DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. >> Dale Earnhardt Jr. blinked back tears as the moment hit him at Daytona International Speedway — a track bursting with triumph and tragedy for his family — that he was, with a country star and a NASCAR champ in tow, back in the Daytona 500.

“I can’t believe that we get to race on Sunday,” Earnhardt said. “I just can’t believe it.”

Believe it, Junior.

Long NASCAR’s most popular driver as he built a Hall of Fame racing career in the intimidating shadow of his father, Earnhardt and his JR Motorsports team celebrated Thursday night at the track where he both won two Daytona 500s and suffered the loss of his father on the last lap in the 2001 race.

“Daddy loved Daytona,” Earnhardt said. “Loved winning here. Just loved to win any race here. He loved to add to that number whatever it was (34 total). Gosh, I loved coming here as a kid. Just a lot of great memories. So when he passed away, I had to make a decision, I had a career in front of me and I was coming back multiple times. I had to figure out a way to be OK with it.”

Earnhardt knew only joy and gratitude at the track as JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening “Great American Race” and secured their Cup Series debut with their performance in a 150-mile qualifying race at Daytona.

Earnhardt bearhugged and head-locked all his crewmembers, friends and family — that includes his race team partner, sister Kelley Earnhardt-Miller — as he climbed down the pit box and snaked his way to pit road. His lips quivering, hands shaking before the race, Earnhardt clutched Allgaier in pure bliss as the dream of moving up to the elite Cup Series level became a reality under the lights at Daytona.

“Man, we have kind of tried to downplay how badly we want to race in the Cup Series,” Earnhardt said. “At least I have. It’s one of those things where you’re like, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”