When it comes to what makes a car iconic in NASCAR, the answer is pretty simple: it’s all about the driver behind the wheel and, of course, the number on the side. And when we talk about iconic numbers, #11 is at the top of the list. Currently driven by Denny Hamlin, this number has a history of being piloted by NASCAR legends like Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, and Darrell Waltrip, to name just a few. Plus, it’s the luckiest number in NASCAR history, with 234 victories under its belt.

But while the number itself is legendary, where it sits on the car is just as important. And recently, that number has moved around a bit. However, after plenty of back-and-forth, NASCAR, the teams, and their partners finally landed on the perfect spot for the number. In a recent video, Joe Gibbs Racing President Dave Alpern opened up about how that decision came about.

Why did the car number move forward?

The number started moving in the 2020 All-Star race at Bristol Motor Speedway when it found itself on the back half of the side panel. The number also sported an underglow for the exhibition event. Chase Elliott won the race. More interestingly, if you see his #9 car you’d find the number at the back portion. Here, take a look:

But that did not work! In JGR’s Instagram video, Alpern said, “NASCAR worked with the teams to move the numbers either backward or forward, quite a bit was down over social media to get fans’ input. Admittedly, a lot of fans wanted to keep the numbers in the same spot. We did a one-race experiment for the all-star race where we moved the number back. That didn’t go over as well with partners.” So the number reverted to the original spot.

However, when the Next Gen car came into play in 2022, the number was pushed forward. Why? The new design, with its smaller quarter panel, created a situation where the teams didn’t have as much space for primary sponsor logos. “In 2022, when the next-gen car came out, the new car configuration had quite a bit less space on the quarter panel for primary sponsors…Ultimately we decided to move them forward. Which allows teams to use the door space for the primary sponsors. Much of which was lost in the quarter panel area with the configuration of the new car,” Alpern added.

The new design made its debut during the 2022 Daytona season opener. Back then, Richard Childress Racing President Torrey Galida lauding the design had said, “All three manufacturers did a great job with the styling of the new race cars. We all know how important the number is to a fan’s connection with their driver. Moving the numbers forward should make them more visible, and will also provide the race teams an opportunity to give sponsors some enhanced branding opportunities. The teams and sponsors are going to have fun creating some bold new designs on the new car.”

Well, since then, the number has stayed put with sponsors taking center stage! Oh, you might wonder what happened to the contingency sponsors that earlier occupied that space.

Where did NASCAR’s contingency sponsors move on to?

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If you remember the old-school cars before the Next Gen model, you’ll recall that the space that the number occupies now was once reserved for contingency sponsors. These are companies that provide specific parts or support to NASCAR teams in exchange for placing their logos on the cars. You’d see logos from companies like Monster or 3M on the front panels of cars like Kyle Busch’s 2019 rides.

With the Next Gen car, those contingency sponsor logos were moved back, so the primary sponsors could take center stage. In another video, Alpern explained the reasoning behind it: “So the teams decided to pull that space back to provide more value to our primary sponsors. It cleans up the look of the car and provides more for the sponsors, who are paying for the majority of the car to do with what they want.”

It’s only fair—those primary sponsors are forking out big bucks to get their logos on the cars and to put them on the racetracks. Just think of how easy it is to spot Denny Hamlin’s car when FedEx is splashed across the side. The logo stands out so much that you don’t even need to see the number to know it’s Hamlin’s ride. Well, not they have left, but that’s another story!

So, what’s your take on the number position and the way the teams are focusing on primary sponsors? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!