WILL IT REALLY RETURN ?

Its official. Austin Dillon will drive the No. 3 Chevrolet in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup series.

This will mark the first time since 2001 that the No. 3 will be on the track in Sprint Cup competition. Dale Earnhardt last drove it in the 2001 Daytona 500 his final race.

It was a hard decision for Richard Childress to make. And it has been a long time coming. But Childress says it is the right thing to do. He says fans have been asking when the No. 3 was coming back, and that now is the time.

But many feel that the No. 3 should be retired in honor of Dale Earnhardt. Never to be raced again.

For the record Dale Earnhardt Jr says he has no issue with the No. 3 returning. But he says he understands the importance of the number to Earnhardt fans.

No matter which side you come down on, there will be a little extra spark in the air when the flag waves for the 2014 Daytona 500 as the No. 3 comes down off of turn four to take the green.

How about you, which side are you on? Are you happy to see the No. 3 return, or would you like to see it retired?

I'm glad to see it return. Wouldn't mind if they gave it to Jr. but that cant happen...jmo. I hear some say they will give him the pole or a strong finish to juice up the interest but I think he will finish below 24th. right behind Danica.

RCR has every right in the world to campaign the #3. Doesn't bother me one iota. Quite frankly, I spent more time working with Dale, Sr. with # 2 and #15 on the sides of his blue and yellow Wrangler cars. He drove just 11 races in 1981 for Childress with #3 when I managed the Wrangler program. I really don't see the big deal. Actually, when I think of #3, it's Junior Johnson in the 1963 Ray Fox "Mystery Chevy" that I see in my mind. That's the "independent" Chevy #3 that Ford Motor Company spent over 1 Million 1963 Dollars trying to catch!

I totally agree with you Dave. The number 3 should never have been away from the sport for more than a year, if that. It is a number, it is not the man so many worship. You stated it well, my friend, as you do everything.

David Rider photo

If ole hotheaded Cale Yarborough hadn't tangled with Sam McQuagg and wrecked the trailing # 3 Ray Fox Chevy of LeeRoy Yarbrough, it might well have won the 1965 Southern 500 instead of Ned Jarrett.

Here's a listing, courtesy of the folks at Fantasy Racing and their cheat sheet of all the drivers who've wheeled the #3 in NASCAR Strictly Stock / Grand National / Winston Cup / Nextel / Sprint Cup competition from the first race in 1949 until its last use in 2001:

Lotta great drivers have cinched up in the #3 over the years. Just as an example, the #3 was on the side of David Pearson's Ray Fox car for Pearson's first GN win - at Charlotte in the 1961 World 600. Many folks have short memories. Golly, should Ricky Rudd have been allowed to drive the # 3 for Childress in 1982 and 1983 after Earnhardt left following the 1981 season and didn't return until 1984? Lotta goofy thinking going on regarding the car number IMHO.

The incomparable David Pearson wheels Ray Fox's #3 Pontiac to his first ever NASCAR Grand national win in the 1961 World 600 at Charlotte.

NASCAR history didn't begin in 1984 as some folks would have us believe.

By the way, in two seasons driving the Bud Moore #15, Earnhardt scored 3 wins. His first two seasons in #3 Childress cars he scored just 2 wins, both in 1984. If Earnhardt hadn't jumped ship from Moore to Childress in the middle of a contract, I guess the talk would be that the #15 should have never been used again, right?

And if that same theory held true, our own RR member, Wayne Andrews would have driven a number later to be retired as he is credited with 5 Cup starts in 1971 in the Reid Shaw #15 Mustang!

I was never an Earnhardt fan so I certainly don't want to see the number retired because of him, even though he had dozens more wins in the car than anyone else. I like that numbers accumulate history instead of being retired. I like that older fans are reminded of David Pearson & Junior Johnson in addition to Dale. So many greats have driven the 21 and 11 that I don't know who would be honored by their retirement.

I'm a big Petty fan and I don't think his number should be retired either. I'm more upset by the loss of Petty Blue than the fact that someone else is driving a car with his number on it. Maybe Earnhardt fans miss the paint scheme more than the number also.

The fact is that most drivers are associated with several numbers during their career and it can be difficult to say which was the most significant. I think every driver wants to be able to race with the number of his childhood hero on the door and we shouldn't take away that opportunity. Ask Tony Stewart how he feels about having the 14 on his car.

Well stated Andy.

For most of Earnhardt's early career, in his own cars, he chose the number 8, which was his hero and dad's number.

Smokey had the number 3, and it next went to Ray Fox. Between those 2 great mechanic- car owners an awful lot of great drivers drove the number 3.

Great picture of Goldsmith in Smokey's '57, with the exhausts coming out of the rear bumper.

You ever go and listen to some of the old film of these cars on the track? they were loud in a different way. the sound was higher and cracked

great picture...love those 57's...

I say let them run it! I like Dale, but by no means is he a favorite driver, nor the greatest of all time like a good 70% of 'fans' lead you to believe. Especially with almost 80 previous drivers to pilot a #3 in the past. Do you remember in 1993 - it was Petty's first season not in the driver's seat. He chose Rick Wilson to drive the STP Pontiac, except with #44. NASCAR 'recommended' that Richard bring back 43, and has stuck ever since.

I remember on various Facebook pages, when someone would post one of the 2014 paint schemes for Dillion, and especially when the rumor was announced......there were literally thousands of comments, most pertaining something like "Dale was the greatest racecar driver there ever was. I'll quit watching NASCAR", or my favorite. "Childress should be fined by NASCAR if he brings back 3. It's disrespectful!"

It's quite funny actually to read those comments, but in all reality......itISjust a number.

good points Cody....Just a number, esp. since his personal favorite number was 8.