Richard Childress Racing remembers Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s landmark NASCAR win ahead of Daytona 500

Richard Childress Racing paid tribute to Dale Earnhardt’s iconic 1998 Daytona 500 victory ahead of this year’s race, reflecting on one of the most memorable moments in NASCAR history. After 20 years of heartbreak, Dale Sr. finally clinched the elusive Harley J. Earl Trophy.

'The Intimidator' was the best superspeedway racer of his era, claiming 34 victories at Daytona International Speedway. However, the most prestigious race — the Daytona 500 — remained just out of reach for two decades. It changed in 1998 when he finally broke through, securing an emotional and long-awaited victory.

Lining up fourth on the grid for the 500-mile race, the #3 Chevy driver put on a dominant performance, leading 107 of the 200 laps. In the closing stages, he held off Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bobby Labonte to take the checkered flag under caution. Mike Joy’s iconic call as the #3 Chevy driver approached the finish line has since been immortalized in NASCAR history:

"Twenty years of trying, twenty years of frustration, Dale Earnhardt will come to the caution flag to win the Daytona 500!"

RCR paid tribute to Dale Sr.'s legendary victory by sharing a tribute video featuring the #3 Chevy alongside Mike Joy’s commentary. The iconic Chevy remains on display at the Richard Childress Racing Museum in Welcome, N.C.

After returning to pit road, crew members from every team lined up to congratulate 'The Intimidator' as he made his way to Victory Lane. It was one of the most celebrated wins in NASCAR history. In his Victory Lane interview, he said:

"This is for all of them race fans. All of them people have been saying, 'Dale this is your year... Dale this your year!' and boy a lot of them said it this year, all the way from Mr. France, all the way down to Todd Parrott and all the guys from the team. The Daytona 500 is ours, we've won it, we've won it, we've won it!"

Dale Sr. couldn't add to his Daytona 500 win tally and passed away in a tragic accident at the same track in 2001.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on his dad's success at Daytona

JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his debut as a NASCAR Cup Series team owner in the Daytona 500. After Justin Allgaier successfully qualified for the main event, Dale Jr. reflected on the numerous memories associated with Daytona International Speedway, including the joyous and tragic ones.

Dale Jr. said that his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr. loved the track, where he secured a record 34 victories. After his father’s tragic passing in 2001, Dale Jr. made his peace with the track, knowing he had to return to the track throughout his career. He said in the press conference (via SpeedwayDigest.com):

"I probably need a psychiatrist to describe it, but I'm not you know, Daddy loved Daytona and loved winning here. He just loved to win any race here. He loved to add to that number, whatever it was, 36 wins."

"Gosh, I loved coming here as a kid, but just a lot of great memories. Then when he passed away, I had to make a decision. I had a career in front of me. I was coming back multiple times, and I had to figure out a way to be okay with it." he added.

The 50-year-old added that Daytona International Speedway is a cornerstone of NASCAR history, and its significance should be celebrated by everyone in the sport. The 67th running of the Daytona 500 is set to take place this Sunday, Feb. 16, at 1:30 PM ET.