What’s in a Number?
Written by Tiffany Ricardo · August 19, 2008
Last weekend at Michigan, Tony Stewart announced that Ryan Newman would drive the #4 Chevrolet for the new Stewart-Haas race team next year. A day later, stories surfaced online that Morgan McClure Racing was “not happy” about Stewart taking “their number.”
Today, an update! Newman will drive a #39 next season rather than the #4.
The most likely scenario is that someone from Morgan-McClure either contacted Stewart and persuaded him to change his mind about using the #4, but Stewart could just as likely have heard about the consternation his choice of number had caused MMR and decided to make the switch. I hope Morgan-McClure didn’t request the change. That would seem a little selfish to me seeing as their Sprint Cup program no longer exists. They “might” come back some day, certainly, but Kyle Busch ”might” announce that he is giving up NASCAR Racing to join the ballet.
Whatever happened, Stewart showed some class in relinquishing his first choice of a number. Yes, Morgan-McClure ran the #4 for many decades and won quite a few races with it. Yes, they have a sentimental attachment. However, they have no more claim on the number than do I. They have not raced this year, and unless a fairly large miracle occurs, they will likely never race again. NASCAR owns the numbers, and they gave the 4 to Stewart-Haas Racing.
Newman ended up with a cool number anyway. He won his first ever USAC midget race in a #39. But the “14 and the 39″ just doesn’t flow as well as the “14 and the 4.”
Stewart was very nice to give up the 4, but I hope his actions don’t set a precedent for other teams who think they are “owed” a certain number.
Stewart has grown up alot over the last few years, a few years ago he would have not have given in so fast.
Car numbers are leased by the teams on a first-come, first-served basis. Just because the MM team didn’t race doesn’t mean they don’t have the number already leased from NASCAR for the ‘09 season. I’m not saying that Stewart didn’t get it first, but maybe, just maybe, the MM team had the number and Stewart/Haas spoke to the media before checking the facts?