Dale Earnhardt Jr. on return of No. 3: “I’m OK with it”

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Doubtless, there are race fans who believe the return of the No. 3 to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series would amount to heresy.

Though Dale Earnhardt Jr. recognizes that naysayers will decry the revival of the 3, he has a different point of view about the car number closely associated with his late father, Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time series champion.

Earnhardt drove the No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing until a fatal crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 deprived the sport of one of its most charismatic drivers. The number hasn’t appeared in the series since then.

But with Austin Dillon, grandson of team owner Richard Childress, poised to graduate to NASCAR’s top level in 2014 after two full years in NASCAR Nationwide Series cars, the No. 3 likely will make the jump with him. Dillon has driven the No. 3 in the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck series, winning the truck championship with the number in 2011.

“I think it will be great,” Earnhardt said Thursday before the opening Sprint Cup practice at Daytona International Speedway. “It was an iconic number for my father, and it means a lot to a lot of his fans. This sport doesn’t really retire numbers, and all the numbers have history tied to them … the No. 3 is no different.”

Because of the relationship between the Earnhardts and RCR, the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS is keenly aware of Dillon’s history with the No. 3, dating to his early days in late models.

“He has earned the right to run that number as long as he wants,” Earnhardt said. “It could have been anybody, but it’s Austin. It could have been any kid coming up through the ranks that had run that number.

“[If] he wants to run it, I don’t think it’s really fair to deny somebody that opportunity. I’m OK with it. I know that might not be the way a lot of people feel — or some people feel — but I’m sure it’s the minority. I think a lot of people will be telling Austin positive things about it.”

 

NASCAR Wire Service
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