What did Dale Jr. learn from his dad about numbers on a car?
Brad Norman
Getty Images
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.
[caption id="attachment_117732" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Alex Bowman's '88' leans backward. Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images[/caption]
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.
[caption id="attachment_117733" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s '88' leaned forward. Jerry Markland | Getty Images[/caption]
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
