DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Michael Waltrip spent all day exchanging stories about Dale Earnhardt. Some brought a smile to his face. Others brought tears to his eyes.
Waltrip capped the 10-year anniversary of Earnhardt's death with even more mixed emotions.
Waltrip won the season-opening Trucks Series race at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, setting off more highs and lows in Victory Lane.
"This day, it was hard," Waltrip said. "I've been emotional all day long. It's been really emotional. ... I just was determined to win the race for him.
"So I'm drained. I'm thankful. I didn't come here to celebrate winning the 2001 Daytona 500. I came here to celebrate Dale's life and honor him."
Waltrip passed Elliott Sadler in the final hundred yards of the race. Waltrip choked up talking about what the win meant, especially since it came a decade to the day after his first victory at Daytona.
Waltrip was driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. back then, and his frivolity turned to fright on Feb. 18, 2001, when word spread that his close friend and car owner was badly injured on the final lap of the Daytona 500. Earnhardt was pronounced dead a short time later, and Waltrip never got to celebrate what should have been the biggest victory of his life.
"Today, obviously with it being the 10th anniversary of that terrible day, I wanted to be able to tell people that I was here in honor of Dale," he said. "Someone said, 'I can't believe it's been 10 years.' I said, 'Well, I can. I live it every day.'"
