Burning Questions: Lowe's II

By Stephen Thomas, CNNSI.com
October 2, 2001
4:47 PM EDT (2047 GMT)

1. Should NASCAR retire Dale Earnhardt's No. 3?

On Sunday morning at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress unveiled the new paint scheme for Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 car. While the car that replaced Dale Earnhardt’s famous black No. 3 will be painted silver and black (as opposed to predominantly white that it is now) and more closely resembles Earnhardt’s car, it will not be renumbered.

In fact, while dismissing the similarities between the two cars (saying that is a factor of sponsorship), Childress said that he is hopeful he and NASCAR can come to an agreement whereby the No. 3 is retired.

Historically, NASCAR has not retired numbers -- not Richard Petty’s “43”, not David Pearson’s “21”; nor is it prepared to do so in this case. “There are other ways we can memorialize people,” said Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of corporate communications.

Though there are certainly compelling reasons that argue for retirement, but to do so would set an uncomfortable precedent. Earnhardt isn’t the only legendary driver to die on the track. Moreover, retiring that number as opposed to any other driver’s number sends the unfortunate message that, as a driver, he was valued above all others.

Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between, in the hope that those who are in the sport or who may get into the sport in the near future, have the decency and good sense to allow that number to rest in peace.

2. How has change taken its toll at Petty Enterprises?

John Andretti has season-best finishes of second and sixth; in 11 other races, he has finished no better than 30th.

Kyle Petty’s best finish is 16th; he has completely missed/failed to qualify/not driven fast enough to make 10 of this season’s 28 races.

Buckshot Jones has burned through his seven provisionals, failed to qualify five times, and, due in no small part to his odd tendency to be in the wrong place at the right time (read: in the middle of trouble), has nine DNF’s. On those 14 occasions Jones has actually finished, he has an average finish of 30th.

Certainly, the organization can rationalize its dismal performance -- it is in its first year with Dodge, or, as some will tell you, their engines are under-powered. Each of those is a contributing factor, but neither is enough to fully explain what has caused the meltdown of a proud franchise.

When Larry McReynolds joined Jones' team as a consultant in July, he told reporters that he enjoyed a challenge. Gee, he must be in heaven right about now.

3. Will Michael Waltrip be with Dale Earnhardt Inc. in 2002?

Jeremy Mayfield, gone. Kevin Lepage, gone. Mike Skinner, gone. And what of Michael Waltrip, your defending Daytona 500 winner?

Between winning that race -- which raised his career winning percentage from zero to .00215; it has since fallen to .00204 -- and finishing second at Daytona in July, Waltrip hasn’t … well, Waltrip hasn’t done a lot.

Also, there are rumors that NAPA, the sponsor of his car, is not happy with his performance. However, it should be pointed out that because of his odd tendency to be in the wrong place at the right time (read: in the middle of trouble), he has been presented with countless opportunities to shill for his sponsor.

Still, if not for all those crashes and the requisite TV time dedicated to the reigning 500 champion and his continued troubles, how much exposure would said sponsor actually get? Benny, I’m here with Michael Waltrip, who finished a close 39th to today’s winner …

If a driver like Jeremy Mayfield, who is younger and who has won more and who was himself with a well-financed and high-profile team, can be so unceremoniously dumped, what is to protect Waltrip? Perhaps had he backed up his two Daytona performances even slightly, there would be fewer rumors of his impending demise.