whats the reason behind your race number?

[paul lancaster]

Hi guys, its been a while since I have been on trs, I have been busy sorting out my latest racer, a ford laser xri, which I will be running in the 2k cup, here in the south island.(check out 2kcupsi on facebook).
It came time to sort the number out for it, and tried getting the number 69(quite a popular number as it happens, lol),as the formula ford I drive is that number, but, not avaliable.
so I tried getting the number 99, which is the number of the reynard ff2000 car(ff and ff2000 owned by dave morrison),but that one wasnt avaliable, so I said give me a number that has a 9 in it,(so at least all the cars in the stable have something in common.
I tried to get number 97, as this is the gizs number, no not avaliable.
tried the number 90, as this had been my first ever number back in the viva pre 65 days, but no go there either.
in the end, settled on number 98.
so that got me thinking, as commentator at levels raceway, I have got to no drivers over the years, and lots of them have carried the same number, through there respective careers.
so I ask you this, any special reason why you have your certain race number?

[Oldfart]

I try for 42 as it's the answer to life, the universe and everything.

[Steve Holmes]

Great thread Paul! Well personally, the only motor racing I have done is in Karts when I was a teenager, and from memory, I was assigned a number.

If I had a choice, I'd have had the same number as when I raced BMX, which was #38. I chose this number because its an amalgamation of the 30th day on the 8th month, ie, August 30th. Thats both my birthday, and the birthday of my hero, Bruce McLaren.

[Greg Mackie]

I like # 8, as it was my number on the Beetle at Bathurst, Easter, 1963.

[Kwaussie]

^^^8^^^
Thought that your 8 was a recognition of this V8 car! http://home.earthlink.net/~roygmisc1/newmanbug1/newmanbug1.html
cheers

[John McKechnie]

I always admired the saloon car drivers who every season ran their favourite number rather than putting 1 on when they won a championship. Or was it superstition, not changing a winning combination..........?
Steve- what BMX bike did you race ? (I raced a Hutch )

[Greg Mackie]

Late '70s, early '80s I raced a GT Cruiser, and son Tim raced a JMC...he still does !

[John McKechnie]

Greg- In 1983 I raced at the Oceanic Champs at Miami BMX track at Gold Coast- I came 3rd there on my Hutch Cruiser.
Were you there also?

[Greg Mackie]

No John. We mainly stayed around Sydney - Liverpool, Penrith, Menai, Nowra, etc. The 'Dads Races' were my level.

Did you ever ride against a friend of mine, Jim Podgorski, in the Cruisers ? He was good !

Sorry to drift off the thread, Paul.

[Steve Holmes]

I like # 8, as it was my number on the Beetle at Bathurst, Easter, 1963.

Epic photo Greg!

[GD66]

I always carried #66 as a tip of the hat to my older brother Clive, who had good results on Triumphs in NZ in the '60s and '70s.

[paul lancaster]

Thats a classic pic greg, being a v dub, the number 53(herbie) would have suited it pretty good.

[Steve Emson]

Interesting.............was given 59 for the B & H race and carried that over to win the GTX series in my Fiat 128. Was given number 88 as a random number for Shellsport. Won the 2 consecutive championships with that number. In Quuensland used 88 to win the Gemini championship. Reversed the number on the Falcon GTHO when i bought it to 34, and won 2 Queensland State championships with that number. Won heaps of races with 88 in HQ racing and also 89 in GTX also.

whats in a number? 59 is a 5, 88 is a 7, 34 is a 7, 89 is a 8

[John B]

Race number 550...

...because it was a 550 Spyder replica.

[John B]

Race number 555...

...because it was similar to my old '550' race number (see above).