NASCAR's days of feelin' like a number may be ending

How much does it really matter anymore what number is on a particular Cup driver's car today?  There's plenty of buzz and opinion about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s future number.  But how important could it be?

I was thinking about numbers while watching qualifying at MIS on Friday.  Mark Martin was an early qualifier, driving the #01 U.S.Army car, that already seems rightfully attached to Mark.

David Ragan's run in the #6 car was later.  I was standing above the exit from pit road to the garage area and Ragan took his car directly to the garage after his run.  As he drove below me, I realized that, mostly what I thought as I watched him was "there goes David Ragan".  Now I always considered the #6 as one of NASCAR's branded car/driver combos.  When it was announced that Mark Martin was leaving that team and the seat would be filled by this kid, David Whathisname, I felt the way many Dale Jr. fans must feel now -  that nobody will ever look right in that car but the guy who made it famous.

Michigan is home to the great Bob Seger.  Seger has a song, "Feel like a number".  As I watched the #6 drive back to the paddock I thought of that song.

                                                    I feel like a number
                                                    I"m not a number

Now it sure looks to me like either the #8 or the Kelloggs #5, a sponsor/car number brand built mostly by Terry Labonte, are in for similar change.  If we can feel comfortable with Mark Martin in the #01 car in less that half a season, how long will it take to embrace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a #5, black, Nike liveried  ride that wins races?

Mark Martin drives the #01.  David Ragan drives the #6.  And it's OK.

Picture credit: Not sure. I found it unattributed, our own Dave Ragan pic having succumbed to the ON PIT ROW gremlins. Hate those guys.

Comments

[Vroom!]

Excellent blogation...I had not thought of numbers that way!

[marc]

You don't see too much whining over Casey Mears #25 that really rose the "fame" at the hands of Tim Richmond.

Driving for Hendrick in '86 in a 12 race stretch from the World 600 in May to the Fall race at the Richmond Fairgrounds, he won six races and placed second four times.

Musta been the number huh?

And the #26? McMurray? Shouldn't it belong to Joe Weatherly?

When someone can definitively prove a win was solely attributed to a number painted on the side I may change my mind, till them this whole number kerfuffle is nonsense.

And the "numbers" seem to back me up. An online petition asking the Evil Step Mother to release #8 to Hendrick has been a bust.

It's been up for over 96 hours and has exactly 6 signatories.

[charlie]

Thanks Vroom.

I was listening to some of the radio pre-race on MRN Marc and they did a cut from a Bobby Allison win at MIS, I missed the year and am too tired to look it up now. He was driving the #29 Hardees car, which was pretty famous too. Probably the only way you could keep the integrity, if that's the right term, of the number is to retire it, as the #3 has so far been retired. That's why I disagree with those that wanted to put Jr.in the #3. Maybe the hall of fame will do something along that line.

[marc]

Guess what all these drivers have in common:

Joseph Herbert Weatherly, Bill Linder, Dick Linder, Billy Carden, Wally Campbell, Dick Linder, Bill Rexford, Gene Comstock, Dick Rathmann, Emory Mahon, Marvin Panch, Tiny Lund, Elmo Langley, Ernie Young, Eddie Gray, Johnny Allen, Whitey Norman, Danny Weinberg, Dick Dixon, Ed Negre, Vic Elford, Dean Dalton, Dick May, Gary Matthews, Skip Manning, Ferrel Harris, James Hylton, Kevin Housby, Kirk Shelmerdine, Rick O'Dell, Jimmy Means, Dick Brooks, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Hillin Jr., Rick Wilson, Dick Trickle, Sterling Marlin, Jeff Burton, Hut Stricklin, Buckshot Jones and Morgan Shepherd.

They all drove cars adorned with the #8.

Obviously I won't claim they all are more deserving of the #8 than Dale Jr. but I will say this:

James Hylton deserves it based on his shear dedication to the sport that still burns despite his advanced age of 73.

The "true" owner of the #8 is Joe Weatherly, he won back-to-back championships in 1962 and 1963 while using the numeral.

[Charlie]

I guess that's the point. Everybody has their own reason for identifying something with a number or sponsor or color or whatever. I think that business-wise, Budweiser has more of an interest in the #8, for example, than any other entity.

[CCR]

NFL Fans have had to deal with the frustration of buying jerseys and other gear only to have the player move on.

NFL team owners and the NFLPA seem to treat free agency movement and merchandising as another sales opportunity.

Short of him driving the #666 car, Junior Nation will cheerfully buy more Junior gear with new logos, numbers and colors.

[charlie]

Good points CCR. I think that NASCAR driver fans are more akin to NFL team fans, though. Dale Junior moving to another team and sponsor is more like the Browns leaving Cleveland or the Colts leaving B-more than it is your favorite NFL free agent changing teams. But I may have to think this through a bit more. Thanks for the comment.