Recently, veteran NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader stirred the pot on a Dirty Mo podcast with Kenny Wallace by suggesting that car numbers are no longer necessary on the sides of NASCAR vehicles. With scoring now digital and sponsors prominently displayed, Schrader argued that numbers have outlived their purpose. It’s highly possible that the remark was made for the sole purpose of being controversial and sparking engagement as Wallace argued for the sentimental value associated with numbers and Schrader countered by saying they were no longer necessary. If that was the intent, it worked—comments began instantly with some commenters agreeing with Schrader and others stating the necessity from the viewpoint of fans. Whether or not Schrader was serious, let’s assume for a moment that he was and dive into the reasons why numbers are still essential.
Branding That Transcends Sponsorship
Car numbers are more than identifiers—they’re brands unto themselves as well as emotional touchstones. For example, the #3 will forever evoke Dale Earnhardt Sr’s fearless legacy just as the #43 will always be tied to “The King,” Richard Petty. The #24 will always echo Jeff Gordon’s dominance, while the #9 now carries Chase Elliott’s quest to honor the legacy of his father, Bill Elliott. These numbers carry emotional weight, forging bonds between drivers and fans across generations. They also signal team lineage. The #48 at Hendrick Motorsports isn’t just Alex Bowman’s ride—it’s Jimmie Johnson’s seven championships. Teams build legacies around numbers, and fans associate them with organizational prowess. Sponsors may plaster their logos across a car, but those logos shift race to race. It’s the number that retains the identity.
Charters and the Business Backbone
From a business standpoint, numbers are inseparable from NASCAR’s charter system, introduced in 2016 to provide team owners with stability and guaranteed entry into Cup Series races. Each charter is tied to a specific number—think of it as a franchise tag. Teams lease these charters, which are valued at millions (recent estimates peg them as up to $20 million), and the number attached to that charter is a critical piece of its identity. Removing numbers from cars would muddy the clarity of ownership. NASCAR doesn’t just allocate numbers willy-nilly; they are a regulated asset.
Identification in a Sponsor-Driven Chaos
Back in Schrader’s era, sponsors like Budweiser or Kodiak stuck with teams/drivers for entire seasons, making cars instantly recognizable. Today, sponsorship deals are fragmented—drivers might run 10 different sponsors in a season. Without numbers, fans would struggle to identify their favorite driver week to week amid a kaleidoscope of paint schemes that often look so similar. Take, for example, the now defunct team of Stewart-Haas with three of their four drivers all running highly similar red and white paint schemes with Overstock as their sponsor. All three cars—that of Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece and Josh Berry appeared almost identical for the race at Gateway in 2024. There was a similar issue with SHR in 2020 when both Clint Bowyer’s #14 and Kevin Harvick’s #4 rolled out in very similar Busch beer and corn schemes in support of Farm Rescue. Commentators stumbled over themselves, admitting on air that only the roof numbers saved them from confusion. New fans, already navigating a steep learning curve with the sport, rely on these numbers to follow the action.
Commentators and Spotters: The Unsung Heroes
Broadcasters are not the only ones leaning on numbers. Spotters—perched high above the track—depend on them to guide drivers through the chaos of drafting and wrecks. In the past, spotters like Eddie D’Hondt and Freddie Kraft have openly discussed the challenge of distinguishing cars at superspeedways like Daytona, where similar schemes abound. In that vein, the Coca-Cola 600, which runs every Memorial Day Weekend, features a multitude of cars with patriotic red, white and blue schemes that can easily blur together, especially at a distance. In those instances, numbers as identifiers are the only saving grace.
Practicality Beyond Digital Scoring
Schrader’s point about digital scoring is fair—NASCAR’s timing systems don’t need numbers painted on doors. But racing isn’t about computers; it’s about the human experience. Numbers on car sides and roofs aren’t for the transponders—they’re for the fans in the stands, the broadcasters painting the picture, and the spotters keeping drivers competitive and safe. Even in the digital age, visibility matters. And when it comes to NASCAR fans, they like “tradition”. It’s the very reason so many purists were angry when the sport opted to move numbers further forward on the vehicles, making the cars appear more like they belonged in the Australian Supercars series. If fans were as upset as they were regarding moving the numbers, it’s hard to image the backlash that would ensue if they were removed altogether.
The Verdict
Kenny Schrader’s comment might’ve been a playful jab to spark debate, but it doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Numbers are NASCAR’s lifeblood—bridging fans to drivers, charters to teams, and history to the present. They’re not optional decor; they’re essential to the sport’s identity, safety, and commerce. At a time where sponsors shift like sand, numbers are the rock that fans, spotters, and teams cling to. Schrader raced in a simpler time, but in 2025, NASCAR without numbers would be like a track without grandstands—functional, maybe, but soulless.