NASCAR: Should Cup Series teams retire car numbers?

The #8 car that Dale Earnhardt Jr. made famous is set to return to the track tonight. Should NASCAR Cup Series teams consider retiring numbers instead?

Retiring car numbers in NASCAR doesn’t happen very often. In fact, it has happened only once in the history of the sport. Richie Evans, a former Modified series driver, remains the only person to have had his number retired. Even though he made his mark in the Modifieds, his career numbers were staggering. He earned over 400 feature wins in his Modified racing career. That’s not all. He earned eight consecutive championships from 1978 to 1985.

While Evans was practicing at Martinsville for the final race of the 1985 season, he crashed and was fatally killed. After he died, his #61 was retired and remains the only number to be retired in NASCAR history. In 2011, Evans was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame and was the first driver outside of the top three divisions of NASCAR to be inducted.

Having a number retired by a team is not uncommon in other sports. Many consider it an honor to have their number retired. The New York Yankees have retired 21 numbers, including all single-digit numbers. Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson’s #42, and teams can only wear a jersey bearing the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.

Along with Major League Baseball teams, National Football League teams also retire players’ numbers. The Chicago Bears have 13 numbers retired, which is the most out of all NFL teams. Other leagues such as the NHL, NBA, and even the Canadian Football League retire numbers.

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While legends of NASCAR such as Richard Petty, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt no longer race, they have this in common: their numbers are still in active use today. Dale Earnhardt was tragically killed on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. It wasn’t until 2014 when Austin Dillon drove the #3 car once again in the Cup Series that fans saw the return of Earnhardt’s number. While Dillon still races it today and has won two of NASCAR’s biggest races in the #3 car, many fans still think of “The Intimidator” every time that number hits the track.

Jeff Gordon is another legend in NASCAR whose number wasn’t retired. While in the #24 car, he earned four championships and won 93 Cup series races. All of that success came in the #24 car, even though he ran eight races in the #88 car subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 2016 season. Chase Elliott drove the #24 car for the past two seasons before switching to the #9 car, a number made famous by his father Bill Elliott. William Byron now drives the #24 car.

For those arguing that numbers shouldn’t be retired, Richard Petty’s #43 and the Wood brothers’ #21 could be numbers to make a case for the same owners. The #43 has been owned by the Pettys since the sport began. The same can be said for the Wood brothers, who have also owned their number since their team’s beginning, and they continue to use it today.

It’s hard to imagine NASCAR without car numbers 43 and 21, but there’s a strong argument to be made that the #43 should be retired when Richard Petty dies. Most fans have adjusted to seeing the #43 car race every week for years without Petty behind the wheel, but that’s because they know that Petty remains active in his car’s success. Likewise, the #21 should be retired when the Wood brothers no longer own their team.

Tonight, Daniel Hemric will drive the #8 car for Richard Childress Motorsports. This is the first time since the 2009 season that the number has been used in Cup Series competition. Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove that car number from 1999 to 2007 when he drove for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. before he drove the #88 car for Hendrick Motorsports after that.

There are many differences from the car design that Dale Jr. drove and the design that Hemric will drive tonight that could possibly ease the discomfort that Junior Nation might have. Unlike the bright Budweiser red car Dale Jr. drove, Hemric’s car will be green for his sponsor, Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff. The shape and design of tonight’s #8 car is also different than it was when Dale Jr. drove it.

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How do you feel about the #8 returning to the track tonight? Do you want to see teams retire car numbers? Make sure to leave a comment and tune in tonight for the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. It is set to be broadcast live at 6:30 pm ET on Fox.

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