FORT WORTH, Texas -- As he bounded into a helicopter to whisk him away from Texas Motor Speedway following the DirecTV 500 in 2000, Jeff Burton was surprised to find Dale Earnhardt already strapped into the flying machine.

“

... the next win I have, there will be a lot of appreciation for the company that I drive for now ... for getting me there, for giving me that opportunity and giving me that chance.

”

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

Burton was trying to make a quick getaway from the track after finishing second in the race to Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. It was the younger Earnhardt's first victory in the Cup Series.

"What in the hell are you doing? You ought to be in Victory Lane celebrating with Junior," Burton told the elder Earnhardt.

"Nah," replied big Dale. "This is his day, not mine."

Burton was remembering that moment Friday, not long before Junior went out and won the pole for this Sunday's Samsung 500 at the same track. Earnhardt's blistering pole-winning lap of 190.907 mph was a reminder that this is a place that has held magic for him in the past. Not only did he capture his first Cup win at Texas, but he also earned his first victory in what was then the Busch Series (now Nationwide) at the venue in 1998.

Of course Earnhardt's father did pay a visit, however brief, to Victory Lane that day Junior captured his first Cup victory. There is a large, poster-sized photo of dad giving son a crushing hug there on one of the walls in the TMS media center. Plus, son clearly remembers it.

"I remember how cold it was that day and when he grabbed me, he knocked my hat crooked and that was how I had my hat on that day in front of a national television audience. Crooked," said Junior, grinning. "That win was as unexpected as anything.

"When we won the Nationwide race, well, we had run second at Vegas and we run good at a couple of other races. But that [Cup] win right there just shocked me. I could hardly hold the gas pedal down the last 30 laps. My legs and my whole body were just shaking. I don't know if I could top that even winning here again -- how that feeling was."

He would like to attempt it this Sunday, however. He has gone on to register 16 more Cup victories since that cold Texas afternoon in 2000, but none since his last win at Richmond in May of 2006. That was 68 races ago. (Continued)