Which NASCAR legend won the Daytona 500 for the first time in 1998?

Dale Earnhardt won the Daytona 500 for the first time in 1998.

Earnhardt’s victory came on February 15, 1998, at Daytona International Speedway. It was his 20th start in the prestigious 500-mile race and ended a long-running personal frustration: he had finished near the front repeatedly but had never won NASCAR’s biggest event.

Driving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet, Earnhardt led 107 laps and finished ahead of Bobby Labonte and Jeremy Mayfield. The race ended under caution after a late incident, preserving Earnhardt’s lead. It was also his first victory in 59 races, a streak dating to 1996.

The celebration became one of the Daytona 500’s most memorable scenes. Earnhardt drove onto the infield grass, spun the car, and left tire marks forming the shape of a “3.” Crew members from competing teams lined pit road to congratulate him, reflecting the respect he commanded across NASCAR.

This was Earnhardt’s only Daytona 500 win as a driver. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., won the race in 2004, six years after his father’s breakthrough.