Earnhardt Jr. wins in first race with Hendrick team

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It didn't take Dale Earnhardt Jr. long to return to the winners circle. A little more than 90 minutes, to be exact.

Earnhardt Jr.'s debut in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet was a successful one, as the 33-year-old held off Tony Stewart to win Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt Jr. led the lion's share of the laps, 47 in the 70-lap non-points event, but needed help from his Hendrick teammates to take the checkered flag.

"That was fun. The Shootout is a neat race," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I had a blast those last few laps. I got some great help from my teammates. I didn't win [the race] without help from Jimmie [Johnson]."

Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, in the first race for the organization with manufacturer, was out front for nine laps. He was in front with two to go before Earnhardt Jr., showing the drafting experience that has made him one of the favorites on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' restrictor-plate tracks, dove underneath to wrestle the lead away for the final time.

"I'm glad for him," Stewart said. "Obviously he has a lot riding on his shoulders with the switch [from Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick]. He drove his butt off."

Stewart said he needed drafting partners, but found little as he was surrounded by Hendrick cars at the finish. Johnson, the defending series champ, finished third, with teammate Jeff Gordon fourth and Reed Sorenson (Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge) fifth. Fellow Hendrick driver Casey Mears was sixth, giving car owner Rick Hendrick four of the top-six finishers.

"I needed some help," Stewart said. "It's hard to race against four Hendrick cars like that. But that's what makes them good."

A final three-lap dash unfolded on a warm night at DIS after Kurt Busch cut a tire in turns 3 and 4 to bring out the night's fourth caution. At the same time, J.J. Yeley made contact with Ryan Newman.

"I felt like Fred Flintstone trying to get this car to go," Johnson said. "Tony had a great car, Jeff had a great car.

"I was glad to see we had a clean race. It was good to see Dale Jr. get his first win in a Hendrick car."

Earnhardt Jr. made the move to Hendrick at the end of the 2007 season, bringing to an end an eight-year association with DEI, the team founded by his father. It was his first trip back to the winners circle since winning at Richmond in May of 2006.

Earnhardt Jr., Dave Blaney, Sorenson, Carl Edwards and Jamie McMurray were first through fifth, respectively, after the 20-lap opening segment.

Bill Elliott was the first casualty of the race, making contact with the wall going into Turn 1 when he cut a tire on lap 16. The field completed the next four laps under caution before the mandatory 10-minute break.

• Mentioned Drivers:
• Bill Elliott