The sudden death of one of NASCAR’s best drivers has left many fans asking whether NASCAR should retire iconic racing numbers after the death of a legendary driver.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR fans around the world are stunned by two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch dies suddenly. His death left fans wondering how the sport will remember such a legend.
Busch died Thursday after being hospitalized for a “serious illness,” according to a statement from NASCAR, the Busch family and Richard Childress Racing.
The sudden death of one of NASCAR’s most successful and polarizing drivers has many fans revisiting a question that has plagued the sport for decades: whether NASCAR should permanently retire iconic racing numbers after a legendary driver dies or retires.
NASCAR has not officially retired numbers
Unlike many baseball sports leagues, NASCAR has historically not officially retired vehicle numbers league-wide. NASCAR numbers generally relate to teams and owners rather than individual drivers or the league as a whole.
according to NASCAR Reference”, “Technically, no NASCAR numbers are officially retired. The site notes that even the famous No. 3 car associated with Dale Earnhardt Sr. was never officially retired following Earnhardt Sr.’s death at the 2001 Daytona 500. Instead, Richard Childress Racing voluntarily parked the number in the Cup Series from 2001 to 2013, then with Austin Dillon. Dillon).
2020, Forbes explained that NASCAR has historically resisted retiring numbers, in part because the pool of available numbers is relatively small. Cup Series teams are drawn from 0 to 99, with some double-zero changes, and officials generally want to preserve flexibility for future teams and sponsors.
Which number will be retired?
The discussion surrounding Bush has focused on two numbers:
- The No. 18 car that Busch drove for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008 to 2022
- Car No. 8, which he will drive for Richard Childress Racing starting in 2023
Busch won the Cup Series twice in 2015 and 2019 in the No. 18 Toyota.
Busch’s legacy in NASCAR
Regardless of what happens to the numbers themselves, Busch’s impact on NASCAR is certain.
Busch won 63 Cup Series races, ranking ninth on the all-time wins list, while recording a record number of wins in NASCAR’s top three national series.
It may not ultimately matter whether NASCAR officially retires a number, what matters is that Busch permanently changed the meaning behind the number he drove.
