Dale Earnhardt Jr. Celebrates Father’s Day by Honoring Dad’s Memory With First Win in Four Years

It's been a while since Dale Earnhardt Jr. took a trip to Victory Lane.

But Sunday at Michigan Motor Speedway, Earnhardt claimed his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Victory since 2008. The win came almost exactly four years after his last victory, on June 15, 2008, at the same Michigan track.

The other similarity between this win and his last win? Both happened on Father's Day. Earnhardt's father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., died in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001. Junior has found a fitting way to honor his father's memory by winning on the day dedicated to dads everywhere.

Earnhardt went 143 races between wins, but Sunday marked his 12th top 10 finish of the season. He was in second place in the overall standings entering the race.