For Earnhardt Jr., 3 may not be the magic number

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Why would Dale Earnhardt Jr. do it?

Why would he extricate himself from one situation where he's burdened by family history, only to land amid circumstances that are virtually the same? Why would he step from underneath the long, tall shadow cast by his late father, only to step right back into it again? Why would he move from his dad's team to his dad's car, if he truly wanted to establish himself as a championship contender and not simply as a last name?

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From Mooresville, N.C., to Darlington Raceway, you can hear the drumbeats, the steady tattoo of the faithful who yearn to see the No. 3 ride again. Now that NASCAR's most popular driver has announced his intention to separate from Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of this season, the situation seems too perfect. There's nothing to stop the younger Earnhardt from signing with Richard Childress Racing, the team that fielded six championship cars for his father, and bringing the legacy full circle by sliding behind the wheel of a certain black Chevrolet.

Nothing, that is, except Earnhardt Jr. himself, who seemed quite conflicted about the prospect during his announcement Thursday.

"With respect to my father, I don't feel very comfortable about that," he said. "He made that number what it is. With respect to him, I believe it belongs to him, you know what I mean? I never say never, and I've told you guys before that I was interested in doing that later in my career, and I still feel like that. I still feel that way. If that's something Richard is interested in, we can explore that, but that's a long way down the road."

Although NASCAR licenses car numbers on an annual basis, Childress has been allowed to retain control of the No. 3 since that dark day in Daytona six years ago. Although Earnhardt Jr. won a Busch race in a No. 3 car in 2002, the number hasn't seen action at the Nextel Cup level since the elder Earnhardt's untimely death. It's been unofficially retired, which is where it should remain, linked only to the one man who turned a simple digit into an icon.

That's not to say Earnhardt still won't wind up driving for Childress, something that seemed more likely Saturday when Joe Gibbs Racing president J.D. Gibbs expressed evident unease at the prospect of adding an alcohol sponsor and expanding so rapidly to four cars -- but at the same time, not ruling out eventually talking with the driver. It's easy to see Earnhardt signing with Childress and driving a red Budweiser car adorned with the No. 30, which RCR fielded years ago for Jeff Green, Jeff Burton and Steve Park.

But not the No. 3. Oh, sure, it would be a goose-bump moment, seeing Earnhardt Jr. slide into his No. 3 car in February at Daytona International Speedway, the site of his family's greatest triumphs and greatest tragedy. But so much of what we've witnessed this season is about Earnhardt Jr. becoming his own man, stepping away from his father's legacy and creating a new one for himself. Some of the same issues he faced at DEI would undoubtedly be present at Childress, a team full of his father's old friends, an organization full of people the elder Earnhardt treated like family even if they weren't related by blood.

Earnhardt Jr. leaving DEI at end of season

In a news conference at his JR Motorsports race shop on Thursday, Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he will leave DEI at the end of this season.

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So if RCR is his final destination, there are destined to be some of the same family-versus-business conflicts that characterized the latter part of his tenure at DEI, even without stepmother Teresa running the show. With Childress, there would almost certainly be times when Earnhardt's decisions will be influenced by the personal relationships he has with the people he works with -- just as they were at DEI.

But the No. 3 elevates everything to a different level, turning this entire episode from one where a driver wants to find a more competitive car and a less tense work environment into one where he's stepping directly into his father's shoes. Earnhardt Jr. is not going to win 76 events and seven championships on NASCAR's premier circuit. Driving a No. 3 car only sets him up to face unrealistic expectations, unfair comparisons, and the pressure of upholding a legacy that belongs to someone else.

He seems to realize that. "I've got to do a little soul-searching about how I feel about driving a No. 3 car," he said Thursday, and rightly so.

Maybe it will happen one day in the future, if and when Earnhardt Jr. establishes himself as the multiple championship contender so many want him to become. Maybe then, his father's shoes will fit. But for now, the No. 3 belongs exactly where it is, locked inside the hearts of the people who watched it go around the track.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.