What’s in a Number?

Richard Childress made headlines this past week, announcing Bass Pro Shops as a sponsor for grandson Austin Dillon’s Truck Series ride.

The team has been making a lot of headlines since the start of the new year, bringing back the famed black no. 3 to one of NASCAR’s top circuits.

One would think that a fan base as nostalgic and tradition-laced as NASCAR’s would welcome such a move but that’s not entirely the case as many have denounced the move, claiming that nepotism gave him the ride and that only Dale Earnhardt Jr. was appropriate for such a ride.

I am not one of those people.

To those of you who live in the “Retire Dale’s number” camp, I remind you that “3” belonged to Childress long before it belonged to Dale and it’s been Richard’s number long since. (God bless the Seven-time Cup Series Champion.)

It is well within his right to use that number as long as he sees fit.

Not that there’s a point in retiring NASCAR numbers anyway. Remember in 2004 when Kurt Busch left Roush Racing just a year removed from winning a championship? The team decided to honor Busch’s achievement and use the 26 instead of Kurt’s lucky 97. That worked out well..

But how about the driver that Busch replaced? Rusty Wallace is a bona fide Hall-of-Famer. So how is it that Kurt’s number is retired and not Rusty’s?

Owner Roger Penske gets it. A number means way more than any driver just as much as a team means much more than its player. Would New York retire “Yankees” when Derek Jeter calls it quits?

Of course not.

Numbers are a team’s brand identity. It’s name. Trotting out the no. 3 in a few years at Daytona with Austin Dillon would be akin to a print free money permit.

The 19 year old has been a standout in the Camping World East Series, also securing one Nationwide Series top ten in six starts. Dillon has the talent, has the equipment and has the name.

And if you’re still holding out for Dale Jr., then give it up. There’s nowhere to go but down for Earnhardt who has suffered three straight mediocre seasons, including his last two at Hendrick Motorsports. Expect Jr. to be out of the circuit by the conclusion of his current deal. This leaves Dillon who has all the intangibles to be a star at the next level.

Now he has the number.