Dale Earnhardt, Jr. first competed on the two mile Michigan International Speedway on August 16, 1997 in the Detroit Gaskets 200 Nationwide Series race, known then as the Busch Series, driving a Chevrolet owned by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. with No. 31 on the doors and the logos of Silkken's Car Finishes on it's rear quarterpanels.

Dale, Jr. arrived at the speedway that weekend with nothing more than a makeshift pit crew and a load of determination to succeed at the higher levels of NASCAR. The crew was for the most part, friends and family who wanted to do everything they could to help their comrade make his best shot at the big time.

Michigan would be Junior's fifth start in Busch Series competition, his fourth of the 1997 season. His first was in 1996 at the Myrtle Beach Speedway, a track he raced on frequently in the Late Model Stock Car division.

The twenty two year old was not intimidated by the big and wide strip of asphalt in the Irish Hills. Junior and Company qualified eighteenth, ran all one hundred laps and finished seventh, impressing some pretty big names that day.

"They did a really good job," a smiling Dale Earnhardt, Sr. said that August afternoon. "The crew they brought up here, it's just like the movie 'Six Pack', no kidding."

The kid from Mooresville earned $6295 for his seventh place run and he was on his way.

On Father's Day 2008, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. achieved another career milestone at the Michigan International Speedway, winning his first Cup Series event at the big and wide strip of asphalt in the Irish Hills.

Dale, Sr. would be so proud.