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| "I think it will be great" |
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won six
of his seven NASCA Cup Series championships at the wheel of Richard Childress
Racing’s iconic, No. 3 Chevrolet, before losing his life in a crash on the
final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. The number has not been used in Sprint Cup
competition since, but Childress said recently that Dillon – his grandson -- will
likely graduate to NASCAR’s premier series in 2014, with the No. 3 that has
adorned his door panels for years.
“It was an iconic number for
my father and it means a lot to a lot of his fans,” said Earnhardt yesterday. “(But)
this sport doesn't retire numbers. All the numbers have history tied to them
for several different reasons. The No. 3 is no different.
“Austin came up through the
ranks and drove the No. 3 in dirt racing and… in the Truck Series and
Nationwide Series. He has earned the right to run that number as long as he
wants.”
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| Earnhardt, Sr. died in 2001 |
Earnhardt said the fact that
Dillon is the grandson of his father’s former team owner has little to do with
his feelings on the matter, saying, “It’s Austin, but it could have been
anybody. It could have been any kid coming up through the ranks that had run
that number. That's his number.
“Maybe he's not even an
Earnhardt fan! Maybe that is just his number. He wants to run it (and) I think
it's not really fair to deny somebody that opportunity. I'm okay with it.
While understanding that
some fans still feel protective of his father’s former number and do not want
to see it return to the race track, Earnhardt said, “I'm sure it's the minority
that feels that way.
“I think a lot of people
will be telling Austin positive things about it."
I think most of Senior's fans will be okay with it. It might come as a bit of a shock to see a Cup car with a 3 on it initially, but they'll get used to it. I like the way Childress has handled this, getting fans used to seeing that 3 a little at a time by first putting it on a truck, then a Nationwide car.
ReplyDeleteI truly believe its time to bring back the "3". I really miss seeing that black 3 out there on the track and although I was a bit hesitant to the idea at first, I feel like its time now. Better sooner than later. Let Austin drive the "3".
ReplyDeleteFantastic commentary Jr, thank you.
ReplyDelete