On a day when it looked like either Roush Fenway Racing's Matt Kenseth or Red Bull Racing Team's Brian Vickers would break through and end their winless drought, instead it was fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. that took the checkered flag in Sunday's LifeLock 400.

Utilizing fuel strategy and a bit of luck, the newest driver at Hendrick Motorsports coasted to his first win in 76 races. Junior - who is third in the series standings - won the season-opening Bud Shootout at Daytona and his Gatorade Duel at Daytona, but has been winless since.

The No. 88 AMP/National Guard Chevrolet was not much of a factor in Sunday's race, but was there when it mattered. With leaders hitting pit road starting at Lap 179, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. told his driver to start conserving fuel. As more and more drivers hit pit road, Earnhardt Jr. found himself racing Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne for the lead.

Junior took the lead with six laps to go and looked poised to be on his way to his first win of 2008, until Sam Hornish Jr. spun off Turn 4 bringing out the sixth caution of the day. The yellow flag extended the 400-mile race to a Green-White-Checkered finish and forced Earnhardt Jr. and Kahne to coast around the track on the apron to save gas, while McMurray was forced to pit for fuel.

Earnhardt Jr. and Kahne led the field to the green as Mark Martin ran out of gas running third. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports car got a great restart as Kenseth and Vickers charged towards the front and attempted to avoid the slow car of Martin.

Coming to the white flag, Martin Truex Jr. and Michael Waltrip made contact off Turn 4, sending the No. 55 Toyota sliding down the track. Patrick Carpentier had to take evasive action and was sent hard into the outside wall, bringing out the caution and ending the race.

"Thanks to all the fans," Junior said. "I had a lot of fun today. I want to say Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there. I hope it was a good one for them; I sure had a good day.

"I was just thinking about the great opportunity I have got with this team," Junior went on to say. "I have to give my team a lot of credit, Tony (Eury), Jr. and all the guys, the road crew. The fabrication and engine at Hendrick, they are awesome. I don't want for anything; these guys give me everything I need."

The win was the first victory for the driver of the No. 88 since Richmond of 2006 and ended the never-ending question of "When's Dale Jr. going to win."

"It is what it is," Junior said of the fuel mileage win. "You're either gonna to have enough or you aint."

Dale Jr. was joined by team owner Rick Hendrick in Victory Lane. After this weekend's practice sessions at Michigan, Junior was not exactly thrilled with his car. "He told me maybe I shouldn't come today because he wasn't running that good," Hendrick explained. "I told him I'm glad I didn't stay at home based on what you told me."

"They can write what they want," Junior said, "but we won one."