Post by dalejrfan on Feb 15, 2006 4:45:38 GMT -5
Teresa: No. 3's return unlikely in NASCAR In rare interview, Earnhardt's widow addresses Jr.'s desire to run dad's number
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Teresa Earnhardt doesn't believe anyone -- including her stepson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- will bring the No. 3 the late Dale Earnhardt made famous back to Cup racing."Contrary to popular belief, everyone cannot be replaced," Teresa Earnhardt said. "Legends live on forever. I don't think the No. 3 will ever be driven by anyone else."
The rare public comment from Teresa Earnhardt comes from a one-hour television show, "NASCAR Five Years Later," that will air tonight on Speed Channel.
The show, which will air at 8 p.m. as part of Speed's 70-plus hours of Daytona Speedweeks coverage, looks at the reaction to Dale Earnhardt's death in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 and the impact it has had on the sport.
Teresa Earnhardt has declined virtually every interview request since her husband's death.
Speed Channel provided the advance quotation from tonight's show to the Observer.
The No. 3 has not been used in the Cup series since Earnhardt's death. NASCAR controls car numbers and assigns them to team owners on an annual basis. Richard Childress has maintained control of the No. 3 since Earnhardt's fatal crash.
Earnhardt Jr., who drives the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company his father formed and his stepmother now runs, said again recently he would like to drive the No. 3 before the end of his Cup career.
"I really think that'll happen," Earnhardt Jr. told NASCAR.com. "I've informally talked to Richard (Childress), just so he knew I wanted to do that. I'll drive the No. 3 car toward the end of my career if I've done what I wanted to do at DEI, and that's win championships and win races. And I'll stick around as long as it takes to do it."
Earnhardt Jr. said in that interview he'd use the No. 3 for people who worked with his late father and helped him win seven Cup titles.
"It'd be all about going out on the track with the 3, with an Earnhardt behind the wheel, putting a smile on Chocolate (Myers') face and Richard's face and those guys he spent so much time with for so many years. If the fans like it, they like it. If they don't agree with it, they don't agree with it. It's between me and Richard."
Earnhardt Jr. said his desire to drive the No. 3 does not mean he has any short-term plans to leave DEI. At the Speedweeks media day on Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. said he'd like to run DEI one day.
"I'd love to take over at DEI," he said. "Teresa and I will talk about that when the time comes, but that's not in the near future."
Earnhardt Jr. started JR Motorsports, which owns a team that plans to run in the Busch Series this year.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Teresa Earnhardt doesn't believe anyone -- including her stepson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. -- will bring the No. 3 the late Dale Earnhardt made famous back to Cup racing."Contrary to popular belief, everyone cannot be replaced," Teresa Earnhardt said. "Legends live on forever. I don't think the No. 3 will ever be driven by anyone else."
The rare public comment from Teresa Earnhardt comes from a one-hour television show, "NASCAR Five Years Later," that will air tonight on Speed Channel.
The show, which will air at 8 p.m. as part of Speed's 70-plus hours of Daytona Speedweeks coverage, looks at the reaction to Dale Earnhardt's death in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 and the impact it has had on the sport.
Teresa Earnhardt has declined virtually every interview request since her husband's death.
Speed Channel provided the advance quotation from tonight's show to the Observer.
The No. 3 has not been used in the Cup series since Earnhardt's death. NASCAR controls car numbers and assigns them to team owners on an annual basis. Richard Childress has maintained control of the No. 3 since Earnhardt's fatal crash.
Earnhardt Jr., who drives the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Inc., the company his father formed and his stepmother now runs, said again recently he would like to drive the No. 3 before the end of his Cup career.
"I really think that'll happen," Earnhardt Jr. told NASCAR.com. "I've informally talked to Richard (Childress), just so he knew I wanted to do that. I'll drive the No. 3 car toward the end of my career if I've done what I wanted to do at DEI, and that's win championships and win races. And I'll stick around as long as it takes to do it."
Earnhardt Jr. said in that interview he'd use the No. 3 for people who worked with his late father and helped him win seven Cup titles.
"It'd be all about going out on the track with the 3, with an Earnhardt behind the wheel, putting a smile on Chocolate (Myers') face and Richard's face and those guys he spent so much time with for so many years. If the fans like it, they like it. If they don't agree with it, they don't agree with it. It's between me and Richard."
Earnhardt Jr. said his desire to drive the No. 3 does not mean he has any short-term plans to leave DEI. At the Speedweeks media day on Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. said he'd like to run DEI one day.
"I'd love to take over at DEI," he said. "Teresa and I will talk about that when the time comes, but that's not in the near future."
Earnhardt Jr. started JR Motorsports, which owns a team that plans to run in the Busch Series this year.