Taking the #3 would always be big pressure, but the scrutiny increases when you’re also the owner’s grandson. That is the situation Austin Dillon finds himself in at Richard Childress Racing. Things would have been okay had he performed, but after years of lackluster results, fans have had enough and want Dillon out of the car that Dale Earnhardt drove to six of his seven NASCAR Cup Series championship wins.

Notably, Dillon is now 34 years old and has had that car since 2013. However, to fans’ dismay, he never finished in the top 10 on points at the end of the season.

Is Richard Childress’ family member ruining the team’s legacy?

Fans questioned Austin Dillon’s place in the #3 car yet again, as a recent stat proved the RCR star has been one of the worst-performing drivers of the current season. The stat was shown as a graph depicting a driver’s average finishing and running positions so far this season. Had this been during Dale Earnhardt‘s heyday, the #3 might have been at the top, but on this occasion, it was at the bottom.

Dillon has not had an excellent start to the season, but that’s become something fans expect out of the 34-year-old. Not many people were happy when he was given the #3 in 2013, and 10 years later, that feeling was consistent. And it’s not like he is racing for a team that isn’t competitive. Maybe if he hadn’t been related to the boss and this was some other team, Austin Dillon would have been out of a job quite a long while ago.

The whole debacle of fans not being able to accept Austin Dillon’s treatment with the #3 car is not new. Back in 2013 when the announcement was made, Dillon got a lot of hate. At that point in time, Dillon had already won the Camping World Truck Series (2011) and then the Nationwide Series (2013), the latter of which came while sporting the iconic number #3.

Walking into his Cup career, Dillon and his RCR team had taken blessings from Dale Sr’s eldest son and daughter, Dale Jr and Kelly, every step of the way. And they were nothing but supportive about getting the #3 back to where it belongs—drawing skid marks and flying sparks on race tracks.

Interesting fact: Dillon taking over the #3 car was not just inspired by the enigma that was Dale Sr but many forget that the same car was also driven by his grandfather. Every time the Childress-Earnhardt duo won a race back in the day, a young Dillon, curled up with his grandmother on a couch watching the race, would be treated to pizza.

Fans have been calling for him to be axed for several years, and it took a toll on his mental well-being. But that does not excuse that he has been bang average in a car that won the championship seven times. After the recent stat was revealed, fans again clarified their opinions about Dale Earnhardt’s replacement on Reddit.

Fans have had enough of Dale Earnhardt’s number being tarnished

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Filling in the shoes of the iconic Dale Earnhardt is definitely a cumbersome task, and perhaps Austin Dillon might be coming to that realization finally. With fans’ disapproval and requests to remove the #3 from the driver’s possession, RCR might find itself in a precarious position. 

Some users believe that Austin Dillon should be fired from his position and that the #3 car should be retired in honor of the late great Dale Earnhardt Sr. “Austin Dillion needs fired,” one Redditor commented. “No one should ever be in the 3 again,” quipped another. Well, perhaps the fans’ displeasure is not completely unfounded. In contrast to Earnhardt’s shenanigans behind the #3, which helped him clinch six of his seven Cup Series championships and 67 of his 75 Cup career wins, Dillion’s numbers fade in comparison. While the racer’s last Cup race win came in 2022, a Top-10 in the final points standings still elude him, let alone a Cup Series championship title. 

On the other hand, some fans even indicated how nepotism might be at play with the #3. “We’re excited to announce the next driver to carry on the legacy of the 3 car following Austin’s departure…please welcome Ty Dillon,” one user commented. After all, preserving the legacy of ‘The Intimidator’ calls for someone who would, at least, be able to uphold the #3’s iconic run. Take RCR’s other driver, Kyle Busch, for example. The #8 is currently not in his best form, but he has had quite a memorable career (most wins in the Xfinity and the Truck series and two Cup Series championships). So, why is Richard Childress still stuck on assigning #3 to Austin Dillion? While that’s a conversation for another day, fans certainly sense some favoritism.

Many NASCAR fanatics didn’t mince words as they pointed out how the #3 was right at the top of its game when The Intimidator would regularly drive it to victory lane. It’s safe to say that they’re not the biggest Austin Dillon fans and even opined that Childress’ grandson should retire altogether. “It’s a damn shame to see the 3 so low. Austin needs to hang it up, go work in the office, and Richard needs to retire the 3 for good,” one user commented.

With fan opinions turning up against him, will Austin Dillion be able to turn around his fortunes? Going by his entire career graph, that might be a steep slope but one can still try, right?