Dale Earnhardt Jr. blinked back tears as the moment socked him at Daytona International Speedway — a track bursting with triumph and tragedy for his family — that he was, with a country star and a NASCAR champ in tow,

For Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, it was the superspeedway where they played as children and watched their father win 34 races before he lost his life in the 2001 Daytona 500. Now, the brother and sister return to the 2.5-mile superspeedway for their first start in the Daytona 500 with their team – JR Motorsports.

Where else do you go and barely make the field and cry tears of joy?” The answer is Daytona, the place that means so much to the Earnhardt family.