Dale Earnhardt Jr. was nervous.
Ten years after winning his first Daytona 500, the sports most popular driver was dominating the event. Leading the race again as cautions fell as hard as the rain earlier in the day; Earnhardt Jr. tried his best to enjoy the moment as the man to beat. Yet he was all to well aware of the moment, the race.
“It’s the big prize, man. Hard not to be nervous,” he said, mustering a chuckle when ask if he was having fun while the cars idled in the late stages. “I’m enjoying particular pieces of it, but the entire experience is driving me crazy.”
Hard earned fun. The No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet was the class of the field six hours and 22 minutes after the race initially stopped. Working the lines, strategizing restarts, working with teammates. Through it all, one constant remained, Earnhardt Jr. was out front and as close as ever to his second career Daytona 500 win.
“You always have that feeling when you’re sitting in position. When you’re close enough to the front to win races, there’s a lot on the line, it’s a big race, and you want to win it so badly, your team wants to win it so badly,” Earnhardt Jr. explained afterwards.
“You realize at that moment, especially inside of 20 laps to go, you’re in the top five, you realize at that moment there’s countless people watching on television, there’s countless sitting in the grandstands with your shirts and hats on, your team over on pit wall, your crew chief, your family back home watching. There’s so many people pulling for you that want to see you win, it’s a heavy weight.
“You get so caught up in trying to do what you can to make that happen. When you finish second or fall short, it’s really disappointing. You’re proud of that effort inside somewhere, but outwardly you’re disappointed because winning’s all that matters when it comes to Daytona. They won’t remember you for running second a lot.”
Regardless of what happened, crew chief Steve Letarte said, he had driven a special 500 miles. One that they still could cap off.
Then, that dreaded debris. Taped sucked onto the front grille under caution and it quickly became obvious there was no way to get it off. Drafting the pace car didn’t help, his crew wasn’t an option.
No one would be thought any less of if they started to have those doubts, if the heart rate went up even more. After all, it was hard not to think of those wins that could have been. Like his father for 20 years, Earnhardt Jr. had a hit a streak of misses in Daytona.
Coming up short to Jamie McMurray in 2010. Finding himself the meat of a Roush sandwich in 2012, and the bridesmaid to a teammate in 2013.
This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not this close.
“I’m sorry,” he said over the radio, in a way that sounded as if he’d already lost. “Oh, don’t be sorry,” came a much chipper Letarte, who had watched his driver perform flawless all day and night, including leading the most laps. Just stay in it. It’ll be fine. We’ll be fine, coached the crew chief.
Gauges be damn, there was two laps to glory. Not Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski or Denny Hamlin. Not a crash in the final corner. None of it was enough to stop a determined Earnhardt Jr., this was his race, his car and the two had connected. They were going to the end.
And in the end, as Monday morning approached, it would be with headlines of a streak snapped. Hailed a comeback, or a start of something great. Whatever it was to be called, Earnhardt Jr.’s name was going to be attached to it.
Like a kid on Christmas, a Dale Earnhardt Jr. rarely seen before emerged. Screaming that could be heard, matched, too, by Junior Nation members around the world, unbelieving he had done it. Experiencing joy he thought he’d never have again, even more than the first time.
The smile as he collected the flag, the last man standing on the hallowed Daytona ground, bright enough to clear the fog. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was a winner, a Daytona 500 winner again and he was ready for the celebration.
Shouts of “Hell yeah” over the radio, joined by “Can you believe it, Steve?” and a rowdy, “We’re going to burn this (expletive) down.”
“As soon as I said that, that was probably not the perfect choice of words. I was exploding inside. As soon as my mouth opened, everything just came on out,” the amused driver said.
“That’s the emotion you feel when something like that happens to you. Imagine in your profession the greatest thing that could happen to you. That’s what happened to me tonight. I just couldn’t contain myself.”
Yes, this was a different driver. One who had returned to the promise land, one that holds so much of the Earnhardt history. But on this land, comes a familiar comfort. Even more so this week, he admitted.
Found in the team he was working with. The cars he’s been driving. And even in all the attention coming from the return of a number his father made famous.
Austin Dillon drove the No. 3 for the first time since Earnhardt Jr.’s daddy did so 13 years ago. But, racing against that number this week, this day and at this track, didn’t faze the Earnhardt known as Little E. Instead, he’s embraced it, accepted it and believes there has never been a better time.
Sunday, the time was for Earnhardt Jr. to be the driver who pulled into Victory Lane.
For those luckily enough to ever make it there, the reaction is always unique. Others find it almost routine. Late Sunday night however, it was nothing but routine as Earnhardt Jr. climbed out with more enthusiasm he’s had in years. Voice clear, emotion evident; some might have thought it was the first time for Earnhardt Jr.
Sister Kelley cried. He nearly did, too. But instead he started having more fun. Hugs for everyone, well thought out responses to all those with a question. And there were many that kept coming until the early morning hours.
Emotion in its purest form found a home with an individual who has always been an open book. From the track, to Victory Lane, and into a quiet media center, that wasn’t so quiet when Earnhardt Jr. walked through the door with a holler, he let everything come out.
Like seeing an old friend again, falling in sync. Or that ol’ pair of Wrangler jeans that fit just right. Everything was right again.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was right again. Right back in Daytona’s Victory Lane.