Austin Dillon is a NASCAR driver who drives the No. 3 car for Richard Childress Racing (RCR). The No. 3 car is famous for being the car that Dale Earnhardt, one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, drove for most of his career. But how is Austin Dillon related to Dale Earnhardt? And what is the story behind the No. 3 car?
Contents
The Grandson of Richard Childress
The first thing to know is that Austin Dillon is not related to Dale Earnhardt by blood, but he does have a distant connection to him through his maternal grandfather’s marriage to Earnhardt’s mother. Austin Dillon’s mother is Tina Childress, the daughter of Richard Childress, who is the owner of RCR and was Earnhardt’s longtime friend and boss.
Richard Childress married Teresa Houston in 1972, who is the daughter of Louise Houston and the half-sister of Dale Earnhardt. Louise Houston married Ralph Earnhardt, Dale’s father, in 1948 and had two children with him: Randy and Kaye. Ralph Earnhardt died in 1973 and Louise Houston married Robert Gee Sr., a NASCAR car builder, in 1976.
Teresa Houston was born in 1958, before Louise Houston married Robert Gee Sr., so she is not related to him by blood either. Teresa Houston married Dale Earnhardt in 1982 and they had one daughter, Taylor Nicole, in 1988. Teresa Houston and Dale Earnhardt divorced in 2001, shortly before his death in a crash at the Daytona 500.
The Driver of the No. 3 Car
The second thing to know is that Austin Dillon is the driver of the No. 3 car for RCR, which was the car that Dale Earnhardt drove for most of his career and won six of his seven championships with. The No. 3 car is one of the most iconic and recognizable cars in NASCAR history, and it has a lot of history and legacy behind it.
Dale Earnhardt first drove the No. 3 car for RCR in 1984, after driving for other teams and numbers before. He won his first championship with RCR and the No. 3 car in 1986, and then went on to win five more championships in 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994. He also won 67 races with RCR and the No. 3 car, including his first and only Daytona 500 win in 1998.
After Dale Earnhardt’s death in 2001, the No. 3 car was retired from NASCAR’s top series for more than a decade, out of respect and tribute to him. However, it was still used by RCR in lower-level series, such as the Truck Series and the Nationwide Series (now Xfinity Series), by Austin Dillon and his younger brother Ty Dillon, who are both grandsons of Richard Childress.
Austin Dillon began driving the No. 3 truck for RCR in 2009, when he was only 19 years old. He won two races and the championship with the No. 3 truck in 2011. He then moved up to the Nationwide Series and drove the No. 3 car for RCR from 2012 to 2013. He won three races and another championship with the No. 3 car in 2013.
In 2014, Austin Dillon made his debut in NASCAR’s top series, now called the Cup Series, and brought back the No. 3 car to RCR after a hiatus of more than a decade. He won his first Cup Series race with the No. 3 car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2017, on Memorial Day weekend. He then won his second Cup Series race with the No. 3 car at Daytona International Speedway in 2018, on the anniversary of Dale Earnhardt’s first and only Daytona 500 win.
The Legacy of Dale Earnhardt
The third thing to know is that Austin Dillon has a lot of respect and admiration for Dale Earnhardt, who was not only his grandfather’s friend and partner, but also his mentor and role model. Austin Dillon grew up around RCR and NASCAR, and he witnessed firsthand some of Dale Earnhardt’s greatest moments and achievements.
Austin Dillon was only seven years old when he celebrated with Dale Earnhardt in Victory Lane after his historic Daytona 500 win in 1998. He was also there when Dale Earnhardt died in a crash at the same track three years later. He has said that driving the No. 3 car is a huge responsibility and honor for him, and that he wants to continue Dale Earnhardt’s legacy with RCR.
According to USA Network, Austin Dillon said in 2013: “Everybody knows who made this number famous. With my grandfather and his friendship [with Earnhardt], they were able to build something great that will never be touched. But we feel like bringing it back with my grandfather and RCR … it’s going to be special. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and effort at the shop and we’re prepared for everything that’s to come.”
Austin Dillon has also said that he has a close relationship with Dale Earnhardt’s family, especially his half-aunt Teresa Houston and his cousin Taylor Nicole. He has also expressed his appreciation and gratitude for Dale Earnhardt’s fans, who have supported him and the No. 3 car throughout his career.
According to SHS Trendz, Austin Dillon said in 2018: “Dale Earnhardt’s fans have been incredible to me. They’ve been supportive. They’ve been loyal. They’ve been passionate. They’ve been everything that you would want as a driver. And I’m just thankful for them and the opportunity to drive the No. 3 car.”
