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Many of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s most memorable career moments

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Take a look back at some of the most memorable moments from Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s career.

Trying to condense 18 seasons, 603 starts, 26 wins, 149 top-fives, 253 top 10s and 13 poles into one highlight reel is a challenge, indeed.

In light of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement today that he’ll retire at the end of this season as a NASCAR Cup driver, let’s take a walk down memory lane of some of Junior’s most memorable races and accomplishments.

2000 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned his first career Cup victory at the same site he earned his first Xfinity win a few years earlier: Texas Motor Speedway. He would earn his second career win several weeks later at Richmond.

https://youtu.be/XNDNwE0AkLs

2000 – Junior earns his first – and only one to date – NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

https://youtu.be/Zqj5D_0bv_E

2001 – In an emotional celebration, Junior wins the Pepsi 400 at Daytona and dedicates his third career Cup win to his father, who was killed less than five months earlier in the season-opening Daytona 500.

https://youtu.be/YKr4w8gHGhM

2001 – In the first NASCAR race following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins an emotional and stirring MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400 at Dover International Speedway.

https://youtu.be/yg9WzIty-jc

2001 to 2003 – Junior wins four straight Cup races at Talladega Superspeedway, which would become his most prolific track with six overall wins to date there. Here’s his four wins in a row at ‘Dega:

2001 – EA Sports 500 -- Junior wins the race and earns a $1 million Winston No Bull 5 bonus.

https://youtu.be/3FOBog-cHBI

2002 Aaron’s 400

https://youtu.be/iVA5eEJ5SCM

2002 EA Sports 500 -- and the final $1 million Winston No Bull 5 bonus

https://youtu.be/Npc0aRrNONc

2003 Aaron’s 499

https://youtu.be/ryhgyHQPU2A

2004 – Junior earns his first of what would be two Daytona 500 victories. “I’m a Daytona 500 champion. I can’t believe it,” Junior said in Victory Lane.

https://youtu.be/mNnJy0zLFLo

2010 – Earnhardt wins the Subway Jalapeno 250 Xfinity Series race at Daytona. This race was all the more memorable because Junior drove a retro-looking No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing that paid homage to his late father, who was sponsored by Wrangler.

https://youtu.be/NhqjuiLFM5w

2014 – Earnhardt earns what would prove to be the second and final Daytona 500 win of his career, with now-NBC NASCAR analyst Steve Letarte as his crew chief.

https://youtu.be/1xaY-MXtOQo

2015 – Earnhardt records his most recent Cup win in the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix Raceway (ceremonially renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for this race). It was also Earnhardt’s third career win at Phoenix.

https://youtu.be/B38t6Mi--_w

Follow @JerryBonkowski