#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.met with media at Daytona and discussed the #3 car, the Team Chevy transcript in part: Q) ALL THINGS SEEM TO INDICATE THAT THE NO. 3 CAR WILL RETURN IN CUP NEXT YEAR. OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SEEN IT RUN IN OTHER SERIES. WHAT WILL IT MEAN TO SEE IT IN CUP NEXT YEAR AT THIS TRACK? Earnhardt Jr.: ‘I think it will be great. It was an iconic number for my father and it means a lot to a lot of his fans. This sport doesnt really retire numbers and all the numbers have history tied to them for several different reasons. The #3 is no different. I think that for Austin (Dillon) a kid like Austin in this regard any kid that wants to come up through the ranks and he drove the #3 in dirt racing and he drove the #3 in his Truck series and Nationwide series. He has earned the right to run that number as long as he wants. It could have been anybody, but its Austin. It could have been any kid coming up through the ranks that had ran that number and thats his number. Maybe hes not even an Earnhardt fan maybe that is just his number. He wants to run it I think its not really fair to deny somebody that opportunity. Im okay with it. I know that might not be the way a lot of people feel or some people feel, but Im sure its the minority that feels that way. I think that a lot of people will be telling Austin positive things about it.”(Team Chevy)
