NASCAR Fans - Does Anoyone Feel Weird About the 3 Car?

[Guest030114]

NASCAR starts this weekend, and for the first time since 2001, the 3 car is back in the Sprint Cup series with the car owner's grandson racing in the car. Austin Dillon put the car on the pole for the Daytona 500. Does anyone else feel weird about the 3 car being back on the track? TO me, it's like when Richard Petty's 43 car was back on the track after he retired with someone else driving.

[Lubeman]

It's a little weird seeing the number 3 car back in nascar. I think it's time though.

[swarmyone]

Yes! I don't know why it bothers me, but it does. It's just not right. In the grand scheme of things, it's just a number on a car going around in circles. It just doesn't sit well with me. I don't know why Austin would even want to invite that kind of scrutiny.

[old-tyme-racer]

Originally Posted by Lubeman

It's a little weird seeing the number 3 car back in nascar. I think it's time though.

Dale Jr. should have that number3, if not NASCAR should retire the # 3.

Dale SR. made the #3 famous, not Dillon.
There is a lot to be said about this.

[Guest030114]

Originally Posted by old-tyme-racer

Dale Jr. should have that number3, if not NASCAR should retire the # 3.

Dale SR. made the #3 famous, not Dillon.
There is a lot to be said about this.

NASCAR had said a few years ago, when the 3 was put into service in the Nationwide series, that numbers are never retired - once Richard Petty's organization disbands, the 43 will be assigned to another team, just like the 3 was left into Richard Childress' hands - RCR decided to keep the number and not race it until now. I think it was RCRs intention to allow his grandsons to race in the 3 when Dale Sr. retired - I think the stigma was in how Dale Sr. died in the 2001 Daytona 500 that makes his fans balk when someone else is in the 3.

I agree, Dale Jr. should be in the 3, but RCR would not sell it to Hendrick or to DEI about 5 years ago. I also believe that NASCAR should allow for cars of drivers with 4 or more championships the option of having their numbers retired, if the driver raced for all his championships in the same car - which for now is Richard Petty (43), Dale Earnhardt (3), Jimmie Johnson (48) and Jeff Gordon (24).

[dirty dog]

To me it would only be weird if they dug up Earnhardt and put him in the car LOL. Seriously I was a huge Earnhardt fan, when he died I really lost all interest in Nascar. Great guy, great racer, but its time to move on, its been 12 years (now that's hard to believe), if it doesn't bother little E then I am okay with it.

[Kshunter]

Nope. Childress ran it for years himself before Dale. Before that it belonged to Junior Johnson, before that Ray Fox....etc. It's the way of the world. Now watching the way that Dillon drove it...THAT bothered me.

[old-tyme-racer]

Originally Posted by Kshunter

It's the way of the world. Now watching the way that Dillon drove it...THAT bothered me.

Me too