No. 3 Wins Again

When Austin Dillon picked up his first career Camping World Truck Series win on Sunday in the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway, he gave truck owner and grandfather Richard Childress yet another win for the No. 3.

It was the second time in as many weeks that number found Victory Lane in one of NASCAR's three national series; on July 2, Dale Earnhardt Jr. piloted a special No. 3 blue and yellow Wrangler paint scheme to victory in the Nationwide Series race at Daytona. Junior was adamant afterward that he would never run the number his late father made famous again, but Dillon runs the number full-time in the Truck Series.

Not only that, but Dillon runs the black No. 3.

His truck isn't sponsored by GM Goodwrench -- that honor goes to Bass Pro Shops, which means a little camouflage is mixed in with the trademark black -- but to see a black No. 3 back on the track in one of the national touring series has to be a big deal. Dillon understands the importance of the number, but he seems to enjoy running the number.

Dillon is seventh in points after 10 races, having won three straight poles. In picking up that first win on Sunday in Iowa, Dillon led 187 of 205 laps. He may not have intimidated the field, but Dillon certainly dominated it.

Dillon has run the No. 3 throughout his career, and assuming he makes it all the way to the Sprint Cup Series -- and also assuming he keeps driving for Childress -- there is some question, and debate, as to whether he should bring the number with him. NASCAR does not retire numbers; ultimately, the fate of the No. 3 rests with Childress, who still owns the number.

The number has not been in the Cup Series since Earnhardt Sr. died in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500. Since, the Intimidator's car has sported the No. 29 with Kevin Harvick behind the wheel, and it's seen a litany of paint schemes. White, black and silver, now red and yellow ... Childress has been careful not to bring the paint scheme or the number back to the series.

Emotionally, it's easy to say that Childress should never run that number in the Cup Series again. Running a No. 3 in either the Truck Series or Nationwide Series is seen as okay, because they are lower-level series and it can be seen as an appropriate tribute to a NASCAR legend.

A lot of people would love to see the black No. 3 back in the Cup Series -- some want Junior to drive it (as if he doesn't have enough pressure to deal with), while a lot of other fans would just as soon never see that car again. Either it's too painful to see that car with another driver in it, or fans think it wouldn't be appropriate.

Other legends have driven the No. 3 before Senior -- Junior Johnson and David Pearson among them -- but to many NASCAR fans, that number will always be synonymous with the late Dale Earnhardt. And I'm fine with that.

Honestly, I like Dillon. He seems like a good kid, he's obviously got a wealth of driving ability and he doesn't seem burdened by the legacy painted onto the side of his car. It helps that he doesn't share the Earnhardt name, and that he was in middle school when Senior died, but Dillon genuinely seems to enjoy running that number.

So as far as I'm concerned, Childress should let Dillon run that number as long as he wants. If that means bringing it back to the Cup Series in a couple years, then so be it. Who know? Dillon might be able to make it his own, just like Senior did.

Junior Gets Emotional Win; Is He Back?

I realize I'm a little late with this -- talking about Daytona when we're already at Chicagoland for this weekend's races -- but the story here has been big enough that it still warrants discussion.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeño 250 last Friday night at Daytona International Speedway. Anytime Junior wins a race -- he hadn't done that since Michigan in 2008 -- it's a big deal, but the win at Daytona was large because of the car Junior was driving: a replica of the Wrangler Jeans No. 3 his father made famous in the 1980s.

That's right, thanks to a deal coming together in part between JR Motorsports, Richard Childress and Teresa Earnhardt, Junior paid homage to his late father and celebrated his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

And he took the car to Victory Lane.

It's impossible to overstate how much it means to NASCAR and its fans to see the No. 3 back in Victory Lane -- especially at Daytona. The sport just hasn't been the same since Junior's father was killed in a last-lap crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, and any time we can relive Senior's glory -- and watch his favorite son win in the process -- it's a cause for celebration.

Not only that, but it was the latest bit of good news for Junior. After a disastrous May, Junior has four straight finishes of 11th or better in the Sprint Cup Series; after finishing seventh in Michigan, he salvaged 11th at Infineon, finished eighth at New Hampshire, and on Saturday, he dodged all the wrecks to finish fourth in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona.

Junior wasn't happy about that finish, saying his car was terrible all night and they lucked into that finish. But seeing as how Junior is 11th in points and in Chase contention, it's probably something he should happily take into Chicagoland and look for another good run.

Junior won at Chicagoland in 2005.

The No. 88 team probably isn't where it needs to be right now for Junior to win races and be a true title contender, but if the last month is any indication, he's getting his confidence back, and after a disastrous 2009, maybe simply running well and making the Chase -- and yes, getting some luck along the way -- is what Junior needs.

NASCAR benefits when Junior is running well -- as the sport's Most Popular Driver, that just makes sense. If Junior can keep doing what he's doing of late, and qualify for the Chase, that gives him and the rest of the team momentum and confidence heading into the 2011 season.

For a sport struggling with television ratings and on-track attendance, a successful Junior would be good news for everyone.

What's Wrong With Junior?

In a lot of ways, it seems like just yesterday that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of NASCAR's brightest stars, combining that rare quality of near-universal fan appeal with a cocky attitude behind the wheel that kept putting him in Victory Lane.

In a lot of ways, though, it seems like a lifetime ago, but given the frequency with which Junior was winning races in the early 2000s, it seemed inevitable that the son of legend would one day hoist the Winston/Nextel/Sprint Cup, right?

Well, as he head to the quarter-mark of the 2010 season ... not so much.

Junior has 18 Sprint Cup wins, but none since 2008. He also has a Daytona 500 trophy, but that came all the way back in 2004. He won six races that season and finished fifth in the points. Junior finished a career-high third in the point standings in 2003.

Let's not forget those back-to-back Nationwide Series titles in 1998 and 1999, or the fact that Junior won his first Cup race in Texas in 2000, in just his 11th career start.

So the talent's always been there, but since 2004, Junior has been, at best, inconsistent. Since the start of the 2005 season, Junior has only won three races -- one in 2005, one in 2006 and a fuel-mileage win in 2008. He missed the Chase for the Cup in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

So what is it? Was it being separated from longtime crew chief Tony Eury Sr., with whom Junior won 15 of his 18 career races? It's possible, but Junior has yet to find the answer with current crew chief Lance McGrew, even though many figured that would happen coming into the season. Junior started 2010 off well enough, finishing second in the Daytona 500 and spending much of the early part of the season in the top 12 of the point standings, but back-to-back poor finishes at Darlington and Dover leave one wondering.

How does someone who clearly has the talent, who was once so close to becoming the toast of NASCAR, struggle so mightily? Especially when driving for a car owner who's won nine of the last 15 Cup titles in Rick Hendrick?

Personally, it's not a lack of talent. It's a lack of focus and passion. On top of being a Sprint Cup driver, Junior co-owns a Nationwide Series team, JR Motorsports, and owns a Charlotte-area bar. Life as NASCAR's Most Popular Driver has opened a lot of doors for Junior, doors that might be affecting his focus.

Perhaps he's even a little tentative; while practicing for a Grand Am race on a NASCAR off-weekend at Sonoma in 2004, Junior suffered a horrific crash where his car burst into flames. Though safety crews pulled him to safety, Junior suffered significant burns -- burns that forced Junior to get out of the car the following week at New Hampshire.

Even though Junior won six races and finished fifth in the standings that year, the numbers have declined since. Could that crash be the cause? Junior would never admit as much, but sometimes I wonder.

Junior has done a lot for the sport -- just ask Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski, both of whom got their starts because of him -- and it's not like Junior simply walked into a ride without proving himself first. But while Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are making their mark in the sport -- and Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Kasey Kahne all running well -- why isn't Junior?

We know the talent's there; we've seen it. I don't think this is a case of the No. 88 team needing another shake-up. Changing crew chiefs or swapping crew members won't help. Switching from the wing to the spoiler didn't help. Maybe it's time to look at the driver when examining what's wrong with the No. 88, and see if there's anything that can be done to improve his performance.

If that doesn't happen, Junior might just become this generation's Kyle Petty -- son of a NASCAR legend who had so much potential, but ultimately became a so-so driver who made his name in other ways.

Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with that, but something tells me Junior Nation would rather see their driver living it up in Victory Lane and turning that hat backwards again.