and the No. 3 and Richard Petty’s No. 43 ... back on the track This is a big deal for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his fans. That number and font are his legacy and his trademark.

They don't typically retire numbers in motor racing the way they do in other sports. Certainly not in series like F1 where numbers are assigned based on how the team did in the previous season.

As Earnhardt's long-time employer Richard Childress tells it, General Motors wanted the Man in Black to race in blue.

Its just like the old times for Dale Jr. as he competes with the #8 Budweiser in select late model races, complete with the original Dale Earnhardt Inc. number font ... high 3 rd place season ...