CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Like father like son -- on the sixth anniversary of his father's most famous victory, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. manages to grab his own piece of history. And as CNN's Steve Overmyer reports, they took very different paths to reach the pinnacle.</s>STEVE OVERMYER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's said winning the Daytona 500 can make your career. It certainly completed Dale Earnhardt's career, winning in his 20th try. His son, Dale, Jr., won in only his fifth try.</s>DALE EARNHARDT, JR., 2004 DAYTONA 500 CHAMPION: It's just great, you know, to win the Daytona 500. I don't know, the best race I've ever won, the greatest, just the greatest day of my life right now. We put an awful lot of work into this, man. I mean we, it seemed like I was down here every day in January testing one car or another. And it pays off.</s>TONY STEWART, FINISHED IN SECOND PLACE: You never want to settle for second, but when it's Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and when it's the Daytona National Speedway and when you know his research a plate (ph) program, I mean it's hard not to accept it today.</s>EARNHARDT, JR.: Yes, it was just like I dreamed it. It really is. I'm -- I dreamed I dropped the mike right now, so I'll see you all later.</s>OVERMYER: NASCAR promised a season of change that would add more excitement to this sport. Well, the Nextel Cup Series began with a presidential audience, a race that featured 26 lead changes and finished with an Earnhardt in victory lane. Steve Overmyer, CNN, Daytona Beach.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Grabs His Own Piece of History