22 replies to this topic

[TheStranger]

Saw some of the discussion in the F1 numbers thread:

http://forums.autosp...&threadid=56835

A couple of years ago, this topic was broached upon at Crapwagon/Champcarfanatics -

http://www.champcarf...ead.php?t=32578

I remember compiling a list of the ones used for many years in the sport, though of course there are probably other ones that I may not have thought of:

#3 - Paul Tracy's number for many years, though interestingly it was used on two different eras of Budweiser cars at Newman/Haas (1983-1984 and 1995)
#4 and #12 - Ganassi from about 1995 on
#5 and #15 - Walker
#6 - Newman/Haas (most notably Mario and Michael Andretti)
#8 - Jim Hall in his second run at CART (John Andretti, Teo Fabi, Gil De Ferran)
#9 - Carl Hogan (he used it from the late portion of his partnership with Rahal, then with Penske, then solo)
#14 - AJ Foyt (his teams often had variants of the number 4 in their car #s, i.e. #84/#48)
#16 - Tony Bettenhausen Jr. (usually in his run as owner, though he drove that number himself for a few years)
#18 (and at one point #99) - Kraco
#19 and #34 - Dale Coyne (the latter came about during the years Walter Payton co-owned the team, as Payton's # as a football player for the Chicago Bears was 34)
#20 and other multiples of 10/20 - Patrick Racing (originally derived from the old Granatelli/STP numbering system)
#22 - Dick Simon, but most notably used by Scott Brayton in his tenure there
#25 - Danny Ongais/Ted Field (Interscope) - Big Al used that # for Penske in the 1987 Indy 500 because he was subbing for Ongais
#26/27 - Team Green, though I always wondered if Jacques Villeneuve's usage of #27 was a tribute to his father
#30 - Doug Shierson/Domino's Pizza - as discussed in the F1 numbering thread, 30 came about due to the old Domino's promotion "30 Minutes or Less"
#33 and other repeating digit #s (#44, #66, #77, #99) - Forsythe (starting with Danny Sullivan in 1982) until Greg Moore's death
#36, #48 (until the mid-80s), #98 - Dan Gurney (note that #98 was used by Curb Racing, with permission from the Agajanians, after they took over the assets of AAR's CART effort and possibly Forsythe's in the mid-80s; I think Gurney returned to #36 and #98 in his second CART stint having used both in IMSA?)
#37 - Scott Brayton for a few years
#56 - GOHR (inherited from the earlier Mallard effort by Jim Hurtubise I think)
#71, #81, #91 - Hemelgarn
#76 - Canadian Tire

[B Squared]

#66 & also #6 Mark Donohue/ Team Penske in most of their days together, not just IndyCar.

#37 was Scott Brayton's number of choice while running a Brayton Racing effort.

#56 was run by Jim Hurtibise in his rookie year of 1960, & used it throughout his career , if possible. Certainly not just the Mallard days.

I'll think about it some more.

Brian

[TheStranger]

Originally posted by B Squared
#66 & also #6 Mark Donohue/ Team Penske in most of their days together, not just IndyCar.

#37 was Scott Brayton's number of choice while running a Brayton Racing effort.

#56 was run by Jim Hurtibise in his rookie year of 1960, & used it throughout his career , if possible. Certainly not just the Mallard days.

I'll think about it some more.

Brian

Re: #56 - the connection to GOHR I think comes from when Genesee Beer sponsored him for a couple of years; GOHR is the biggest brewery for Genesee and their CART efforts (as well as some sprint car efforts if I'm not mistaken) were called the "Genesee Beer Wagons."

[malvi]

#18 is lucky number in jewish tradition - Kraines was a jew.
Mike Curb used #98 in memory of his long time friend JC Agajanian who passed away in 1984.

[fines]

#99 Harry Hooker in the twenties, Bill Drake in the thirties, Murrell Belanger in the fifties

[fines]

#15 Johnny Gerber
#5 Gus Schrader
#7 Emory Collins

[fines]

#27 Frank Lockhart

[fines]

#16 Johnny Ulesky/Johnnie Matera (same car)
#28 Harvey Kreiser

[fines]

#36 Eddie Sejnost
#24 John Bagley
#32 Nordyke & Marmon
#8 Stutz/Earl Cooper
#4 Eddie Pullen
#21/22 Mercer

[fines]

#52 Jack Stevens in the thirties, John Zink in the fifties & sixties

[fines]

#73/83 Lee Elkins

[fines]

#78 Lindsey Hopkins
#36/48 AAR

[fines]

#X-3 Lawhon Bros.
#K-4 Leo Krasek
#K-1 Leonard Kerbs
#C-1/2/3... Skinny Clemons
#300 Joe Kinsey
#100 Bill Howe
#0 Rick Ferkel
#83 Rufus Gray
#4 Ira Vail
#9 Mark Light
#7 Tony Willman
#9/10/11/12 Duesenberg
#75 Gary Stanton
#20 Bob Trostle
#17 Dick Tobias
#4-X Bill Smith/Speedway Motors
#21 HOW
#23 Jim McElreath
#25 Truman Myklebust/Bill Cheesman (same car)
#29 Ralph Malamud
#29 Louis Seymour
#33 Barney Kleopfer
#33 Ray Erickson
#33 Joe Barzda
#34 Lawrence Jewell
#43 Lyle Christie
#35 Ollie Knepper
#55 Sonny Knepper
#34/39 Ralph Morgan
#39/93 Jimmie Wilburn
#45 Leitenberger Bros.
#39 Joe Shaheen
#43 Sherman Armstrong
#44/88 Pete Schmidt
#81 Pete Salemi
#48 Sumar
#49 Ray Crawford
#51 Harlan Fike
#56 Herk
#56 Dick Hammond
#59 Andy Granatelli
#63 Leo Dobry
#62/63 Frank Wagner
#68 Pete Wales
#69 Bayliss Levrett/Verlin Brown (same car)
#404/505 Franklin Merkler
#70/71 Dizz Wilson
#84 Carl Gehlhausen
#88 Joe Mattera
#89 Dunn Engineering
#91 Jimmy Oskie/J-Ram
#93 Iddings Bros.
#95 Bernie Cedoz
#97/98 Aggie

[fines]

Wasn't #37 already Lee Brayton's number?

#24 Kenny Brenn

[fines]

#95 Larry Cannon

[Rob G]

55 - Josele Garza both before and after his arrival at the Machinists Union team. Machinists kept it after he retired.
77 - Walther / Walmotor
34 - Wysard

[Buildy]

Jerry Karl used numbers 38 and 39 in Indy cars and also earlier in his Midget racing and TQ racing.

[B Squared]

"Wasn't #37 already Lee Brayton's number?"

Michael, It appears Lee's personal number of choice, at least at Indy, was #61. Although his final attempt in 1974, is shown as #28 in the Jack C. Fox - "Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 book". I'll give Scott's, & my friend, "Mackie" a call today & see what, if anything, he may know on what these numbers may have represented. If no information there I can call Mr. Brayton if needed, although there's a good chance he & Mrs. Brayton have already escaped to Florida for the winter!

Brian

[fines]

Ahh yes, you're right - #61 t'was.

[B Squared]

Ahh yes, you're right - #61 t'was.

Mark the time & date - the stars must be aligned just right! Michael, a rare honor indeed to not be on the receiving end! Seriously, I am continually amazed by the wealth of knowledge that you (along with so many others) brings to TNF in general. Thanks for keeping us honest!

Brian

[ZOOOM]

48 was considdered Gurney's American number for years. Too bad it's not out there still!
ZOOOM

[fines]

'Knowledge', my dear Brian, is to know where to look things up!;)

You can tell by that long post that I was going through a database of mine, it just wasn't the right one concerning Lee Brayton!

Also, I was too lazy to pick out the Champ Car numbers from the other Big Car and Sprint Car data...

[ensign14]

Some of the spear-carriers:

26, then 86 - Al LoQuasto
58 - Eldon Rasmussen
29 - Cliff Hucul
19/39 - Dale Coyne