To 3 or not to 3: Fans Speak Out
By Marty Smith, Turner Sports Interactive
June 14, 2001
9:45 AM EDT (1345 GMT)
COMMENTARY
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Marty Smith
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Only on the rarest of occasions do I deem it necessary to write a follow-up column, but judging by the rash of emails still flooding my inbox following last week's installment, this appears to be one such instance.
Whether it is praise of my "alternative vision" or hatred of my "pubescent jargon," I receive a significant amount of feedback from readers each week. Rarely, however, do I get this much.
Last week, I explored the myriad options facing Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt regarding the return of the No. 3 Chevrolet to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Should they or should they not bring back the vaunted black 3 car? To 3 or not to 3, that is the question.
The fans have answered. Loudly.
I said it once and I'll say it again -- Big E was the man, straight up. Several (thousand) readers wholeheartedly agreed with my blunt, to-the-point statement that Earnhardt was the greatest driver in NASCAR's history, and therefore deserved to be treated in a unique manner.
Several (thousand) others told me, in so many words, to consume feces, wondering how I could possibly conceive that a man with "just" 76 wins and a "dirty" driving style could be considered the greatest ever.
That's my opinion, y'all. Deal with it.
Earnhardt's on-track swagger has long provoked heated discussions around the old watering hole. If you loved him, you'd have died for him. If you disliked him, it was all but pure hatred. To 3 or not to 3? The passionate debate continues.
Today, I have chosen just a few of the seemingly countless responses received over the past week to share with the masses. I thought these folks gave particularly intriguing insight into the current mindset of NASCAR's bread and butter - the fans - on the great 3 debate.
First, I chose a few excerpts from die-hard Earnhardt supporters who direly hope to see their beloved No. 3 grace the track once again in the future.
John Wheeley, a lifelong Earnhardt supporter from Virginia Beach, Va. wrote: "What is it with everybody and the number? I think it was best said this way: 'It's not the number that makes the driver, it's the driver that makes the number.'
"I would give almost anything to bring Earnhardt back to the track, however, this is not possible. Right now there are millions of fans out there wearing the number 3 on there hats, coats and shirts with no connection to the track (that's like having a computer with no keyboard).
"It's important to remember that, as race fans, the real healing process begins when we pick ourselves back up by our bootstraps and get back to the business of racing.
"Additionally, I feel it is a nice memorial to Dale for Richard Childress not to run the number for a year but next year RCR or DEI should build the fastest car on the track, stick the No. 3 on it's side and run the wheels off of it.
"I think you will find that the fans will bounce back more quickly and accept the change immediately. I want to see it back on the track again. Toast the history of the man not the number."
Ruth-Ann Walsh, (who failed to mention where she hails from), wrote: "Retire the No. 3? No way! Dale Earnhardt was No. 3, there's no mistake about that, but to see that black No. 3 car back on the track, that would be the ultimate honor to Mr. Dale Earnhardt's memory and of course to his many legions of fans all over the world.
"Could you just imagine the hysteria at the moment to see that No. 3 car roll out even one more time? I think it would truly be considered even an act of God! A lot of people would consider it a fantastic honor to see his baby, the No. 3, on the track one more time!"
Sam George (who also failed to mention his locale) wrote: "You remember lost relatives more often when their picture is on your wall than when it's in the attic.
"Putting the 3 car on the track will keep the memory alive. All the proof you need is in the finish at Bristol. It wasn't Andretti chasing Sadler. It was Petty chasing Pearson. 3, that is the answer."
Now, for a few thoughts from those who would enjoy seeing the number forever memorialized by retirement.
"The next came to me unsigned, but was quite poignant: "To me, it is a no brainer -- NASCAR should retire the number 3.Yeah NASCAR doesn't retire numbers, but Dale Earnhardt made NASCAR what it is today, no doubt about it.
"If Earnhardt were still alive and was able to retire on his own will, then yeah, NASCAR shouldn't retire the number. But Earnhardt never had the chance to have his Fan Appreciate Tour like Richard Petty did before he retired. That was NASCAR's way of honoring The
King.
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Dale Earnhardt with Dave Marcis (left) during Speedweeks.
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"You couldn't think of anything better to honor a driver that has done so much for a sport and for fans alone, than to retire his racing number. I mean putting a number in a moratorium on the number 3 for year, to remember your greatest driver ever, is a joke.
But knowing NASCAR and how hard headed they are, they would probably make RCR race the number 3 with some washed up driver or some rookie that didn't even have half the talent Earnhardt did."
Paul Hughes (once again, I've no clue where he's from) stated: "I think Earnhardt has earned the right to retire his number. If he would continued as a team owner and retired as a driver than he would have had the option of giving the number to a successor. This option was given to Petty as he now has a driver for his number.
"Earnhardt obviously didn't have this option. Earnhardt has been the leading icon in NASCAR for many years. I think the black No. 3 car should reside in the world center of racing in Daytona.
"Jeff Gordon said it best after winning The Winston and being asked how it feels to tie Dale Earnhardt in wins in the all star race of NASCAR. Jeff stated "I don't think you could tie Dale Earnhardt in anything."
Amidst the mass opinions, there were a few folks who offered other thought provoking suggestions.
John Sparks of Knoxville, Tenn., was the first of many to voice this intriguing idea: "I would love to see the No. 3 back on the racetrack, but what I would like to see, too, is the champion being awarded The Earnhardt Cup every November. It would rank up there with The George Halas trophy and The Stanley Cup."
This cat, his name is Roger and that's all I know, wrote: "I would like to see Junior paint his No. 8 with enough of an outline to see the No. 3 behind it. Let Junior honor the old man with a uniquely-painted number 8."
I'm down with both of those ideas. Others hope to someday see the No. 3 return on a non-black car, or that Dale Jr. will take the wheel of the black No. 3 and carry on the family legacy. Some are in favor of letting Kevin Harvick race the 3, stating that he was in line to do so anyway by Earnhardt's choosing.
Most everyone feels that the chosen driver of a black No. 3 car would struggle direly with the pressures of living up to the standards of Big E fans worldwide. Aside from Harvick - who from what I've seen is intimidated by absolutely nothing -- I'd have to agree. Most guys would crumble under the weight of Earnhardt's memory.
Either way, I feel for Childress. No matter his final decision, there is no possible way he can make everyone happy. Even so, his judgement, along with that of Teresa Earnhardt, must be respected to the utmost degree. After all, they knew Big E better than any of us ever could.
NOTE: Marty Smith's column appears every Thursday on NASCAR.com. The opinions listed here are solely those of the writer. Have a comment for Marty? You can reach him at marty.smith@turner.com.
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