Should Nascar Retire Car Numbers?

[pmossberg]

This topic came up in one of the "who will be in the 43 in 2010" threads.

There's lots of passion about car numbers.

Here are two articles & comments you might want to take a look at to get us started:

nascarracingscene.blogspot.com/2009/01/retiring-numbers-in-nascar.html

www.speedtv.com/wiki/Should-NASCAR-Numbers-Be-Retired/

[pmossberg]

OK, I'll start my own poll with my "no" vote.

Take the 43. Lots of drivers have already been at the wheel. So it's no longer just Richard's number.

And how many have driven a 42 since Lee Petty retired?

An interesting suggestion in one of the linked comment threads...retire the style of number. But even that has problems. Who decides when it's right to retire the style? Richard still is part owner of the team running the current 43. Should it be up to him? When RP has left us, does the team decide? Does Nascar mandate a change?

This isn't the same as baseball, football, and the other stick and ball sports, where a team has their numbers from zero to whatever and can choose to do with them as they see fit.

So, at the end of the day, my vote is a simple no.

[songsmith1950]

I don't really think car numbers should be retired. Richard still runs the 43 and I don't think he would have it any other way. Yes, Dale Sr died and that was a shame, but I think the number should stay in play.
Also it does bug me that Nascar still brings out the Earnhardt death every time it wants to dig in for some more money. They seem to kill poor Dale several times a year just to ring the cash bell.

[dodgehemi]

I may be the only one to fill like this and not to add are take anything away from Richard being retired and Dale sr. being dead.
But I fell that when the Driver retires like Richard did the number should be retired also because the driver like Richard had the number for so long.

Now as for a driver getting killed I don't thing the number should be retired because the driver didn't retire the number should be used.

But I can see NASCAR's reason behind their game if they retire the number they would soon run out of numbers from "0 to 100"

So I guess I would say leave the numbers along and let anyone who wants to use them NASCAR says they own the numbers so they essure them and can recall them any time so next question why have they NASCAR not recalled #3?

Remember 43 is still on the track.

[chilipepper]

I'm in the yes category. Just because it hasn't been done in the past is not a reason for not doing it now. How long into the future would this sport have to go for Richard Petty to not automatically be linked to the 43? Richard (although not always driving the 43) won more races than we'll ever see won again my one driver and the 43 is forever linked with those wins.
And although I was not a huge fan, I have to admit I was not too happy last week to see the black 3 back on the track especially since it was the same "look" as "THE 3". I believe it's too soon for the 3. Just my opinion.
Personally I would love nothing better than to walk through the front doors of the new HOF and see two cars on display with the numbers retired: the 43 and the 3. It would be a powerful statement to every NASCAR fan.

[maj45]

I say no. There are only so many numbers to use. I dont' want to see the 4.3 or the .03 etc. The sentiment is nice,yes, but impractical. Otherwise NASCAR may have to race tour busses just to have enough room for numbers on the side! but then again, more sponsor space...hmmmmm..............

[dstanbery]

No one has come close to building Winston cup,Nascar,Sprintcup series whatever than our very own RP and the famed STP 43! Nascar and everyone else should BOW to this man for making this Sport what it is! Richard should be the 1st into the Hall of Fame and the 43 should be the ONLY # retired if he were to ask for it to be retired with no questions asked! Without Richard I really feel the sport would not have made it where it is today. I have had some blue koolaid today so I hope I made since?

[pmossberg]

Until I saw Chilipepper's post, I had not realized Childress ran a black #3 truck this week.

As usual, Jayski has pics.

www.jayski.com/schemes/2009/trucks/3campingworld.htm

Looks good.

[chilipepper]

Yeah, it was in Iowa last week. It really was tough to watch it get wrecked even for a non-Earnhardt fan. But Childress has said he's saving the 3 for his grandson Austin Dillon so I guess it begins with the trucks. He may have run the number in some other series, too, but I'm not familiar with that.

[revilo]

If the 43 was going to be retired, it should have happened after Richard's last race. Americans don't have long memories any more, so retiring numbers isn't really such a big deal. Ask a young baseball fan what Babe Ruth's number was, or a football fan about John Unitas' number. Most of them would have no idea. People forget quickly. Would it be so bad if someone put the number 3 on a car now? There might be some initial grumbling, but I don't think it would last long.

[ricklou]

Petty Enterprises ran the number 44 with Rick Wilson in 1993. If for what ever reason the number 43 was not in the Cup series it would not be used out of respect. This is the most famous number in racing obviously.

The 3 is not being used out of respect for smillar reasons. Of course most drivers will drive for several teams over their career with different numbers. Every one thinks of the 9 with Bill Elliott but he also ran the 11 with Junior Johnson.

It would be interesting to see what drivers have ran the same number for the longest time. Jeff Gordon has run the 24 since 1992 for instance. Gordon probably has the longest streak for active drivers.

I wonder who has ran the most different numbers all time and active .....Where is Scott !

[donmoos]

Styles of number can and most are copyrighted. the 43 is. so with out Petty Holdings permission (they now own the copyright) the 43 as display by RPM could not be used.