DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A statue of the late Dale Earnhardt was unveiled last week outside Daytona International Speedway, where the racing great was killed in last year's Daytona 500.

The statue was unveiled by his widow, Teresa, and NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr.

Mrs. Earnhardt, who has made few public appearances since her husband's death, thanked the track and the France family, which founded the stock car circuit and built the Daytona facility.

"People looked up to Dale probably because he stood up strong for his beliefs and values," she said.

The statue depicts Earnhardt after his February 1998 victory in the Daytona 500, a race he had been trying to win for the previous 20 years without success. It includes his racing gloves and the replica of a penny given to him earlier that day by a little girl.

He glued that penny to the dashboard of his No. 3 Chevrolet for good luck.

"What he really took time out for was to care about someone's feelings whom he had never met," Mrs. Earnhardt said. "I hope that everyone who looks up at this statue is reminded that victory comes in more ways than one and that this Dale continues to inspire people to believe in themselves and remember that you get what you give."

The 9-foot-tall, 1,200-pound bronze statue was designed by John Lajba, who also built a statue of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and his wife that stands outside the track.