Dillon to carry Dale Earnhardt’s famous No. 3

Austin Dillon to run Earnhardt's famous No. 3

Current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Austin Dillon will compete full time in the Nationwide Series in 2012, and he’ll carry the famous No. 3 with him.

Dillon, the grandson of team owner Richard Childress, will race a Nationwide car bearing the No. 3, the popular car number of former RCR driver and seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt. Dillon has raced the No. 3 in the truck series. He will have primary sponsorship from AdvoCare in the Nationwide Series next year.

“Before we decided to go with the 3, I talked with Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. … because he won two [Nationwide] championships and he won two races with us the last time he drove the 3 for RCR," Childress said Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I talked to him and [his sister] Kelley both; they were really excited to see Austin take the next step. Is it going to Cup with Austin some day? Right now we have no intention of taking the stylized 3 to the Cup series."

Childress did say, however, that Dillon may run two or three Cup races as well next season.