Top 31 Moments: No. 8 -- Dale Jr. gets a grandfather clock
Editor's note: For the month of December, FOXSports.com will count down 31 moments that defined the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. This is No. 8.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. scored a hugely emotional victory in the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway in October, holding off his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon to win for the first time at the Virginia short track.
The triumph came on the 10th anniversary weekend of an airplane crash near the track that killed team owner Rick Hendrick's son, Ricky, brother John, and eight other family members, friends and colleagues. To win anytime is huge for Earnhardt and the team, but this was something special.
Earnhardt won his fourth race of the season and the 23rd of his career, in one of his final races with crew chief Steve Letarte, who next year moves to the television booth.
"Oh, man. We have tried to win here so many years," said Earnhardt. "This place is so special to me. I wanted to win so bad. ... I can't believe we won here. This means so much to all of us, you know? It's just real emotional."
Runner-up Gordon led the most laps and had a fast car but ultimately came up a little short.
"It was a great comeback. I thought we had the car to beat," said Gordon. " ... Those last couple laps were just wild. Congratulations to Dale Jr. That means so much to Hendrick Motorsports. That's the best way you can possibly pay tribute to those that we lost 10 years ago."
The afternoon was not kind for several of the eight drivers still alive in the first race of the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, as Carl Edwards (20th), Brad Keselowski (31st) and Kevin Harvick (33rd) all had big problems.
Finishing third behind the two Hendrick Chevrolets was Ryan Newman in the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Then came Tony Stewart, who matched his best finish of the year in his No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. He was followed by Joey Logano in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford.
As is often the case at Martinsville, the outcome of this race was decided via a late-race caution
With 12 laps to go, Kyle Larson and Marcos Ambrose crashed, bringing out a red flag. Most of the leaders pitted, but Stewart, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and David Ragan stayed out to lead over Clint Bowyer and Earnhardt.
After the green came out, Earnhardt passed Stewart with 4 laps to go, holding off Gordon for the victory.
"I couldn't be prouder," said Earnhardt. "We're going to drink a lot of beer tonight."
For Earnhardt, finally winning a grandfather clock, the trophy Martinsville hands out to race winners, was huge.
And one of those clocks won by his late father carries a special memory of childhood for Earnhardt.
"I remember one in particular that set at the front door, in the hall by the stairs," Earnhardt said. "Had this little round rug right in that hallway that I'd run my Matchbox cars on, listening to the race on the Motor Racing Network. That clock would ring on the hour. I always wanted one."
This time, he finally got one.
