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It has been three long years
since NASCAR lost one of it's greatest drivers, Dale Earnhardt.
However, the number "3" still exists and it's time that number is brought
back into the top three NASCAR racing series.
First off, let me say that I mean this as no
disrespect to the memory of Dale Earnhardt and his legions of fans.
I've been a Dale Earnhardt fan since the middle 1980's. I was a fan
on February 18, 2001 and I continue to be a fan today.
Identification numbers are treated very
differently in NASCAR than in any other sport. NASCAR honors it's
drivers by name and the car number can change every season. We are
not like the NBA or NHL where numbers can be retired and then un-retired,
like Jordan's "23" or Mario's "66". Numbers in NASCAR have never
been the exclusive property to an individual driver. Dale Earnhardt
won his first championship driving the number "2" Monte Carlo in 1980.
Terry Labonte won championships in 1984 driving the "44" and the "5" in
1996. The 1989 Champion, Rusty Wallace, drove the "27" Miller MGD
Pontiac that year.
Junior Johnson first
made the number "3" famous in the 1950's and 1960's and Petty Enterprises
still use the "43" although Richard Petty retried from driving in 1992.
If NASCAR were to retire any number, they would have retired the "43" long
ago. NASCAR leases numbers to the individual race teams, with the
expectation that they will be used on the track. If the number is
not used within two seasons, the number goes back into circulation.
This is NASCAR rules and they affect every race team owner, regardless of
whom used the number last.
Richard Childress Racing is currently
leasing the number "3" from NASCAR, but DEI owns the copyright to Dale's
"3" design. RCR and DEI have a lot at stake in Dale Earnhardt's
likeness rights and the silver design in Dale's "3". Dale Earnhardt
is still a top souvenir seller, behind only Jeff Gordon and Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. Junior is number one. However, this season will
be the third season without a "3" on the track. If RCR is not going
to field a new race car with the number "3", it should be allowed to go to
a new race team. This team would not be allowed to field a black and
silver car with the same style "3" because DEI owns the copyright to that
design, nor would they want to. Those are mighty large shoes to fill
for a new team. And this prohibition on the number "3" should not be
throughout NASCAR. Recently, Mike Skinner asked NASCAR for the
number "3" on his new truck. Skinner won the first Craftsman Truck
Series Championship in 1996 driving a black and sliver "3" owned by RCR,
but NASCAR said no. Dale Earnhardt never drove a truck. Mike
Skinner has more right to a truck "3" than Earnhardt. Could it also
be because Mike Skinner is driving a Toyota?
There was recently a story posted on
NASCAR.com (February 15, 2004) that stated RCR was considering bringing
the "3" back, but Childress said that the car would have to be piloted by
an Earnhardt. He says there is an open invitation for Dale Jr. to
come to RCR, but there is little chance of that happening since Junior
just signed a five-year contract with DEI. What about Kerry?
Junior is building a strong reputation of his own behind the number "8",
which his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt drove in the 1950's and 1960's.
However, no matter how famous Junior should make the "8" car, the number
would stay with DEI and not Junior. Remember, we honor the name
Earnhardt, not a number. A black number "3" car from RCR is even
more unlikely since Kevin Harvick has always maintained that he does not
want to drive the black number "3".
With all of this said, Earnhardt's likeness,
the black Chevrolet and the silver number "3" has transcended into
history. Allowing a new team to field a new number "3" will not
tarnish our memory of Dale Earnhardt, of stifle souvenir sales. The
number "3" should be allowed to return to NASCAR racing, giving future
legends the chance to make the "3" famous all over again. |
