So all that good will that RYR was garnering over offering the 38 to Junior?
Throw it out the window.
Seems maybe someone jumped the gun a little (or communication between Robert and Doug sucks donkey balls) when reporting that the 38 had been offered up. ESPN (via Jayski) has a quote from Doug Yates:
"Dale Jr., since he can't have what he
wants, he might want the 38," said Yates, president
Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. "They're asking for the 38, and the
38 and 88 are our numbers. It's almost a little strange. It's like
somebody asking if they can take your girlfriend or your wife out. We
feel we're going to have the 38 and 88 [next year]."
Now, maybe it's just me, but this came out today. Bob Dillner reported the news about the 38 being offered up on Sunday. The internet and various news sources (all of them venerable and established) have been reporting this story all week long. Hendrick representatives commented on it earlier in the week. NASCAR officials said that they had not been contacted about a swap. There are three parties in this (despite what Doug says, it's RYR, Hendrick and NASCAR - not Junior - who would be the involved parties). Why would the party that has the most stake in it take all week to comment on a hot news item?
I'll admit, this one has me befuddled. Yes, sometimes the news just gets reported wrong. But another quote in the same article has Doug saying that the numbers are his dad's territory. And Doug chose Friday (or late Thursday, depending on when the reporter spoke to him) to say anything about the whole situation. And quite frankly, he's talking about it like he never watches the news and never had a clue what was going on. Let's face it. That's a bunch of ####. Or his PR department sucks at relaying important information.
Or Robert is keeping him out of the loop on really important business information.
Interestingly, Hendrick has, over the course of a couple of weeks (July 25th - Aug. 9th) applied for the trademark/patent for five numbers (#38, #51, #58, #81, #82). This isn't petitioning NASCAR - it's protecting their rights as an owner should someone try to patent a number and font and claim infringement because Junior used something similar, even though the person using said number had nothing to do with racing. (Given Junior's stature, a highly possible situation.)
The #38 was petitioned on Aug. 9th. That was before Dillner's report, so it's possible that Hendrick contacted Yates before the news went public and Dillner was misled as to who initiated contact with regards to the number. I'd even dare say probable, given Doug Yates' response to all the talk. But it still begs the question...why, when it's your number, wait so long to say anything?
(And on an only slightly related note, looking at that list of numbers, I have a certain fondness for the idea of the 58. It keeps the identity of the two car numbers together.)
Dale Jr. could have 666 numbers on his car and it would not make any difference. A number is a number. It does not make the driver. The driver makes the number. Changing teams dictates new numbers.
I've always been surprised at how much stock is placed in numbers and sponsors in NASCAR. Although that happens a bit in my favored form of racing (... IndyCar) and MUCH less so in my next favored form of racing (F1), NASCAR takes the cake.
When the Cup cars first came to Indy, it was a bit of culture shock. We'd be referring to drivers, and maybe teams, ... and the long-term fans would be talking about "the 10" or "the Tide car".
A caller on Sir Sat Radio said today that Jr., should drive the 51%. Now that is good. A 51 with the % sign so it would remind fans and his stepmom what he had asked for in the co. At the end of next year all would see who the true winner really is. It made me laugh. I agree with Dave, it doesn't matter the sponsor or the number, it is the driver in the end that you remember.
where is cal and tennesse ranked?, should i put them on the trifecta this week?
but seriously maveness i thought of this when you made your initial post on this subject but never said anything (partly because i can't remember the exact details). it was either earlier this year or late last year when your "source", bob dillner phoned in to dave dispain's windtunnel program with some hot breaking news about the winner of a race had just been completed. he gave a lot of detail, but it turned out that he was completely out of the loop. now granted there could have been a big cover up to "hang dillner" but i lean more to the side that bob looks hard for stories and is more than willing to fill in the large gaps with mis-information.
Last edited by williamwilman on August 31st at 6:58 PM.
Maveness - I think Robert forgot that he has to check with a few other members of the group i.e Newman Haas and Lanigan. I don't see any of them talking about this issue yet either.
But it wouldn't surprise me that it was a trial balloon to see what fans, sponsors and Nascar officials thought either.
Geek girls love NASCAR too! If you don't believe me, spend a Sunday afternoon at my house (or a Saturday night). I have great love for the cars, the speed, the engines, the stories, the drivers, the crew chiefs, the crews, the owners, the business that is NASCAR.
