No. 3’s in Victory Lane

DAYTONA BEACH — Austin Dillon took the iconic No. 3 to Victory Lane Sunday afternoon, honoring the memory of Dale Earnhardt, who drove that car number the day he died on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001.

Seventeen years later, Dillon made a move on leader Aric Almirola on the last lap, bumping him out of the way and into the wall, to win in overtime at Daytona International Speedway. Bubba Wallace was second, followed by Denny Hamlin.

Dillon drives for Richard Childress Racing. Childress was Earnhardt’s best friend and former team owner when won the Daytona 500 in 1998.

“The emotions are just flowing, Childress said in Victory Lane.

“Right now I just want to thank the good Lord above,” Dillon said. “I did what I had to do there at the end. I hate it for the No. 10 (Almirola) guys. We had a run, and I stayed in the gas. It is what it is here at Daytona.”

“This is so awesome to take the No. 3 car back to Victory Lane 20 years ago. This one is for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and all those Sr. fans. I love you guys. We are going to keep kicking butt the rest of the year!”

The kick came at the expense iof Almirola, who is driving for Stewart-Haas Racing this season after leaving Richard Petty Motorsports.

“It was the last lap and we’re all trying to win the Daytona 500,” Almirola said. “It’s the biggest race of the year and it’s a career- Earnhardt