There is a commercial that has been around where Dale Earnhardt, Jr. jokingly tells the news media he’s changing his number. The camera flashes around to different fans getting tattoos, cutting topearies into their yard, and other fan related things to do with the #8, freaking out … then Junior says, “I’m just kidding.”
Well myth has turned to reality:
Gentlemen, start your tattoo guns.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will start completely anew in 2008 — new team, new sponsors and now, new car number.
Hendrick Motorsports and JR Motorsports officials confirmed Wednesday in separate e-mail statements to ESPN.com that they were unable to reach an agreement with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to bring the No. 8 to HMS with Earnhardt.
“We’ve been working hard to secure the No. 8 for Dale Jr.’s car number next season,” Hendrick GM Marshall Carlson said. “Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options.
I will keep my #8 note pad I paid $1 for and use it up like I do all fan fadish things, but that is all we have in the house.
ESPN Sports
I guess his step-mother really did want to stick it to him badly!
