Richard Childress is bringing back the #3 car full time into the Nationwide Series next season with his grandson, Austin Dillon, moving up from trucks. Dillon has used #3 in the Camping World Truck Series, where he is the season points leader, but this will be the first time the No. 3 will be regularly used on a car since Cup champion Dale Earnhardt’s death at the end of the 2001 Daytona 500. “Dale made that number famous,” said Childress, who drove the #3 himself from 1976-81 before Earnhardt, a seven-time champion. Childress quickly said Friday that there are no intentions now to take the #3 back to “Cup with Austin someday.” Dillon could drive some races in NASCAR’s top level next season. Before deciding to use the #3 on a car again, Childress spoke with Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won consecutive Nationwide championships (1998-99) in the No. 3 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc. Then, Dale Jr. won Nationwide races in the #3 for Childress at Daytona in 2002 and 2010.(Associated Press)(11-5-2011)
