[Jon Reitz]

Richard Childress is about to announce that he’s bringing back the black, #3 Chevrolet to competition next year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Legally, (I didn’t say morally), Childress has every right to do it since he owns that number within NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series. His grandson, Austin Dillon, will drive the car. There’s the rub. While Childress owns the number, he’s not the person that made it famous. The person that made it famous died doing just that, twelve and a half years ago at Daytona. It saddens me that Childress would even toy with the idea.

Kevin Harvick, who’s being replaced by Dillon, drove his last race for RCR today. Harvick was quoted three weeks ago saying, “Exactly the reason why I'm leaving RCR because you've got those kids coming up, and they've got no respect for what they do in this sport and they've had everything fed to them with a spoon.” I’m not the world’s biggest Kevin Harvick fan but personally, I hope when the black #3 car takes the track at Daytona in February it’s met by boos from every fan in the seats until their throats are sore. Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator, made that famous, not Richard Childress or anybody else. Earnhardt earned everything in life that he was successful at. Nobody gave him anything. He worked for it. I have no respect for Childress anymore; zero.

Respectfully,

Jon Reitz

 

[XP100]

I think after 1 or 2 yrs. a number is not used by the team that used it any team can get it or apply to get it. . No one else took the # out of respect for DE Sr. Nascar would not retire the 3 after Daytona 2001.

 

[likes-to-shoot]

" Dale Earnhardt, the Intimidator, made that famous, not Richard Childress or anybody else. Earnhardt earned everything in life that he was successful at. Nobody gave him anything. He worked for it."

He earned it alright, The dirtiest driver to ever behind the wheel of a race car......If he or anyone else for that matter pulled those stunts now days they would be banned from racing NASCAR and rightfully so!!!

 

[halfmile]

Only a true champion should carry that number. Ricky G won 11 out of 12 Nationals his last year.

Richard Petty's record makes Earnhardt look like a rookie. Petty won the Daytona 500 7 times. It took Dale 20 years just to win it once.


flame away, LOL

 

[RLC323]

I believe it has been long enough to let Richard do what he wants with his number. He has shown proper respect for his friend Dale by letting it sit for 12 seasons.

In Nascar Cup history there have been 74 drivers take the wheel of a car with a 3 on the side, some are alive, many have passed. It boils down to the fact that it is just a number. We will not soon forget what Dale Earnhardt did with that number. But how many of us can recall first hand what the legend Buck Baker did in the 3 car?

The Dillon boys are good people, they have had the good fortune to be in great equipment. They obviously get a lot of that talent from Grandpa Richard who was a heck of a driver even in not so good equipment. Those boys, neither one, are in the Paul Menard situation.

As a gentleman I will withhold my opinion of Kevin Harvick.

 

[Jon Reitz]

RLC323,

Good post, and I respect your opinion.

Jon Reitz

 

[XP100]

likes to shoot. Dale was not a dirty driver, just better than most. He could hold the throttle down longer than the guys ahead of him could or would and ran into a lot of them. If he knew he could get through the corner and not crash why would he back off for the guy ahead of him that slowed down 5 or 6 car lengths sooner.

 

[cbxchris]

Childress is in a bad situation. His ONLY decent driver just left. He now through family loyalty is putting another driver in his car that realistically at best will be a top 20 car every week. Sure Dillon might get a top 5 now and then but over all the chances of that team winning multiple races is low and finishing in the chase is not happening.

I wonder how long his sponsors will stay with him. I know a lot more about this situation than I will tell here. Tough days are ahead for RCR.

FWIW, I lost respect for Richard when he went and sucker punched another driver for his grandson. If he had done that to lets say Cale or Bobby his teeth would not be where they are today and he knows it.

He is another Bill Davis ......I hope his vineyard is doing well financially. he is going to need it.

 

[CharlieAMA]

Well, Denny Hamlin won Homestead, Jimmy Johnson won the Championship, so ends another season of Nascar. It could have been worse. We'll see what appears at Daytona in Febuary. No more racing for awhile, but we have the Olympics to look forward to.

 

[DoubleAuto]

The Dale Earnhart Senior Forever Memorial crowd is really going to be upset when Jimmy Johnson wins his eighth Sprint Cup Championship.

 

[EuroJoe]

Dale Sr died from terminal stupidity! He wouldn't wear the HANS device, if he had, he would have survived that crash easily.

 

[RLC323]

Joe back then there were only a couple drivers in Nascar that wore the Hans, it was not considered essential by the drivers, or the sanctioning body.

From what I have read, Earnhardt was real particular about how he sat in the car, partly because of a bad back, partly because of his ability and need to "feel" what the car was doing. He was not about to change anything that he was not forced to. Note the open face helmet so he could feel the air. His seatbelts were out of date but he was comfortable with them, they also were not fastened to the car exactly like everyone else did.

As usual in an accident it is not one single factor that results in death or injury, it is a accumulation of factors. Everything noted above was a part of his demise. What made him a champion? The ability to drive the car without fear even after some death defying crashes. He drove like he was sure he was never going to die in the car, or maybe he drove like he was sure he was going to die in the car. Either way he went out on top, doing what he loved most.

 

[j2jake]

Earnhardt was a "Wheelman" no doubt! However he was one part of the Goodwrench Team. The Earnhardt legacy will live long. Another driver in the 3 car at this juncture in time is just that, another driver. Good luck to whom ever that may be. DoubleAuto I agree! Jake

 

[Ross]

I pretty much quit keeping up with NASCAR after the Frantz (sp) clan got control of it & pretty well destroyed any incentive from drivers-\manufacturers to produce a better sport. Now it is mostly money as everyone has to use the same equipment ie same rear-end gearing--springs--shocks--body--tires--carbs (now FI) etc.--etc.--etc.. No reason for the manufacturers to waste research $$$$ on building something better when they can't use it.

As to the #3, when Earnhardt was killed Childress stated on public TV that he would continue to keep & PAY FOR the #3 and retire it, out of respect, I guess respect doesn't mean much anymore.

Also I was not a big Earnhardt fan until I discovered the support he gave to youth groups, that changed my opinion of him. Was he a good driver???? IMHO yes 1 of the best, he liked to win, just like good shooters (ie Leo H) and many others that have the talent and determination to win, in their various chosen fields of endeavor. Ross Puls

 

[Jon Reitz]

Dale Earnhardt did a lot of things for a lot of people. It's pretty well documented what he did for people off the track, and he always wanted that stuff kept quiet. What a lot of people don't realize are the things he did at the track, in the garage area, helping those in need. If a driver for a low budget team broke a motor prior to a race, he'd be the first guy out there raising and contributing money for his fellow competitors. He loved the sport, but he also knew where he came from, plus he hard he struggled to get to the top, so he never forgot about those roots when somebody else needed something.

As for his ability to drive a race car, he had that rare quality to wheel a loose race car. Lots of other guys that have come along that can do that pretty well also though. Earnhardt just seemed to have more car control than anybody that he raced against. He could drive a car that would push like a hay wagon better than the rest by adjusting his line to make it work.

As for the black #3, well I lived through that black Sunday, February 18th, 2001, but I say leave it alone, out of respect...

Jon Reitz

 

[22hornet]

Halfmile...don't forget Gene Romero. He flew the #3 plate, too.

 

[halfmile]

Yes, Romero was one of the rulers of Ascot, and made Triumph's day many times over, including the number one plate and a Daytona win.

Many of the greats came out of Ascot, a sizzling fast half mile of the day.

When any of those west coast guys came around they did well.

HM

 

[dhip]

Well,I haven't followed Nascar that long,actually just started watching it a few years before THE crash.What I found interesting was Dale sr. was blocking so his son could win that race.Sterling Marlin,who was my driver of choice at the time(driving dodge product) actually used a Dale tactic to move Dale out of the way,it was an acceptable move at the time,naturally because of the events that followed it was outlawed after Dale's death.As far as keeping a number retired,I don't know how many have been retired,Childress may have every right to bring it back,I did notice a black 3 running in the Bush ( I know it's not bush anymore) race this pasr weekend,don't know who the driver was though.

Doug H (pa)

 

[Willimon1]

I have followed nascar since the mid 90's. Earnhardt was my driver and always enjoyed watching him race. IMHO he was the greatest to ever wheel a car around the track. He didn't earn the name Intimidator for nothing. I still keep up with nascar and still route for JR. its been a tough run being a JR fan. I just cant imagine a black number 3 circling the track again.

 

[Paladin]

Childress is a whiney wanna be something that owes everything to Dale sr. Whine box R.C. just can't seem to grasp that fact. He never misses an opportunity to put his sour puss beady eyes in front of a TV camera.

I doubt whine box R.C. will have a car in the chase in '14.

Sorry, I think he is still on the BOD of the NRA, but after listening to his whineing since 1985, I'm sick of it. Period...