Stymied in so many other attempts, Dale Earnhardt won the 1998 Daytona 500 by beating a pack of pursuers to the finish line after grabbing the lead on the final pit stop with less than 30 laps remaining a win made sweeter by all the frustration that preceded it. Four times prior to 1998, Earnhardt had led the Daytona 500 with 10 laps remaining only to lose it in some unlucky fashion. When he completed his cool-down lap in 98 and spun in celebration in the infield grass, crews along pit road swarmed to his famous black #3 Chevrolet as he drove toward Victory Lane, greeting The Intimidator with congratulatory shouts and hand slaps. I cried a little bit in the race car on the way to the checkered flag,” Earnhardt said that day. “Well, maybe not cried, but at least my eyes watered up. Adding to the poignancy was a pre-race meeting with a young fan. A girl in a wheelchair offered Earnhardt a lucky penny to put in his car, and he ran the entire 200 laps with the coin affixed to his dashboard. Said Dale Earnhardt: Thats pretty special.(NASCAR Media)(2-14-2006)
