NASCAR Says Hendrick Can’t Buy The No 8 From DEI

NASCAR Says Hendrick Can’t Buy The No 8 From DEI
Posted on June 26th, 2007 at 7:41 am by Editor

Hendrick Motorsports will not be able to purchase the No. 8 from Dale Earnhardt Inc., nor is DEI allowed to sell it to Hendrick or any other team. “NASCAR owns the numbers and licenses them to teams on an annual basis.” If a team chooses to relinquish the number, the number returns to NASCAR and it will assign it to a team requesting it. Asked if a team could make a financial arrangement to encourage another team to give up the use of a number, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said NASCAR would discourage such deals.

This seems a bit strange on NASCAR’s part. Wasn’t there talk of Richard Childress Racing selling Dale Earnhardt’s No 3 to Dale Earnhardt, Inc after he passed away? Also, didn’t Dale Earnhardt buy the No 8 for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to drive? NASCAR seems a little suspect in making that statement.