Austin Dillon's #3 Cup ride in 2014?

reck said:
I still think NASCAR should retire a number when the driver retires along with it.
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No, I can't go along with this. It is important to keep our history alive. It's a bit different when a team retires a jersey --- the whole league doesn't retire the number.
And I have enough trouble keeping up with double digit numbers for cars ---- don't even think of using 3, or 4. Although I do know that there were
3 digit car numbers in the past.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Then there wouldn't be any numbers left.
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Be imaginative man.

Not every single number will be retire as superstars are far and in between in this sport.

You dont see just any number retire in the NBA or Baseball. Just special occasions for special players.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
Yes, but it is still ONE team -- not the entire league retiring the number.
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That's the point though.

You cant live with 1 out of 10 numbers being retired? Its not like it happens yearly.

Obviously for a number to be retire league wide you would have to be THE MAN.
 
In all this, I've got to point out how much respect the other teams had for RCR. Any other team could've requested to run the #3 and I'm not so sure NASCAR would've had grounds not to let them run that car number. But they didn't. I'm glad the #3 car is back.
 
reck said:
That's the point though.

You cant live with 1 out of 10 numbers being retired? Its not like it happens yearly.

Obviously for a number to be retire league wide you would have to be THE MAN.
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The only number retired in the MLB across the entire league is no. 42 (Jackie Robinson). Mariano Rivera is the only player who still sports that number and he had it before the number was retired. Only fitting that he's also a future hall of famer that commands respect. Even Boston sports fans respect him.

Also, I don't think there are any numbers retired across the whole league in the NFL. Every team except the Ravens (I'm sure Ray Lewis' number will be retired though), Texans and Jaguars have retired numbers but there aren't any retired jerseys across the entire league.

But we're drifting off topic again.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
In all this, I've got to point out how much respect the other teams had for RCR. Any other team could've requested to run the #3 and I'm not so sure NASCAR would've had grounds not to let them run that car number. But they didn't. I'm glad the #3 car is back.
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That's a touchy subject. I'm not sure any other teams, heck any other drivers that's not somehow related or in link with Dale would want to run that.

With teh number 3 car comes a heck of alot more pressure than just driving.

Harvick was just talking about that on Sunday. How even with the number change he couldn't get out from under Dale's shadow. Even to this day he doesn't feel like the 29 its his team. It never really was.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
The only number retired in the MLB across the entire league is no. 42 (Jackie Robinson). Mariano Rivera is the only player who still sports that number and he had it before the number was retired. Only fitting that he's also a future hall of famer that commands respect. Even Boston sports fans respect him.

But we're drifting off topic again.
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Yep, maybe I'm applying how Baseball retires their numbers too much.

Like I said, you would have to be a pioneer in your sport to have your number retired entirely.

You're right about staying on topic.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
In all this, I've got to point out how much respect the other teams had for RCR. Any other team could've requested to run the #3 and I'm not so sure NASCAR would've had grounds not to let them run that car number. But they didn't. I'm glad the #3 car is back.
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Apparently not.....

The sanctioning body owns the number, but Childress annually has the right of first refusal to use it.

from here
 
reck said:
Harvick was just talking about that on Sunday. How even with the number change he couldn't get out from under Dale's shadow. Even to this day he doesn't feel like the 29 its his team. It never really was.
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I guess some people still think of Harvick as Dale's replacement. But I was surprised to hear him say that in relation to the 29 team considering just a few years after he started racing the 29, Childress switched the drivers of the 29 and 31 teams. So Harvick hasn't been racing Dale's former team for many years.

So much has changed as far as equipment and personnel on those teams that it's a stretch to say that's Dales former team. But if you are going to put it into those terms, the 31 is technically Dale's former team, not the 29.
 
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This won't be the first time a General Mills Cereal has been on the #3 car: remember Earnhardt's Wheaties car from the '97 Winston?
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Apparently not.....

The sanctioning body owns the number, but Childress annually has the right of first refusal to use it.

from here
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interestin.....thought car owners "owned" tha # .
but like all that big bill did......not much that nascar don't own ! ha!

jr's approval is no doubt biggest ok rcr has.
rcr needs ta pass out fliers a' that article at all tracks next year !
 
Fine by me.. I'd rather it be Jr. but that is purely for sentimental reasons.

I also don't believe in retiring Nascar driver numbers.. You remember the name more then the car number.
 
I wonder what Dale would want. I think he'd just want whomever was selected to just do a good job. The fact that it's Richard's grandkids would probably make him quite happy as well.

In the end none of what we think matters. Austin Dillon is number number 3.
 
Here is a good one, don't know if it has been posted. But if Nascar didn't want the number used again, they would have retired the blasted thing don't ya think? It is their number isn't it?
 
Matthew2470 said:
I wonder what Dale would want. I think he'd just want whomever was selected to just do a good job. The fact that it's Richard's grandkids would probably make him quite happy as well.

In the end none of what we think matters. Austin Dillon is number number 3.
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if Dale had retired, I doubt the number would have lasted more then a year in retirement.. although I think Jr. Might have gotten it afterwards..

My favorite driver is Rusty Wallace and I only knew him in the #2 so when Kurt Busch was in the #2 I was like wtf? I know it's not the same but I think over time, more and more people won't be angry about it.
 
think nascar's prolly taken huey p. long's strategy on tha # 3 .

"don't care if ya talkin fer me.....or talkin agin me....long as ya talkin bout me ! " ha!
 
Lazyking said:
if Dale had retired, I doubt the number would have lasted more then a year in retirement.. although I think Jr. Might have gotten it afterwards..

My favorite driver is Rusty Wallace and I only knew him in the #2 so when Kurt Busch was in the #2 I was like wtf? I know it's not the same but I think over time, more and more people won't be angry about it.
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Not in Logano's case.

No one took him seriously in the 20. Not even the competitors and apparently neither did Home Depot. Haha
 
StandOnIt said:
Here is a good one, don't know if it has been posted. But if Nascar didn't want the number used again, they would have retired the blasted thing don't ya think? It is their number isn't it?
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sure they want the number used again
 
BOWTIE GUY said:
sure they want the number used again
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I think part of that goes way back to France the first's attitude, we don't need you, you need us. He busted their driver's union they were starting. Bunch of drivers refused to run talladega if ya remember and France gathered up other drivers and made a field out of them and ran the race. So they don't retire numbers, you need us we don't need you. I may be full of it with my reasoning, but all numbers are in play. Dale Sr ran multiple numbers in Nascar, we all know that, but the big rise in the fan base came when he was running the 3. I bet if Jeff or Jimmy quit without running for another team with a different number, there will be fans that want to see the 24 and the 48 retired.
 
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I'd rather see the 24 continue after Jeff leaves. You know how honored a young driver would be to drive his hero's car? Plus I'd want to see a 24 in cup for as long as I'm watching. The driver holds the legacy, not the number.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
I'd rather see the 24 continue after Jeff leaves. You know how honored a young driver would be to drive his hero's car? Plus I'd want to see a 24 in cup for as long as I'm watching. The driver holds the legacy, not the number.
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yeah I agree, I was just sayin.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
I'd rather see the 24 continue after Jeff leaves. You know how honored a young driver would be to drive his hero's car? Plus I'd want to see a 24 in cup for as long as I'm watching. The driver holds the legacy, not the number.
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That'll probably be Chase Elliott in a few years.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Still not sold on Chase Elliott. It's not that he's not a good driver because he is but there are so many better drivers moving up that have stood out and proven themselves.
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Same here. We'll see after he arrives. Ross Chastain has been a big surprise. Ryan Blaney is talented, but he can't catch a break in those BKR trucks. James Buescher is the real deal. Alex Bowman could have what it takes. Both the Dillon boys have talent.
 
I'm hoping its Kyle Larson in the 24.

A couple of years in Ganassi equipment should sway Larson to get out of there. :D
 
FenderBumper said:
Same here. We'll see after he arrives. Ross Chastain has been a big surprise. Ryan Blaney is talented, but he can't catch a break in those BKR trucks. James Buescher is the real deal. Alex Bowman could have what it takes. Both the Dillon boys have talent.
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It's surprising to see how well Buescher is running now. He used to be a freaking menace. He put two teams out of business and almost put Phoenix Racing out of business when he drove for them.
 
There is an army of second generation drivers running in PASS right now. Kyle Grissom, Jared Irvan, Ross Kenseth, Justin Allison and Brandon McReynolds all running part-time or full-time in that series. I think McReynolds has an ARCA win.

Supershoe LaJoie and Bubba Wallace also going places if they can harness their talents.
 
Everything is on the Dillon boys' side though. They're essentially guaranteed a top-tier ride for life unless RCR falls completely apart like Robert Yates Racing did. They have the talent. They have tons of time. It'll be very hard for history to judge them as great drivers if one of those two doesn't put together a championship contending run in Sprint Cup in their careers. Kyle Larson's the real deal but, of all the up and coming drivers, Austin's got the best chance of winning a Cup title.
 
reck said:
I'm hoping its Kyle Larson in the 24.
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This is my hope as well. Chase is a good driver but there are numerous others I would rather have in that car than him. He's on the fast track to take it over though.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
It's surprising to see how well Buescher is running now. He used to be a freaking menace. He put two teams out of business and almost put Phoenix Racing out of business when he drove for them.
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Not to me. He crashed 3 or 4 times his first year in cup trying to keep up in crappy equipment. He settled down with Turner and came close to winning back to back even with a DNQ in 2011. I still remember Kyle walling him off what would have been his first truck win that year, then driving down pit road to give him the finger. What a dick he is.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This is my hope as well. Chase is a good driver but there are numerous others I would rather have in that car than him. He's on the fast track to take it over though.
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So does Rick. If Gnassi is smart, he'll pull out all the stops to win with Larson and then build an organization around him before Rick buys him for the 24.
 
FenderBumper said:
Not to me. He crashed 3 or 4 times his first year in cup trying to keep up in crappy equipment. He settled down with Turner and came close to winning back to back even with a DNQ in 2011. I still remember Kyle walling him off what would have been his first truck win that year, then driving down pit road to give him the finger. What a dick he is.
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He was kind of a dirty driver in his ARCA time. Even when he won races, it seemed like he slammed in to someone each race. He's come a long way.
 
Ya know the last driver that was the best up & coming was Joey Logano. Look how well he turned out :sarcasm:
Before that it was Brad Keselowski. He lived up to his expectations. For the Hendrick camp they missed with Brian Vickers and Casey Mears. Scored with KyBu but let him go way too early. Gordon had a very short but moderately successful Busch series career & was pushed to cup after only 2 years. He became a legend. JJ had a mediocre Busch series but look what he's done in cup.

So I really don't trust these up and coming young guns who are at the top of the list. Bring in a kid who we may have never heard of to drive the 24 after Jeff & we may have a new face of the sport.

This is an Earnhardt/Dillion thread so I'll quit with the Gordon opinions
 
FenderBumper said:
So does Rick. If Gnassi is smart, he'll pull out all the stops to win with Larson and then build an organization around him before Rick buys him for the 24.
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If is a case of "buying" him, Chip is done. :D

I really do think if the oportunity is there that Larson would jump at the chance at getting in Hendrick equipment. Driving the 24 would just be icing on the cake.

There is not much to debate between Rick Hendrick Motorsports and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. You'd know which one you'd pick.
 
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