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Friday, June 29, 2012

Mark my words: Austin Dillon will drive a black #3 car in Cup series -- soon


When Dale Earnhardt died, many people thought that the #3 would never ride on the track again in Cup.

Who could fill those shoes?, was the primary argument.

Well, the young man to do it has arrived, and his name is Austin Dillon.

Now a Nationwide winner, a Truck series champion last year, there is no doubt his next move -- likely by 2014 or so, will be Cup -- and he will bring that #3 with him.

Some will still complain if this happens, saying the number should be remembered only as Dale Sr.'s number and Dillon should pick a new one.

I say hogwash. People drove the No. 3 before Dale, and the kid who will likely drive it next is the grandson of the man who was Dale's best friend and team owner for years. He would have loved to see the little kid he knew grow and drive the #3 car.

So let me just say it again: The #3 car is coming back to Cup, starting at the 2014 Daytona 500; when Richard Childress Racing starts the year with a full-time driver named Austin Dillon.

It will be great to see a black #3 again (it has to be black, come on now); the fans will love it, he will get so much fan love it will be ridiculous. And it will be good for the sport as a whole, and serve as a kind of final healing for those people still hurt over Dale Sr.'s death. They will once again be able to root for the black #3 -- and it will be awesome.

Mark my words. It will happen. And I am looking forward to it, because Dillon has the talent to actually drive that car and not be intimidated by the number.


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13 Comments:

Blogger Robear said...

Bite your tongue for even uttering those words...! NO ONE... AND I MEAN NO ONE... SHOULD EVER DRIVE A BLACK #3 OTHER THAN DALE JR....! That thought is just WRONG... Let Austin drive A BLACK #33... but NOT A BLACK #3 IN CUP!!!!

June 29, 2012 at 11:17 PM 
Blogger Robear said...

Bite your tongue for even uttering those words....! NO ONE SHOULD EVER DRIVE A BLACK #3 IN CUP, NO ONE OTHER THAN DALE JR...! LET AUSTIN DRIVE A BLACK #33, BUT NOT A BLACK #3!!!!

June 29, 2012 at 11:21 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Never should the #3 be used,NEVER!

June 30, 2012 at 4:08 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So, its been 11 years and i still wish that day at daytona never happened and Dale was still with us. And i wish Jr was still with DEI driving the 8 car. But I also think that it'd be great to see Austin in a #3 car in cup even if it weren't black. Jr even stated that he won't drive the #3 again. That nationwide daytona race was the last time.

June 30, 2012 at 5:20 AM 
Anonymous Moe Foe said...

This is news? RC said that He would bring the 33 up with Austin 4 years ago, when the Sonnenkind (the Dillon boys)were running K&N.

The #3 was Richard's number that Dale Sr. ran. If you wanted to retire 'The SR's' number, Robear, You'd retire the number #15.

The #3 is Richard's number to use, and if there is a racer deserving to run it, it's the born-to-race Dillons. I'm glad to see 'Pop-Pop' hand the number to his Grandkids.

I think Ty oughta grab the #4, It would fitr the situation so well.

June 30, 2012 at 5:23 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@Robear, com'on get over it. It's been 10 years since Earnhardt passed away. Dale Jr. will never drive for Childress, Childress has the rights and will never give up the #3, and NASCAR will never retire the number. Austin has proven he can drive. If Grampa wants to put him in a black #3, which he has, than who can say he can't? He can pretty much do want he wants.

June 30, 2012 at 5:57 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thats complete B.S. Robear !!

June 30, 2012 at 6:00 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I liked Junior's comments regarding the number 3. Paraphrasing, Junior said he considers car numbers to be like a depository, each driver who uses that number adding to the history.

If NASCAR retired every number that was used by a 'great' driver, very soon there would be no numbers left.

June 30, 2012 at 10:06 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

get over it the #3 should only be a white chevy sponsered by a large poultry producer before it was aquired by PAPA SCAB also SR had success in #2 &#15

June 30, 2012 at 8:59 PM 
Blogger Robear said...

If I were Austin, I would NOT want the #3 in Cup, I would want to start a new tradition and a NEW NUMBER FOR MY CAREER...

June 30, 2012 at 10:54 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The 3 will return and I agree it will be Austin. it's no big deal. Robear, you live in la la land, grow up and get over it. I'll root for Austin in the 3, don't care what color it is either.

July 1, 2012 at 11:53 AM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

He ain't gonna like the reception he gets if he shows up in Cup with the #3.

July 2, 2012 at 3:38 PM 
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If NASCAR did not and would not retire the #43 when Richard Petty retired, then the #3 should be back in competition. I don't even find it fair that Childress "hoards" the number, saving it for his grandson. You should have to use it or lose it to another team.

July 10, 2012 at 12:51 PM 

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