following the race at the Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon celebrated with his team at victory lane following the race at the Daytona International Speedway.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon explains how he avoided crashes and ended at victory lane at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon explains how he avoided crashes and ended at victory lane at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon explains how he avoided crashes and ended at victory lane at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon explains how he avoided crashes and ended at victory lane at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday.
Austin Dillon led one lap on Sunday, but it was the lap that counted most. He emerged from a wreck-filled race to win the Daytona 500. The carnage set up a two-lap overtime dash. Aric Almirola took the lead but Dillon emerged from a pack that included the past two winners – Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch. The win in the No. 3 car came 20 years after Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 in his famed No. 3. Ryan Blaney led 118 laps but was caught in a big melee with two laps remaining. As usual at Daytona, a lot of big names weren’t even around for the final laps. Brad Keselowski, who went off as a 7-1 favorite, wrecked just before the end of the Stage 2 race. Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick were also victims of that wreck. Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch were among those knocked out near the end of the Stage 1. Going into the 10 final laps, 11 cars had been knocked out of the race and there had been six caution flags. That’s when William Byron’s right front tire blew. He spun out, prompting another caution and bunching the field for the final charge to the checkered flag. 400 mile update Things settled down for a while after the stage racing was over, but the damage had been done to many of the marquee names. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and Danica Patrick had wrecked by the time Ryan Blaney won Stage 2. Judging by the intensity of racing, grabbing stage bonus points is going to be a prime motivator this season. The jockeying triggered the two big wrecks and proved yet again that safest places to be during the Daytona 500 is in the lead or at the end of the pack. Anything in the middle is liable to get caught up in the craziness, no matter how good a car they have. Blaney’s car was performing as well as anyone’s. By the time he’d taken the Stage 2 win, he’d led 46 laps. Lurking just behind him was a ground that included Joey Logano, Alex Bowman, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin. The fact Hamlin joined the fray was a testament to his car and veteran savvy. He’d been penalized a lap early in the race for over-running his pit, but has methodically erased the deficit and seemed primed to be part of the final mad dash. 300-mile update Danica Patrick’s NASCAR career came to an ignominious end on Lap 101 when she couldn’t avoid the carnage involving some of NASCAR’s biggest names. Chase Elliott was running second behind Ryan Blaney and moved low to try to block Brad Keselowski. They bumped and Elliott’s car caromed off the wall and turned into a spinning top. Keselowski’s car spun onto the apron and clipped Kevin Harvick’s car. The odds-on favorite’s day was done. “We had an incredible car here at Speed Week, but it didn’t come together,” Keselowski said. “It’s devastating.” Harvick’s pit crew wasn’t able to repair his car in the six minutes NASCAR allows. The cars of Elliott and Patrick were beyond even trying to patch up. The 22-year-old Elliott has yet to win a Cup race, but he is expected to collect plenty of checkered flags before retiring. Patrick finished her five-year NASCAR career with about $65 million in endorsements and zero wins. “It was competitive,” she said of her famous lime-green No. 10 car. “That’s all you can do. That’s the gamble about Daytona. It can go so well and so awful.” 200-mile update Kyle Busch’s pesky left-rear tire reared its flat head again on Lap 50. It blew, causing the car to spin and scrape the wall. The car clipped D.J. Kennington’s car as it passed, and Jamie McMurray ran over some debris and had to pit. The field stayed under a yellow flag for five laps, setting up a five-lap race-within-a-race to the State 1 finish line. That’s when trouble hit. Kurt Busch was leading and the field went after him as if it were the final lap of the race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. tried to block Ryan Blaney, got wobbly and slowed to regain control. Erik Jones ran up on his tail and went sideways, triggering a chain reaction that snagged Johnson, Ty Dillon, Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez and William Byron. Johnson’s car was among those too damaged to continue. It was the third wrecked car of what was a forgettable Speed Week for the 7-time Cup champ. The most intrepid ride of the second 100 miles belonged to Hamlin, who went from being a lap down all the way up to 15th place. 100-mile update The first big name to encounter problems was Denny Hamlin, but it was largely of his own doing. The 2016 Daytona 500 winner went to the pits on Lap No. 12 but overshot his box. Hamlin backed up but the nose of his car was still over the line. That earned him a one-lap penalty as a NASCAR official stood in front of Hamlin’s car as the field roared by. The pack was long gone by the time Hamlin got on the track, so he missed the draft and had to chug along by himself. Kyle Busch was running fifth when encountered problems on Lap 29. His left rear tire went flat on the backstretch. Busch kept control of the car but had to limp around to the pits for new rubber.
The only active driver with multiple Daytona 500 wins is Jimmie Johnson. After wrecking in Thursday’s qualifying race, he had to start in 35th on Sunday. But Johnson quickly maneuvered his backup car into the fourth place as the race neared the 100-mile mark. Beginning of the race The Daytona 500 started under mostly sunny skies but a decidedly mixed view on who will be the first to the finish line in about three hours. The favorite is Brad Keselowski, who started 31st and quickly settled in for what he hopes is an uneventful slog to the front. The problem for him and every other driver, of course, is that the Daytona 500 is never uneventful. When it comes to wrecks, it’s never a question of if but when they will occur and how many cars will be caught in the mayhem. Last year’s winner, Kurt Busch, led only one lap. Luckily for him, it was lap No. 200. Kevin Harvick led 50 laps and finished 22nd. There were eight cautions and 15 cars were knocked out of the race. Added to that uncertainty is the turnover of drivers as NASCAR keeps ushering in replacements for legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. Nearly half the field is comprised of drivers in the 20s. Alex Bowman started on the pole in his first race as Earnhardt’s replacement in the No. 88 car. All that, and the 24-year-old is listed as a 20-1 longshot to win. Chase Elliott, the 22-year-old superstar-in-waiting, is listed at 9-1. He nearly won last year’s Daytona 500 but ran out of gas in the final laps. Harvick, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are all listed at 12-1, while seven-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson is 15-1. But as the cars roared around the track for the first lap Sunday, the only sure bet is that there will be chaos to come. Danica’s new beau Danica Patrick, competing in her final NASCAR event, shared a pre-race kiss with her new boyfriend, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers right before the 60th annual Daytona 500. Patrick’s car was surrounded by reporters, fans and members of her family prior to the race. Lost dog is found NASCAR can be a dog-eat-dog competitive world, but it turns out there are pet lovers among the racing family. There was a pre-race crisis about an hour before the Daytona 500 when driver Brad Keselowski’s family found their small dog was missing at the racetrack amid a crowd of more than 100,000 people. Keselowski’s wife, Paige, tweeted a plea to help find the missing pooch: “We have lost our sweet Tess here at @DISupdates ! Please if you see her let us know. thank you!” The tweet went viral among the NASCAR community and was retweeted by Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s wife, Amy. She added her own plea to find the lost god: “Please keep your eyes out for the Keselowski’s sweet little dog! She’s lost at the track today!” The story had a happy ending. About 17 minutes after the first missing dog alert was tweeted, Paige Keselowski tweeted, “She’s back!!!!!” along with a photo of her and daughter Scarlett hugging Tess. Amy Earnhardt confirmed the news. “The found her. End search party & continue cold beer party,” she tweeted. Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on return to Daytona as Grand Marshal for Great American Race Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on return to Daytona as Grand Marshal for Great American Race SEE MORE VIDEOS Former champions reflect on Daytona experiences Three-time Daytona 500 champion Bobby Allison (1978, 1982, 1988), 1972 champion A.J. Foyt and 1985 champion Bill Elliott all agreed winning at Daytona jump-started their careers. “I had won some NASCAR races, but not here,” Allison said before the 60th annual Daytona 500. “It made a tremendous difference in the way people treated me. Sponsors jumped up for me and all those kinds of things. It was really good.” Foyt could barely put the feeling of winning the 1972 Daytona 500 into words. Elliott said he’d won a few races in 1984, but Daytona was special. “I hadn’t done a lot to that point,” Elliott said. “To come here and win at Daytona was kind of the pinnacle. We felt like, when we were racing… if you ran good, everything would take care of itself. You put yourself in a position to win, some things come together and you win a race. “A fantastic feather in my cap for my career. Wouldn’t take anything in the world for it.” What to expect in the restrictor-plate mix and mingle for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 Here’s the perspective from Ryan Blaney of Penske Racing: “I think Sunday is gonna be way different than the Clash just because you’ve got 40 cars. With 17 it’s hard to get enough people to commit down there to want to go. I know there are maybe four or five cars that at one point tried to go and they couldn’t. That’s kind of a product of who is leading the top lane, honestly. Brad’s car was super-fast, so the top lane was really fast, so you won’t see that Sunday. “With 40 if one car pulls down, you’re gonna have 10 of them go down there, especially if you’re 25th on back. Why not? What have you got to lose? You won’t really see that, but it’s a lot about the lead car, who is leading that group. If it’s a fast-enough car and they can kind of pull that lane and then they know how to slow up the top lane and then go to the bottom of the race track, so it’s a lot about the lead car, but a lot of people will be more willing to do it Sunday than the Clash just because there are a lot more cars.” Chipper Jones feels at home at Daytona Chipper Jones was one of the dignitaries at Sunday’s Daytona 500 and seemed a bit humbled to be coming back home to his Volusia County roots as a Baseball Hall-of-Famer. “I used to come to the track all the time – Daytona 500s, Firecracker 400s, you name it,” said Jones, the Atlanta Braves great who was just voted into Cooperstown. “I saw Richard Petty win his 200thrace here. … This was a big part of my childhood.” Jones was born in DeLand and spent his formative years in Pierson, a tiny northwest Volusia County town where his father Larry Sr. was a teacher and coach at Taylor High School. Chipper transferred to Jacksonville Bolles during his sophomore year and helped the private school powerhouse win a state championship. “It’s been crazy and chaotic the last few weeks (after the Hall of Fame announcement),” Jones said. “My phone hasn’t stopped ringing and buzzing with text messages and phone calls from people all over the country. It’s been really cool to see how many current Hall-of-Famers have sought out my phone number and called me to say congratulations.”
Asked if he has started working on his Hall of Fame induction speech, Jones said and laughed. “It’s going to be a long one. There’s a ton of people in Volusia County and Jacksonville and the City of Atlanta to thank and I certainly don’t want to forget anybody.” Charlize Theron is excited to start race When Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron heard she was named honorary starter for the 60th annual Daytona 500, she thought the committee made some kind of mistake. Now that she’s here, she’s not going anywhere. “Even if they made a mistake, I’m not leaving,” she said with a wide smile. She added, “I don’t really know the intricate details of NASCAR, but I really love the sport of car racing. I grew up with a family that really loved the sport. I’m very excited to be here today and to learn more. I cannot wait for those cars to take off.” She spent some time promoting her upcoming movie Gringo, which she’s starring in and producing. “It’s a really fun movie, which I think we need more of,” she said. Honorary Starter Charlize Theron reminisced about Daytona before the Daytona 500 race on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Honorary Starter Charlize Theron reminisced about Daytona before the Daytona 500 race on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. SEE MORE VIDEOS Theron was last in Daytona while filming for her Oscar-winning role in the movie “Monster.” Also, when she was 19, she came to Daytona for some skydiving after “a night of drinking.” Theron said she’s appreciated cars since she was a child. She used to race go-karts her father built – she was quick to mention she frequently beat the boys she went up against. “My family were real fans of car racing,” she said. “My father loved it. My father built a lot of cars. I was raised on a farm where there were always a lot of engines lying around. You realize you come from that family when at 8 you know what a spark plug does and your friends don’t.” She also mentioned her time training for the movie “The Italian Job” – she joked Mark Wahlberg threw up while going through the driving training. “He’s going to kill me,” she said while laughing. Peyton Manning ready to drive pace car Today’s Daytona 500 honorary pace car drive will be Peyton Manning. The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback was seen signing autographs for fans before the race. “Serving as the Honorary Pace Car Driver will be a truly unique and exciting experience,” Manning said in a statement when his Daytona role was announced. “I want to thank NASCAR, Daytona International Speedway and Nationwide for making this possible. I’m really looking forward to race day.” Jordan Culver/Orlando Sentinel Peyton Manning signs autographs ahead of the Daytona 500. Peyton Manning signs autographs ahead of the Daytona 500. (Jordan Culver/Orlando Sentinel) Manning won’t be the only celebrity with NFL ties at today’s race. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to be at the race to support his new girlfriend, driver Danica Patrick. A who’s who of former Daytona 500 winners was also in attendance: 1972 champion A.J. Foyt, three-time champ Bobby Allison, 1985 champ Bill Elliott and seven-time champion Richard Petty. Manning drew quite the crowd of onlookers and autograph seekers as the former NFL superstar tried to make his way from the driver’s meeting to pit row. He was met with a chorus of ‘Omahas’; his signature audible call during his time with the Denver Broncos while some wishful thinking fans asked him to come out of retirement and sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Daytona 500: A.J. Foyt signs autographs before the start of the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. Daytona 500: A.J. Foyt signs autographs before the start of the Daytona 500 Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. SEE MORE VIDEOS Shirt maker fan stakes spot to get autographs It’s hard to miss Tammy Pickett. The Kentucky native can usually be found camped outside the media center at the Daytona International Speedway armed with a handful of fluorescent yellow t-shirts and a Sharpie. Each shirt features a personalized message like ‘I [heart] Charlize Theron’ with a bright red heart in place of the word love. “A.J. Foyt. A.J. sign my t-shirt,” she screamed out to the racing legend Sunday. Foyt took a few moments to sign the shirt and pose for a photograph. This is the seventh year that Pickett has been here for the Daytona 500. Each time, she brings a new batch of handmade t-shirts with her geared for the particular celebrity, driver or athlete who will be on hand for the annual event. She has over 400 shirts adorned with signatures from just about everybody including several presidents including Trump, Clinton and even Jimmy Carter. They are featured on the walls of his embroidery shop in Russell Springs. Rascal Flatts spoke about their excitement leading up to their performace at the 2018 DAYTONA 500 Pre-Race Show. Rascal Flatts spoke about their excitement leading up to their performace at the 2018 DAYTONA 500 Pre-Race Show. SEE MORE VIDEOS Earnhardt planning ‘traditional’ command Instead of driving in today’s Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be the one who will give the command for racers to start driving. The recently retired Earnhardt is today’s grand marshal, and he says his command to the drivers to start their engines will “pretty traditional.” As for not being on the track as a driver for the first time since the 2001 Daytona 500, he says he’s “been honored to be asked to be any part of this weekend. “I have such a passion for our sport and special feelings for this track and this event,” he says. Earnhardt is a two-time Daytona 500 champion, winning in 2004 and 2014. He says those wins are still very special. Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is the 60th annual Daytona 500 Grand Marshall reflected on his father's death Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. who is the 60th annual Daytona 500 Grand Marshall reflected on his father's death Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. SEE MORE VIDEOS “Nothing ever kind of matches the emotion of when you cross the finish line and know you’ve won this race,” Earnhardt says. “…It’s almost overwhelming, and that’s an understatement.” He adds, “They compare it to the Super Bowl, and I would say it’s similar to that. It’s that one race victory that we put at the top of the list.” While the track has been home to some of his happiest moments, it was also the site of the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., on the last lap of the 2001 race. Junior had to decide it he was going to hate Daytona or embrace it as a special place for him and his father. “I made peace with this place a long time ago,” he says. “I want to be at Daytona when they race here. That was the choice I made a long time ago and I feel very comfortable here.” Jordan Culver/Orlando Sentinel Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks before the 2018 Daytona 500. Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks before the 2018 Daytona 500. (Jordan Culver/Orlando Sentinel) Media members honored Before today’s race, Daytona International Speedway recognized four journalists who have covered the Daytona 500 for a number of years. Columnist Don Coble of the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, photographer Jim Tiller of the Daytona Beach News-Journal and motorsports editor Godwin Kelly of the News-Journal were recognized for covering their 40th consecutive 500 today. That sounds impressive until you hear that Al Pearce from Autoweek is here covering his 50th consecutive Daytona 500. Members of the media were given cake and cookies to celebrate.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla -- Twenty years ago, Dale Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500 in his famed No. 3 car. Three years later, Earnhardt tragically died on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Many thought that Earnhardt's No. 3 would never race again in the NASCAR Cup Series ... until Austin Dillon showed up. Dillon, the grandson of Earnhardt's team owner Richard Childress, was tabbed as the man for the job in 2014 and was met with mixed feelings from fans.
"My grandfather has done everything for me and everybody knows it," Dillon said after the race via AP. "There's a lot of pressure on me to perform because I've had a little bit of everything. But I like that pressure, the same with the No. 3, there's a lot of pressure behind it, but I'm willing to take it and go with it."
Dillon was just 7 years old when Earnhardt won that Daytona 500 in 1998 and was in Victory Lane to watch his idol wave the checkered flag. Fast-forward 20 years later and Dillon is the 2018 Daytona 500 champion while driving his idol's No. 3.
20 years ago @austindillon3 was in Daytona 500 Victory Lane with Dale Earnhardt
Today, he's back. #Daytona500 pic.twitter.com/OmIbomIBg8 — RCR (@RCRracing) February 19, 2018
Here's where the story gets deeper: When Earnhardt won in 1998, he had a "lucky penny" in his car given to him by a then 6-year-old Wessa Miller. On Sunday, Dillon also had a lucky penny in his car.
"We just had a run and I stayed on the gas. It's what it is when you're at Daytona," Dillon said. "It is so awesome to take the 3 car back to victory lane, 20 years ago. This one's for Dale Earnhardt Sr. and all those Senior fans. I love you guys. We're going to keep kicking butt the rest of the year."
Dillon's win on NASCAR's biggest stage in NASCAR's most famous number almost feels like a sign of approval from "The Intimidator" himself and it couldn't have come at a more convenient time. With Dale Earnhardt Jr. now retired from the sport, it was time for someone to step up and usher in the next era of stock-car racing.
On Sunday, NASCAR's younger generation -- led by Dillon -- did just that. Behind Dillon, rookie Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. finished second while 24-year-old Ryan Blaney secured the most laps led with 118. Wallace is the first full-time African American driver in the sport since 1971 and Blaney is coming off a strong playoff season.
But it wasn't only in success where the younger generation succeeded in capturing the hearts of fans either. Gasps could be heard from the Daytona International Speedway crowd when 22-year-old Chase Elliott went spinning earlier in the race.
If anyone was worried about who would step up in Dale Jr.'s absence, fear no more. These young NASCAR drivers are here to stay, and here to make names for themselves as the Earnhardt name and number continues to live on at the same time.
