Dale Earnhardt Jr. headlines NASCAR's 2021 Hall of Fame class

Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent his whole life chasing meaningful rewards.

He waited longingly for a pat on the back from his famous father, worked diligently to generate compliments from crew members and other drivers and reveled in the roar of his fans — those he inherited from his father and the new ones he brought along for the ride.

NASCAR's longtime fan favorite received the sport's biggest honor Tuesday, being selected to join his father in the series' Hall of Fame. Earnhardt will be inducted in Charlotte, North Carolina, along with the late Mike Stefanik and 87-year-old Red Farmer, who is planning to race on Talladega's dirt track this weekend. Ralph Seagraves was named the Landmark Award winner for his contributions to the sport.

Despite never winning a series championship, Earnhardt still received 76% of the votes cast on the modern era ballot.

“Just talking about it, it's really emotional because I feed off affirmation," he said wistfully. “It’s such a great feeling to know people think I made an impact. I know what my numbers are, and I feel like I was chosen because of that but also for the impact I made off the track, being an ambassador for the sport."

Being an Earnhardt name certainly comes with its advantages.

Junior's grandfather, Ralph, went into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997 and was named one of the NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. Junior's father, The Intimidator, also made the list and even before finishing his career with 76 wins and a record-tying seven Cup titles.

The team-owning father even gave Dale Jr. his first big break, a full-time ride in the Busch Series in 1998. It didn't take long for Junior to prove he was a natural — on and off the track.

He won Busch championships in each of his first two seasons, then two races as a rookie Cup driver in 2000.

But when the elder Earnhardt was killed during the 2001 Daytona 500, Junior suddenly found himself in a place he never imagined.

“I knew when Dad died I was going to assume most if not all of his fan base and I feel like I took care of that," he said. “I didn’t squander that, I didn’t ruin that and I also introduced myself to a lot of people who never heard of Dale Earnhardt."

Suddenly, the brash 26-year-old Earnhardt emerged as the face of the sport and started adding his own chapter to the family legacy. He won 26 races before retiring as a full-time Cup driver following the 2017 season, including two Daytona 500s and the 2001 Pepsi 400, the first Cup race held at Daytona after his father's death.