Why are car numbers so important in NASCAR? They not only signify a way of recognizing the driver behind the wheel but also carry the legacy of racers whose cars have adorned the number in the past. So you can imagine just how much of a buzz there was when Shane van Gisbergen was revealed to be the new No. 88 driver for the 2025 Cup Series season.

The double eight-car has been driven by a long and illustrious list of Hall of Famers in the past, such as Dale Jarrett, Darrell Waltrip, and the one and only Dale Earnhardt Jr., raising expectations from the Kiwi for his first full-time season at the highest level.

The decision to revive the No. 88 car wasn’t taken lightly, with both Junior and Hendrick Motorsports being consulted before the subsequent announcement was made. Earnhardt Jr. not only gave his blessing but shared a wholesome message on social media, prompting plenty of interesting reactions from fans.

A warm welcome for SVG to the No. 88 family

Junior started his career in his father’s team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., driving the No. 8 for almost a decade in the racing team. He then moved on to Hendrick Motorsports, where he spent the last decade of his career behind the wheel of the iconic No. 88 car. The number was used by Alex Bowman following Junior’s retirement and was used for three years before the driver switched to 48 in the 2021 season. It’s been four years since the double eight-car has seen any action, but with Shane van Gisbergen driving the third charter for Trackhouse Racing in the Cup Series, the number is finally set to make its long-awaited comeback.

The team, co-owned by Justin Marks and the rapper Pitbull, purchased the rights to the No. 88 before announcing that SVG would be competing full-time in the Cup Series. In response to the news, Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted, “I was lucky to run a few numbers with so much rich history. Excited to see @shanevg97 and @TeamTrackhouse add a new chapter to it. 88 will have a good home there.”

The No. 88 car has an illustrious history attached to it, with Dale Jarrett winning 26 races for Robert Yates Racing while the numbers adorned the roof and sides of his car. Junior also took the double eight-car to Victory Lane nine times, while Darrell Waltrip won 26 races with the number as well.

Speaking about the importance of numbers, Trackhouse Racing co-owner Justin Marks said, “One of the things that’s important for Trackhouse — numbers are important. They’re important as part of the branding of our sport. Numbers represent history, they represent legions of fans and historic drivers, and historic moments in the sport. We don’t take our number choices lightly.”

Marks went on to emphasize the importance of endorsement and said, “I had a great exchange with Jr., saying ‘Look, it’s not my number, I guess I added to the legacy of it. It’s important to me personally’ but he was proud to see it in good hands and that’s just something that’s super, super important to me and to this company.”

Shane van Gisbergen will hope for similar success when making his full-time Cup Series debut in 2025. The New Zealand native has followed an unconventional route to NASCAR’s highest level, having won his first Cup Series race in Chicago on his debut in 2023. SVG has previously raced in the Australian Supercars Championship, winning the series in 2021 and 2022 before transitioning to stock car racing.

The 35-year-old has already won three races in the Xfinity Series so far and is all set to make it to the playoffs at Kansas Speedway later this year. While he has quickly become a fan favorite in NASCAR circles, fans had mixed reactions about Van Gisbergen taking over the iconic number.

Fans react to Shane van Gisbergen taking over Dale Jr.’s number

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It didn’t take long for fans to take to social media and share their reactions to SVG taking over Dale Jr.’s iconic No. 88. Despite Trackhouse Racing taking permission from Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports for using the number, not every fan welcomed the news. Writing on X, a fan said, “I’m gonna be honest it feels very wrong to see that number being used by another team I wish they were not using it.”

Echoing a similar sentiment, one fan felt mixed emotions seeing a driver other than Dale Jr. racing in the double eight-car in the Cup Series. The fan wrote, “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the tiniest bit conflicted about this. 88 has been associated with you and JRM for the longest time.”

However, plenty of fans welcomed the news as well. A long-term Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan expressed his views that he can once again root for the No. 88 car by saying, “This has to be the biggest bombshell news in motorsports in the last decade. I love this. This gonna be great I got a new driver to root for as a Dale Jr. fan now.”

Another fan speculated that a collaboration between Junior and Trackhouse Racing could be on the cards, now that his car number is being used by SVG. The X user wrote, “Dale Jr. to merge with Trackhouse confirmed.”

Veteran NASCAR fans also took the news positively, with a Dale Jarrett and Junior fan giving his stamp of approval at Trackhouse Racing’s decision to revive the No. 88 car. The fan said, “As a Dale Jarrett and Jr fan, I approve. So cool!” A fan couldn’t hide his enthusiasm that Dale Jr’s iconic car would be back in the Cup Series after a five-year break. Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), the fan said, “88 BACK IN THE CUP SERIES LETS GO”

What are your thoughts about SVG taking over Dale Jr.’s iconic No. 88? Let us know in the comments!