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Livid Fans Ruthlessly Bash Richard Childress’ Grandson for Tarnishing Dale Earnhardt’s Legacy Amidst New Sponsorship Signing

Published 03/23/2024, 9:32 AM EDT

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Though Austin Dillon has been the driver of the #3 car for Richard Childress Racing for a decade now, he is disliked by many. The whole discussion about Dillon and the #3 car flared up again on social media after it was announced that Boot Barn would serve as a multi-race primary sponsor for the team. It was something that really came out of the blue and fans believe Dillon does not have what it takes to represent his legacy in the current era.

Dillon confirmed signing with Boot Barn and said, “It’s an honor to be able to represent Boot Barn, both on the track and in my day-to-day life. Boot Barn is a staunch supporter of the western lifestyle and I’m looking forward to expanding our relationship while creating engaging content for fans.”

The president of RCR, Torrey Galida, stated, “RCR and Boot Barn share an inspirational vision of supporting their local communities and those who feed America, build America, and protect America. Our teams are looking forward to working together to highlight our shared values and showcase Boot Barn’s broad selection of cowboy boots and western wear to NASCAR fans.”

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Boot Barn had previously sponsored the Dillon back in 2013 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Richard Childress‘ grandson sounded excited about the new partnership which will see him be a part of the content creation process in the company. Dillon also announced that they will be the main backer for the No. 3 Chevrolet in some NASCAR Cup Series races in 2024. Marking their first event together in this signing, their logo will be on Dillon’s car at the Pocono Raceway on July 14.

He may be a Cup Series race-winning driver. However, what has gotten under the skin of fans is the number of the car he drives. The #3 RCR car belonged to 7-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt and fans don’t believe that Dillon has what it takes to represent his legacy in the current era.

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The 33-year-old driver did not have a great start to the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season as he sits in P30 on the points table after five races this season. His best result came at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he finished at P16. One thing which has been positive though is that Dillon has finished every single race he has taken part in so far this year. But the sponsorship was the last thing on fans’ minds as Dillon has only won 4 races in RCR. The legacy of the car has not been the same and fans have had enough.

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Austin Dillon has come nowhere near to Dale Earnhardt’s legacy

After Boot Barn signed with RCR and posted it on Instagram, passionate race and Dale Earnhardt fans made their opinions clear. “Austin Dillon? Yikes,” one user commented. Another user believed that the grandson of Richard Childress was not good enough to drive any stock car and that he should go back to the primary level of motorsports. “This guy should be driving go-carts,” they commented.

When you’re driving the #3 Richard Childress Racing car, there are going to be comparisons. For a number that has won the Cup Series seven times, thanks to one of the greatest race car drivers of all time, that is simply not good enough and it is understandable why fans are so livid. “Austin shouldn’t be driving the #3. Somebody is really watching over the #3 to get all these sponsors,” one user commented.

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“The number 3 has a legacy to uphold and he’s not cutting it,” quipped another. There was a comment that even suggested Richard Childress fire his own grandson since he just has not been good enough. “RCR should invest in a new driver for the 3 car,” it read. Such words sure are harsh and could easily crush the confidence of any driver, but given his record, do you believe Austin Dillon deserves it somewhere? Let us know what you think.

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Written by:

Nilavro Ghosh

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Nilavro Ghosh is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports, where he is known for his creative yet easy-to-read writing style. Before taking up his role as a sports journalist at ES, Nilavro has written for some of the top publishing houses, like The Telegraph. While most journalists stop at covering live events and taking the news to the readers, Nilavro goes the extra mile to give fans a platform for them to express their thoughts through his 'race reaction' pieces.
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Edited by:

Shreya Singh