The First NASCAR Day of Christmas: A Win for the Number Three

Dale Earnhardt Jr's Nationwide Series win in the No. 3 Wrangler car at Daytona was one of the brightest moments of the year.

The buildup to the race was unprecedented and the event itself was fraught with emotional weight and fan expectations.

It could easily have gone very badly.

But in the end, Dale Jr. and his cousin Tony Eury, Jr. reunited once more to bring one of the most recognizable paint schemes, and the famous number in NASCAR history, back to Victory Lane.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime night. And it gave Junior Nation something to cheer about, in what was an otherwise lackluster season.

So as Dale Jr. fans dream of team "Earntarte" and how their driver will have a winning 2011, I wish you all Merry Christmas. 

The best present of all? The Daytona 500 is only fifty-six days away ...