Earnhardt Jr. Wins Live Well Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ No. 3 was No. 1 again at Daytona. <br><br>Dale Earnhardt Jr., making his return to the Busch Series in a No. 3 car prepared by Richard Childress Racing, held off Michael Waltrip

Saturday, February 16th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) _ No. 3 was No. 1 again at Daytona.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., making his return to the Busch Series in a No. 3 car prepared by Richard Childress Racing, held off Michael Waltrip and Matt Kenseth on Saturday to win the rain-delayed EAS/GNC Live Well 300.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. _ who won a record 34 races at Daytona International Speedway _ died in a last-lap crash during last year's Daytona 500 in the black No. 3 he drove for longtime friend Childress. The car owner put a two-race Busch deal together this year for Dale Jr.

The finish was Saturday reminiscent of last July, when the driver dubbed Little E returned to Daytona for the first time since his father's death and won the Winston Cup Pepsi 400 over Waltrip.

And just like last year, Earnhardt spun doughnuts through the infield grass after the checkered flag as cheers rained down from the grandstand. But this time, instead of celebrating the victory by climbing on top of his car and hugging Waltrip, Earnhardt drove his car to the winner's circle.

``No. 3 is back in Victory Lane,'' Little E said after he got out of his car. ``I know my daddy would be happy.''

Teresa Earnhardt, the widow of the late seven-time Winston Cup champion, also was in Victory Lane, along with Childress.

``I'm just proud of this young man and what he has been able to do,'' Childress said.

Jason Keller finished fourth, in front of rookies Shane Hmiel, Scott Riggs and Ricky Hendrick. Kevin Lepage was eighth, and Andy Houston and Kenny Wallace rounded out the top 10. The race was delayed nearly 2 1/2 hours by rain, but finished under mostly sunny skies.

Waltrip and Kenseth rallied from way behind to finish right on Earnhardt's rear bumper. Waltrip had a flat tire and lost a lap, and Kenseth's protective window net fell down and he was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop.

``Junior just had a really fast car,'' Waltrip said. ``He helped me get my lap back, that was a big deal. I knew we'd get back to the front. I just didn't have enough for Junior.''

Two single-car spins in the last five laps didn't bring out the caution but separated what was a 20-car pack. The first four finishers were nose-to-tail, and Hmiel was more than 2 seconds behind.

Unlike last July, when he admitted protecting Earnhardt's lead in the late going, Waltrip tried several times to take the lead in the final laps. But each time, Earnhardt, a two-time Busch series champion before entering Winston Cup full time in 2000, was up to the challenge. He led the final 47 laps.

``I didn't have all the confidence in the world that we were going to win,'' Earnhardt admitted. ``But my car ran really fast out front, and I was able to keep those guys behind me.''