Earnhardt honors dad with win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The No. 3 went back to Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway, where Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove a car that honored his late father to his first NASCAR victory in more than two years.

Earnhardt, winless in any NASCAR points race since a Sprint Cup victory at Michigan in 2008, took the lead on pit road under caution with 26 laps to go Friday night in the Nationwide Series race. Running a No. 3 Chevrolet with a Wrangler paint scheme to honor his father’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Earnhardt brought his loyal fans to their feet for the final sprint to the checkered flag.

Paul Menard’s wreck with four laps to go put the outcome in jeopardy, and Earnhardt, the leader, decided not to pit under the caution. On old tires, he had to hold off Joey Logano and a slew of Cup regulars for his first Nationwide victory since Michigan in 2006.

Tony Eury Jr., Earnhardt’s cousin and crew chief, was overcome with emotion as Earnhardt crossed the finish line.

“We lost everything here,” Eury said softly. “To come back with that number and do this, it means everything.”

Dale Earnhardt was killed in a last-lap accident in the 2001 Daytona 500.

Earnhardt Jr. agreed to drive the No. 3, his father’s famed number, with the Wrangler paint scheme that the elder Earnhardt made famous and drove to one of his seven Cup championships. The promotion celebrated last month’s inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony and was a collaboration with Richard Childress, who owns the rights to the No. 3 and was Earnhardt’s car owner, Earnhardt’s widow, Teresa, and JR Motorsports.

“I was so worried that I wasn’t going to win,” Earnhardt said in Victory Lane. “Nothing but a win was good enough. It’s emotional, I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of what I’ve done with this group. It was trying emotionally to put it together.”

It was Earnhardt’s third time driving the No. 3 since his father’s death, and he said this week he wouldn’t do it again – which he reiterated from Victory Lane.

“This is it. No more 3 for me,” he said.

Logano, who pushed Earnhardt on the final restart, finished second in a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was third in a Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing. Brad Keselowski was fourth in a revamped Dodge Challenger for Penske Racing, while Kevin Harvick – the driver who replaced Earnhardt following his death – was fifth in a Chevrolet from Kevin Harvick Inc.

Defending race winner Clint Bowyer was sixth and was followed by Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman. Brian Ickler and Steve Arpin, driving a JR Motorsports car, rounded out the top 10.

Rains save Harvick

Kevin Harvick had no chance to start from the pole at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway – until the rain came.

Harvick, the Sprint Cup points leader, was awarded the pole for tonight’s Coke Zero 400 when rain washed out qualifying Friday.

“Obviously, that’ll make things a little easier at the beginning of the race to get things going,” Harvick said.

Harvick was one of only 12 cars that completed qualifying laps Friday before showers, but the best he would have started the race was ninth. Sam Hornish Jr. turned the fastest lap, but he will start 30th based on owner’s points.

The field was set by points for the third time this season. Qualifying at Martinsville and Talladega also was rained out. It also was the third time in the last four years that rain wiped out qualifying at Daytona in July. It happened in 2007 and 2009.

Four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson will start on the outside of the first row. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch round out the first three rows.

Hamlin won’t get to stay there, though. Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Reed Sorenson will have to start from the back of the field after crashing Thursday night and going to backup cars.