No. 3 for Victory: Earnhardt Jr. Wins Daytona Nationwide Race

Dale Earhardt Jr. is emphatic when he says he won't be running the No.3 race car again.

If so, he gave it a fitting final ride Friday night, holding off Joey Logano in a green-white-checkered finish to win the Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

In winning his first Nationwide Series race since 2006, Earnhardt piloted his Chevrolet Impala, clad in a vintage blue and yellow Wrangler paint scheme, past Kyle Busch on lap 70 of the 100-lap event and held the lead the rest of the way.

"I feel really lucky," Earnhardt said. "I was so worried I wasn't going to win because nothing but a win was good enough. I worked hard trying to win it."

Earnhardt's fans were ecstatic. His long-time crew chief Tony Eury Jr. was choked up when interviewed moments after his driver took the checkered flag.

"You know we lost everything here," said Eury, referring to the 2001 crash at Daytona that claimed Dale Earnhardt Sr. "To come back with that number and do this, it means everything."

Earnhardt reiterated that he will never run the No. 3 again. He insists it's not his number.

"I don't ever want to do it again and I won't ever change my mind," he said.

Richard Childress, who owned the cars that paved Earnhardt Sr.'s induction to the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year and has retained control of the number 3 in NASCAR's touring series, said the race was very special to him.

"To see Dale Jr. in victory lane and the look on his face brought back so many memories of when I've seen Dale Sr. here," Childress said.

Even Logano, who was applying pressure to Earnhardt's rear bumper after the final re-start, had to admit it was a special moment.

"I want to win races ... but it was pretty cool to see the 3 back in victory lane," Logano said. "I probably gained a lot of fans by pushing the No. 3 to victory but I'd much rather be in victory lane."