#3 Will Not be Retired: Despite overwhelming public sentiment, it is unlikely NASCAR Winston Cup series car number “3” ever will be retired. The number synonymous with the late Dale Earnhardt currently belongs to Richard Childress, whose team included Earnhardt’s trademark black Chevrolet. As long as No. 3 remains in Childress’ possession, it almost certainly will be directly associated only with the Earnhardt name. NASCAR owns all of the numbers and determines on a yearly basis which teams will use them. The only imaginable scenario involving the appearance of No. 3 on a Winston Cup car would be if Dale Earnhardt Jr. some day drove for Childress. Undoubtedly, if NASCAR wanted to retire the number as a tribute, Childress would be open to the idea. But it is doubtful NASCAR will make such a decision; the famous No. 43 of Richard Petty, for example, remains active and owned by Petty. NASCAR’s policy is to not retire numbers. For now, “3” safely is in Childress’ possession and, with NASCAR’s approval, was placed in moratorium for a year. “We will never run a No. 3 black Goodwrench [car] again,” Childress said. “We may run a No. 3 car again some day.”(Tampa Tribune)(7-3-2001)
