A number is more than just a number to drivers.
It’s how they are identified. It’s how their fans separate them from others.
Every driver and team has a specific look to the individual numbers painted across the cars. The “2” for Team Penske isn’t the same “2” used at Joe Gibbs Racing.
On Monday, a fan tweeted at Alex Bowman looking for answers after he noticed the “88” run by the 25-year-old racer isn’t the same “88” Dale Earnhardt Jr. used while he was behind the wheel.
Forward was @DaleJr ‘s thing. All other HMS cars lean back so that’s why it was changed. https://t.co/XFGVvRrVWx
– Alex Bowman (@AlexBowman88) April 30, 2018
Junior wasn’t just trying to be different from his Hendrick Motorsport teammates with his unique style. Rather, he was just holding true to the advice his father gave him long ago.
If you want to move forward, your car needs to lean, too.
HMS tried to lean mine back a few times, so it’d be consistent branding with the other teams numbers. Sr. always said that numbers need to lean forward though, similar to how a person leans when they run… 🏃 https://t.co/tZhPd4sZll
– Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) April 30, 2018
Sometimes it’s more than just a simple number.