AVONDALE, Ariz. -- It was the number Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to 17 of his 18 Cup Series career victories.

It was the number his legendary grandfather, Ralph, used to drive. And although his father went on to make another number far more famous, it was the number of the first car Dale Earnhardt drove in the Cup Series in 1975.

Don't blame Teresa

Yes, the No. 8 isn't on the track but David Caraviello says it's not Teresa Earnhardt's fault.

• Complete story
• EGR parks No. 8
• History of No. 8

But there is no No. 8 car entered in Saturday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing recently announced it was shutting down operations for the car that had been driven this year by Aric Almirola because of a lack of sponsorship funding.

Earnhardt Jr. drove the No. 8 for what was then known as Dale Earnhardt Inc. -- the company founded by his father but run by his stepmother, Teresa, after Earnhardt's death in the 2001 Daytona 500 -- for nearly 300 Cup races from 1999 through 2007. It was then that he left DEI to drive the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, following a dispute with Teresa over a new contract that could not be resolved.

"Well, yeah, I'm pretty sad. But I don't think it'll be gone for long," Earnhardt said of the No. 8 being missing Friday during Cup practices at Phoenix.

Earnhardt said he is thankful that after he was unable to get Teresa Earnhardt to part ways with the number 8, he was able to negotiate with Robert and Doug Yates of Yates Racing to secure the number on the car he currently drives.

"I read a lot of the input that [the media] had all week, and sort of got the temperature for what the press is thinking and what the fans have been thinking," he said. "And the one thing about when I was reading those articles that struck me was about how glad I was that Robert and Doug and all those guys at Yates Racing were willing to work with me on the No. 88 [which they owned but agreed to let Hendrick Motorsports use for the younger Earnhardt].

"I don't have any malice toward Teresa over her wanting to keep that [No. 8] number. If I had been in her shoes, I probably would have done the exact same thing. That has been the case with every other owner in the past. The understanding has always been that the numbers belong to them."

Earnhardt insisted his misunderstanding with his stepmother over the number always has been overblown.

“

The 8 will be back, and someone else will add to [its history] and do something great with it. And hopefully it's Ganassi and Teresa. Hopefully they can get it back on the race track.

”

-- DALE EARNHARDT JR.

"I really wasn't as upset about it as a lot of people probably thought I was; and it probably wasn't as ugly a situation as a lot of people probably felt like it was," Earnhardt said. "But I was glad that I found Robert and the guys willing to talk about the 88, because that was a number with a ton of history and something that I could really wrap my hands around and be excited about.

"The 8 will be back, and someone else will add to [its history] and do something great with it. And hopefully it's Ganassi and Teresa. Hopefully they can get it back on the race track. I wouldn't ever count 'em out. It's a tough economy. I wish them all the success and I wish that they can get that car funded so Aric can get back on the race track. He's a great guy and he needs to be out on the race track with us. I think it's just a small piece of the puzzle, really; I don't think it's going to be something that's permanent."

Earnhardt laughed heartily when a reporter asked if his grandmother was upset over the current demise of the No. 8.

"We all -- and she especially -- have been around this sport a long time," he said. "You've got to expect change. I've worked with a lot of different people -- and some I wish today that I was still working with. But circumstances prevented that, and you have to be able to let go of that and move on and try to do the best you can -- and that's the same way within every situation in this sport."

With that in mind, he said he long ago put any serious emotional attachment he had to his old number to rest in his head.

"Yes, I wish I would never had to have changed numbers," said Earnhardt, currently 16th in the Cup points standings. "I had to under the circumstances, and I'm happy to have the opportunity to use the 88. I hope I do a good job with it for all the guys who have used it in the past. That's really the only thing that I think about right now.

"Having that number, there's a little bit of responsibility with it because it was pretty historic. So I must concentrate on that now."