The No. '3' Is Back On Track, And Hence, I Stopped Worrying About Car Numbers

Austin Dillon not only drove the stylized No. 3 back on to the track after a huge hiatus for the number, but he did it in style by nabbing the pole of the 2014 Daytona 500.  Which seems fitting for the boy who likes his Richard Petty look, with that big 'ol hat of his.

Some folks are upset seeing the '3' back on the racing surface while others seem more realistic about the number being back on the track on a Cup car.  Keep in mind, NASCAR has been pretty cool about not pushing RCR for the number.  It's not RCR's but NASCAR's to do with as they please.

As for me?

Yes, the '3' holds a certain spot in my memories, but after a while I realized that it was unrealistic to hope for anything more than a hiatus.  And for Richard Childress to use it on his grandson, well, is not surprising.

It's a great way to bring the media attention to Dillon, no matter what his talent level.  And he's good enough to not shame the famed number's return to the racing surface.

But I also learned a while back that buying merchandise for a driver that is strongly associated with a number can be a bad thing.

How many numbers has Ryan Newman driven?  How many sponsors?  (My website's logo is a good clue to that one.) If you love your driver and buy one of those expensive coats with his name, number and sponsor, how fast will it be out of season?  My Ryan Newman Ford Alltel coat is VERY out of season.

I used to focus on the car and the number, but as drivers hop around teams like fleas in a doggy daycare camp, I stopped buying so much stuff.

Sure, some of it is now like a historical reference, but some of my other things I need to convert to clothing I wear while doing the yard work or working on the car.  At least there, the shirt(s) will still be in their own element.

On the other hand, buying one diecast of each car # a driver is in, makes for a collection that says, this IS my driver, no matter where he goes.

So yes, the #3 is back on track.  And I think Dillon will probably do it justice.  At least it has a better chance with him and his hat, than it might have had sitting on a shelf.

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