Racing numbers

**Adam43** · 15 Jul 2002, 14:39 (Ref:334285)

A trivial question here for all you racers!

What number(s) do you and have you raced with?

I have always raced with number 43 despite racing in many different series. So far I haven't had a clash yet!

Do you lot keep the same number or do any of you race in a series where the championship positions have dictated a change?

KayBee · 15 Jul 2002, 15:15 (Ref:334301)

Hi Adam!

There was a huge discussion about which number Valentino Rossi would race with this year after winning the 500cc MotoGP last year.

He has always raced with no 46 but as champion is entitled to use no 1 - he still races with 46 and 1 has not been allocated this year.

KB

**Adam43** · 15 Jul 2002, 15:37 (Ref:334309)

That's interesting that he didn't want to lose his favoured number. It's very NASCAR-esque.

It is funny and it's not a superstitious thing, but you do get rather attached to your own number.

Talking of superstitions, does anyone race with number 13? It's not something that would bother me - my birthday is on the 13th so I don't really attach anything bad to it. In fact it's always amazed me that the 13th grid position is quite often labels 12A (or some such thing). Calleding it 12A doesn't mean you aren't 13th!

KayBee · 15 Jul 2002, 17:25 (Ref:334379)

Quote:

Originally posted by AdamAshmore

It is funny and it's not a superstitious thing, but you do get rather attached to your own number.

Talking of superstitions, does anyone race with number 13? It's not something that would bother me - my birthday is on the 13th so I don't really attach anything bad to it. In fact it's always amazed me that the 13th grid position is quite often labels 12A (or some such thing). Calleding it 12A doesn't mean you aren't 13th!

I know of another bike rider who changed classes during this season and was most annoyed that 13 had already been allocated in his new class and he has had to make do with 73 as, I think, the nearest in appearance to number 13.

Also some bike meetings use 12A rather than 13 when numbering the races.

**Peter Mallett** · 15 Jul 2002, 17:38 (Ref:334388)

I race with number 36. I once had to run with 18 and rolled the car into a ball at Cadwell so I try to get 36 as often as possible.

I'm not suoerstitious though (touch wood).

dogsbody · 15 Jul 2002, 17:57 (Ref:334404)

When I raced (badly I hasten to add) I had number 88.

As far as I know it's one of a few that is the same forwards, backwards, AND upside down.

Before you ask I did achieve all 3 profiles!

Dave Brand · 15 Jul 2002, 20:13 (Ref:334479)

Jamie Whitham has always raced with the number 69, because it's the same upside down as right way up......well, that's the public explanation......

Andrew Kitson · 15 Jul 2002, 21:01 (Ref:334508)

Quote:

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
Talking of superstitions, does anyone race with number 13?

Adam - British F3 driver Mark Taylor used no.13 on his Manor Motorsport car last year and his FF Zetec cars before that. Infact, his father Mike'Fulmar' Taylor always ran with 13 on his FF1600, FF2000 and Sports 2000 cars.
A bit further back, British F1 woman racer Divina Galica also ran with 13 on her FF2000, Sports 2000 and Surtees F1 car.

Slowcoach · 16 Jul 2002, 08:24 (Ref:334765)

I race with number 80 , I chose this number as 1980 was the year the car was built - not that many others would know that - but it has worked well as so far I haven't clashed with anybody else in any other races (famous last words....)- funnily enough I don't think I would especially want no. 80 if I had a different car, but I do think it suits this one. I'm not particularly superstitious but I wouldnt run 13 through choice, why tempt fate!

DAVID PATERSON · 16 Jul 2002, 08:43 (Ref:334776)

I've had 3 race cars and each had a different number. My first race car was a stock standard base model Valiant Charger and I chose number 38 in reverence of the legendary E38 R/T Charger.

My next race car was a Datsun 1600, i chose number 72 as it was a '72 model, also as it was a little car, I wanted a higher number. (Back when i was growing up, the touring cars had there racing numbers alotted in blocks by engine capacity class).

My current car is an XU-1 Torana and it is number 45. It is the first race car I have bought as a goer, not built myself and that was the number it already had, so I decided to keep it. I'm too cheap to buy new signs.

DAVID PATERSON · 16 Jul 2002, 08:45 (Ref:334777)

Larry Perkins says he chose number 11 because it takes up the least amount of space on the car and leaves him plenty of room for sponsor logoes. It also means that when he wins the championship, it is not a big job to change the sign.

roscoe · 16 Jul 2002, 08:45 (Ref:334779)

46. I first used it in 1984 and it came up a few times, then it was allocated to me in Minis in the U.K. by chance. Now I request it wherever possible but can,t always run it. I always use it for the lottery as well!

Dom · 16 Jul 2002, 20:27 (Ref:335296)

26 for me. It's what I was given when I joined the championship, happily it is also my age when I got my race license so mustn't grumble...

Simon Pullan · 16 Jul 2002, 22:29 (Ref:335390)

When I started in Cadet karting I used 33 as that was my house number split in two? Eight year olds are very strange! Two wins in four years.

When I moved into TKMs I chose number 75 because I was heavily into cricket and used a Gray Nicholls 750 cricket bat. Still not growing up then. One win in four years.

First car was a Locost. No. 2 as it was the second racing Locost built. Five wins from six races so I guess this was pretty good.

Next I had 46 a la Rossi on my Caterham Roadsport. A couple of wins and 3rd in championship so not too bad.

Last year I was forced to run 42 on my Caterham Superlight and won the championship so that can't have been a bad number either.

This year I'm running 55 on the GT car. It's the number Martin short has used since he joined GT racing and we are leading so I guess the moral is that numbers really don't affect me too much.

But if given the choice next year I'll have 46 back please.

roscoe · 19 Jul 2002, 21:21 (Ref:337730)

Hey 46 is my number! Anyway wont you have to move up to GT class to use it?

Warwick · 20 Jul 2002, 09:13 (Ref:337949)

My first choice of number when I stared racing (speedway) was #13 just because it's supposed to be unlucky,however it was already taken,so I ended up with #9.

When I switched to Karts,#9 was already taken so I used 83 which was the number on the Kart I bought and have used it ever since,I am entitled to use #2 but #83 is my number now, and instead of using the #1 plate here in Karts we can run our own number but with a yellow plate to designate the national champion,

On my bike I ran #24 same reason that was what it came with,however he decided to build and run another bike so out with the knife and I became #21.

Hobson · 21 Jul 2002, 11:07 (Ref:338686)

When my dad raced in CSCC Pre-'65 and '57 classes back in 1989/90, he had 63. The car he raced had 63 in the number plate too!

Simon Pullan · 22 Jul 2002, 11:37 (Ref:339519)

Quote:

Originally posted by roscoe
Hey 46 is my number! Anyway wont you have to move up to GT class to use it?

I'm not sure really. There has been a GTO Porsche running no. 47 this year so I suppose the cut off has been moved down to 40. I guess I'll have to look at the regs.

KayBee · 22 Jul 2002, 20:40 (Ref:340016)

Following on from what I said earlier, about some bike meetings using number 12a instead of 13, I marshalled at two meetings over the weekend. One of which had glorious weather and finished early (although the last round of races was reduced from eight to six laps) the other had intermittent showers which messed up the programme and caused a race to be cancelled as well as at least half the races to be reduced, again, by two laps. In the first case the laps were of a mile in length and in the second two and a half miles - guess which had race 13?

When one of my marshalling colleagues of many years' experience saw that a race had been numbered 13 he was not happy. This leads me to wonder do any competitors or officials have any qualms about having a race 13 or doesn't it bother them?

elephino · 23 Jul 2002, 10:48 (Ref:340493)

On the rare occassions I have done racing, I've always had 12.

Amaroo Park · 23 Jul 2002, 11:19 (Ref:340517)

I always tried for number 28 or 73. 73 cause it was the number on the Corolla driven by Bob Holden and Ranuo Aalltonen at Bathurst in 1991 at the Tooheys 1000. Holden and Aalltonen won Bathurst in 1966 in a Mini Cooper S

Lee Janotta · 23 Jul 2002, 14:16 (Ref:340720)

I'm partial to 81 and 87... Just because they're numbers no one else ever seems to want.

A number and helmet design are the only things a driver can really take with him wherever he races. Well, except F1, where they've become all facist with assigning numbers.

BennyBoy1978 · 23 Jul 2002, 15:11 (Ref:340746)

I have my best Luck with number 6 I've managed 3 Wins and they have all been in a number 6 Kart.

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