So What If Dale Jr. Will Never Drive the #3 Car Again?

A sight Earnhardt fans have been dying to see. July 2, Dale Jr. stepping into the window of the #3 car at Daytona, ready to drive the historic car back to Victory Lane. A dream that became reality when he won the race. A dream that many had hoped would happen once Jr. is ready to retire. Many fans felt that Dale Jr. would close out his career in the 3 car. He has all but dashed those hopes, saying that July 2 would be the last time he would ever step into that car. "It's not [my number] to take and use whenever I feel like using it," he said through a sheepish grin. "You just don't grab the car keys off the counter and go run out the door and haul down the road with your dad's car. I didn't do it when he was alive, and I won't do it now."

Next February will mark the 10 year anniversary of his father's death at Daytona (I know, I can't believe it's been that long either), and yet Dale Sr. still brings out such strong emotions from his fans. Seeing Dale Jr. in the #3 car is about as emotional as fan can get, but it does bring up an interested question. When will Dale Jr. stop being compared to his father and stand on his own talents? Being a huge Dale Jr. fan, I can admit that he is not the talent that his father was. He will not win seven championships and he will not inspire the same fear in other drivers. But he has proven that he has other talents that are solely his and not his fathers. One being his intense popularity with the fans. It would be a toss-up as to who has more fans; Sr. or Jr. And there are ways that they are similar. Both started their own separate race team that is and was very important to them.

But they are not the same person. Dale Jr. made the #8 car iconic, and now the #88 car. The #3 will always belong to Dale Sr. So while some fans might be upset that the #3 car will not be driven by Dale Jr. ever again, I feel that it would lose its meaning and be less special than if he did it more than once. Besides, it's never going to get better than him driving the #3 car to Victory Lane one last time, where it belongs. A one-time tribute in the #3 car, and then he can go back to his #88 and make that as iconic as the #3 car is. It's big shoes to fill, but I have faith that he can do it.