DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes his final start at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday as a member of NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup series. Not many have more success at the World Center of Racing.
Earnhardt Jr. has won 17 times at the track, including twice winning the Coke Zero 400 and the Daytona 500.
Only two racers have done better: Tony Stewart (19) and Dale Earnhardt, his father, who captured the checkered flag 34 times on the high banks of the two-and-a-half mile oval.
Tickets are still available for this weekend’s NASCAR race in Daytona Beach.
The Speedway listed Jr.s most impressive and memorable victories there:
- July 7, 2001/ Coke Zero 400: In the first NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway since the death of his father in a last-lap accident in the DAYTONA 500, Earnhardt raced to a storybook victory on a hot summer night. It was arguably the most popular victory in the history of NASCAR. The race was followed by a massive tri-oval grass celebration involving Earnhardt, teammate and runner-up Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Incorporated team members. Afterward, the winner summed the night up perfectly: "You couldn't have written a better script."
- Feb. 15, 2004/DAYTONA 500: Winning the DAYTONA 500 for the first time, with President George W. Bush in attendance for a portion of the race, Earnhardt led 58 laps in the iconic No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet and nipped runner-up Tony Stewart by a scant .273 seconds. In the post-race press conference there was a classic moment. A speedway official interrupted the question-and-answer period by handing Earnhardt his cell phone. The president was on the line. Earnhardt had a brief conversation with Bush and then ended the call as, at that moment, only he could: "Thank you very much, take it easy man."
- July 2, 2010/Coca-Cola Firecracker 250: Driving a No. 3 Richard Childress-owned and Wrangler-sponsored Chevrolet in honor of his late father, Earnhardt won a NASCAR XFINITY Series race for the first time since 2006. Earnhardt held off Joey Logano and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a "NASCAR Overtime" finish. "I worked hard to try to win, not only for Daddy but all these fans," Earnhardt said. "It's emotional." Earnhardt also added that it was the last time he would drive a No. 3 car.
- Feb. 23, 2014/DAYTONA 500: Earnhardt's second DAYTONA 500 victory, this time in the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet, gave car owner Rick Hendrick his eighth victory in "The Great American Race." That major moment prompted another: Earnhardt tweeted for the first time at 2:30 a.m. the Monday morning after the race. His Twitter account had already been created, with nearly a quarter-million followers even though Earnhardt was absent. The milestone tweet: "Tonight seemed like as good a night as any to join Twitter. How is everyone doin? #2XDaytona500Champ." His feed blew up. "I feel like I represent Junior Nation," he said later that week. "I represent my fan base and the people that support our team." A footnote: he now has more than two million Twitter followers.
- July 7, 2015/Coke Zero 400: A second victory in the Coke Zero 400 came after rain postponed the start of the race until Sunday night, with the finish actually coming early Monday morning. Driving the No. 88 Nationwide Stars and Stripes Chevrolet, Earnhardt started on the pole, led 40 of the first 80 laps and ended with a race-high 96 laps led. His talent at restrictor-plate races had been complemented by an exceptional Chevy. "I had a lot of fun tonight," Earnhardt said. "We ran very fast. I had to block a lot, get a lot of pushes from everybody. I had to run real hard to win this race."