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,

Dale Earnhardt Sr. died while racing on the last lap of the Daytona 500. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to return to the track. Since his dad’s death, Junior has won two Daytona 500s of his own and has now qualified for the first time as a NASCAR Cup Series team owner.

Josh Berry heard the rumblings earlier this week — that his former team owner and one of the sport’s biggest stars, Dale Earnhardt Jr., would be