Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn’t want to begin trend of using father’s No. 3 every year

Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t race No. 3 after Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he probably will not drive with his father’s No. 3 again after Friday night’s Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Earnhardt’s Chevrolet will carry the No. 3 and a blue-and-yellow retro Wrangler paint scheme to honor his father’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The car is a replica of the No. 3 Chevrolet the late Dale Earnhardt drove from 1981 to 1987, a time when he claimed one of his seven championships.

“This is a one-time deal,” said Earnhardt Jr. “I have no intentions of making it a habit to run special paint schemes with my dad’s number every year, and I’m pretty sure this will be the last time I drive the No. 3.

“It’s my dad’s number. We are borrowing it this weekend to honor him, and I hope the fans remember him when they see this blue-and-yellow car on the track.”

Earnhardt Jr. has driven the No. 3 before in Nationwide Series races, but the number, which is owned by Richard Childress, is for the most part dormant.

Earnhardt died in an accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.