Austin Dillion brings No. 3 back to Cup midst controversy

Last week, it was announced that Austin Dillon would be bringing the No. 3 back to the Sprint Cup Series.

The No. 3 has not been ran in the Sprint Cup Series since the death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 at the Daytona 500. For that reason, many fans believe that the number should be brought back to the track by Dillon in 2014.

Dillon has used the number throughout his entire career to date, all the way up the ranks. He used it on the way to winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship, as well as on his way to winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship. It seems fitting the young man gets to continue to use the number he’s used all the way to the top.

Some argue that shouldn’t be true as it is ‘Earnhardt’s’ number in their minds and should not be used by others. However, fans forget that other drivers have used that number before Earnhardt. One of those drivers was Richard Childress. Childress ran the number himself before he stepped out of the driver’s seat. The number was then used by Earnhardt when he began to drive for Childress.

While a lot of fans may want to continue this debate, Dillon has received approval from those closest to Earnhardt – his children. Before deciding to run the number, Dillon asked them both if they were okay with it.

Earnhardt Jr. knew the number would come back to the Sprint Cup Series one day, as he tells Lee Spencer at FoxSports.com.

“I always knew that it would come back,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I always felt like one day there would be some kid — and maybe it was Austin, I’m sure it was Austin — that started off playing T-ball or baseball or football and Pop Warner, that wore the number 3.

“Whether he wore it because of their dad or their grandfather, Richard Childress, or some anonymous kid that just liked the number and he used it in everything he did. Eventually, this kid becomes a racecar driver and he wants to be the No. 3. I think that’s fair. He shouldn’t be denied that.”

Earnhardt added that he believes Dillon has carried that number as his own from day one.

“He’s made his own impact and legacy with the number,” he continued. “He’s won championships and races and used it all his life — ever since he was in sports. It means a lot to him.”

Earnhardt finished off by saying that he thinks Dillon will do well with the number as he respects and understands the history of the number and the legacy that it has left in the sport.

Childress also believes that he has Earnhardt’s blessing in what he is doing.

“At the time (we talked), we never dreamed it would be our own kids, his or mine,” Childress said on the day of the announcement. “But that was one thing we would have loved to see. … He wanted to see the 3 car racing for wins in the Cup Series, he wanted to see the 3 car racing for championships.

“So I know today that Dale is smiling down and is proud of this announcement.”

Despite these factors, some fans have repeatedly stated that htey’re not happy with the decision. Some have even said that the number should be retired. Well, if you’re going to retire Earnhardt’s No. 3, you might as well retire Richard Petty’s No. 43, David Pearson’s No. 11, Darrell Waltrip’s No. 17 and so forth. NASCAR has never retired numbers and there’s a reason they have not done it. Drivers carry numbers throughout their careers and when they reach the top, they want to continue to use that number. Why should tradition of such be broken now?

Regardless of how you feel about Dillon carrying the number, there is one thing for certain – Dillon better have success early in his rookie season. If he doesn’t, the backlash will only continue to grow as fans want to see that number up front as that’s what they’ve become accustom to. Now, can Dillon deliver? He’s delivered in the trucks. He delivered last year in Nationwide. We’ll see if he can keep it going.

“This is going to be positive for the sport. … We’re not going to make everybody happy. But we’re going to try to win those over,” Childress said.