DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The crowd continues to wait for that Moment.

The leader was different, but much of the cast was the same, including the car running in second place.

	The popularity of Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. can be seen everywhere around Daytona.

Just like Sunday when Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried and failed to make a late move to pass Tony Stewart to take the Bud Shootout, Jeff Gordon held off a hectic charge from Junior, Ken Schrader, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and Mike Wallace to take the first of Thursday's Gatorade 125s.

Sure, the leader held on ... but man, the drama.

The potential for a late pass for the lead would have any crowd on its feet, anyway. But when it's the No. 8 Chevy, hold on.

The fact that two of NASCAR's best -- and the top-two from last year's standings -- were the two guys Junior was trying to pass did make it sweeter. But for all his occasional brashness, Stewart isn't necessarily anyone's arch rival, much less Junior's. He's just one of NASCAR's best, period.

And for all the history of Gordon vs. Earnhardt, well, that was a different Earnhardt. We've seen people's reaction in the past year when Gordon has had nothing but praise for the elder Earnhardt, what he brought to the sport and what he meant to the driver of the No. 24. We've seem reactions to quotes from Earnhardt praising Gordon. We've seen video of the Nos. 24 and 3 drivers joking around in the garage, looking like they actually like each other, seeming to be friends.

We've seen diehard No. 3 fans say about Gordon, "Well, if Dale liked him, he can't be that bad. No, I'm still not a fan -- but I don't hate him, either." The realization amongst fans that the rivalry of the Nos. 3 and 24 was more their battle than it was the drivers was a big one.

No, the rivalry doesn't really move on to the next generation. For it wasn't Dale Earnhardt's Gordon that held off Earnhardt Jr.'s challenge, it was NASCAR's Gordon.

But that's just as good. Because it's what the fans want.

You see, some things do pass from generation to generation, and these fans at Daytona ...

These are Earnhardt Jr.'s fans.

Not that he hasn't earned it with on-track success. And not that Gordon or Stewart or Rudd or Dale Jarrett don't get the crowd going when they make moves on a leader. But after Sunday's Shootout and Thursday's first Gatorade 125, it's clear the pulse of this crowd beats with Earnhardt Jr.

On this Feb. 14, it didn't take a rocket scientist -- or a stock car scientist, as it may be -- to see he's this crowd's collective Valentine -- pardon the sappy sentimentality.

Twice Junior has been in position, and twice he hasn't quite been able to pull off the pass. But he had everyone in this historic place on their feet, just plain going wild.

With the number of fans hoping their No. 24 driver would hold off the Budweiser charge, could a new rivalry be brewing? Maybe, but not on this day. While Gordon won the race and NASCAR and its fans were privileged in witnessing a fantastic, fanatic finish, there was certainly a palpable disappointment about Junior not quite getting there.

Those seconds following the race when a fan, thrilled at what he or she just witnessed, still mutters a quite, "Damn. Wow, but damn." Those same seconds during which those fans realize they missed the Moment that almost was.

"Hopefully in this next (125) race nobody can make a move (on the leader) so I don't look like a loser," Earnhardt Jr. said.

In front of this crowd, that's just not possible.