Numbers game ends: Junior out of the No. 8

Tattoo parlors will be busy during the offseason: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will not drive the No. 8 in 2008.

"We've been working hard to secure the No. 8 for Dale Jr.'s car number next season," Hendrick Motorsports general manager Marshall Carlson said Tuesday. "Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans.

"Unfortunately, we couldn't reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options."

NASCAR "owns" the car numbers and teams generally keep the same numbers year over year. The rule -- Section 20 - 3.11 -- reads, in part: All NASCAR Nextel Cup Series car numbers are owned by and will be assigned by NASCAR for use by the car owner. Car numbers are not transferable or assignable by the car owner.

"Our hope was to carry the No. 8 with Dale Jr. to his new team, but the last proposal Hendrick Motorsports received from DEI just wasn't viable," said Kelley E. Elledge, vice president and general manager for JR Motorsports.

"It was a difficult decision, but all of us agreed that it was best to move in another direction. There's disappointment, of course, but we look forward to working with Hendrick Motorsports on what will be a great program for Dale Jr. and his fans in 2008."

Earnhardt has driven the No. 8 car since his Cup Series debut on May 30, 1999, at Charlotte. In 277 starts, the third generation driver has 17 wins, 73 top-five finishes and 117 top-10s.

No timetable has been set for an announcement of Earnhardt's car number or team sponsor.

A two-time Busch Series champion, Earnhardt has sported several numbers in that series with an 8 theme -- 87, 8, 81 and, most recently, 88 on July 7 at Daytona.