Official 2012 National Numbers
Tuesday, October 4, 2011 | 2:55 PM
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Here are the 2012 National Numbers released by the AMA. Click image to download PDF.
Click image to download PDF.
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crazy that tomac will be running 17
This is just stupid
WHAT? How on earth did Pourcel keep his Permanent Number? He only scored 24 points, you needed 25 to keep it. The only exception for this rule is if you were injured, which he wasn't, he CHOSE not to race Supercross and CHOSE to quite Motocross mid-season.
Why the heck isn't Blake Wharton and Hunter Hewitt listed?
Congrates though to Tye Hames and Sean Hackley for earning a national number. Its a shame that guys like Fabien Izoird and Fredrik Noren get excluded, though. (And yes I know they don't get a number because they aren't AMA riders)
@SarahBaysore - They don't count points for Supercross Lites, and Hunter Hewitt and Blake Wharton missed the entire outdoor season due to injury.
what coast will roczen race on??
Seriously jairtime? Its hard enough learning the non-permanent numbers as it is. Usually I don't get them down until the seasons almost over. I think they should go to ALL permanent numbers, sticking to the old way of doing things will only turn away more casual fans who don't want to spend half the race looking though their program trying to figure out who that guy in 4th is.
@smee113 then how is roczen running 70?
@nv802- Because Roczen raced two races in the Supercross class
Jairtime needs to think a bit harder. I understand your reasoning, but your system wouldn't be good at all. You're focusing on action figures, which is nothing if not uninformed and short sighted. Higher numbers makes riders look like chumps? Being a back marker and getting lapped makes riders look like chumps. Canard makes the #41 look pretty good on top of the box.
Rider recognition is hugely important to the success of the sport. Look at NASCAR or any of the major sports leagues. When you see a white #3 or #23 Chicago Bulls jersey, you know in an instant who it represents. Even outside of merchandising (much more than action figures and a HUGE revenue source), these numbers are important for branding. Branding and number recognition are what it takes to take this sport from having an enthusiasts-only fan base to one much larger and more diverse. The money that will come with this will improve the quality of racing (more parity) improve TV coverage (more cameras and larger networks) and help keep tracks open and the industry afloat.
nv802 - Roczen rode a few (maybe just daytona) Supercross class races on a 350.
Exactly Jairtime. Couldn't agree more. If having that low number means nothing than do away with the #1 plate. NASCAR doesn't run a #1 plate( or decal in that instance). Doing away with the #1 plate would be just plain stupid and so is not letting the riders run the numbers they have earned. If you watch and love the sport than you will have no problem knowing where "your rider" is. It would make just as much sense for the toy companies. The collectors would have to have that 2012 Barcia figure with his new number. They live for that kinda stuff. Larocco is my favorite rider and I had no issues with knowing who or where he was on the track whether he was wearing 5, 7, 1 or whatever. I knew where he finished the year before and I knew what to look for. If he wears #2 than the casual fan would know he was the second fastest guy the year before and he was one to watch. It's part of following the sport. Motocross is trying to hard to be like NASCAR. It works for them because you can have a guy in the same car for years and years. WIth the average rider only lasting 6,7,8 years or so it's kinda hard to do this career # thing. The riders switch brands of bikes every couple years anyway so what's the difference to the toy makers? They have to retool anyway. Besides, it just makes it look ridiculous when you have a great rider like Dowd out there struggling to keep "his number". True fans are the core of our sport. They are the ones coughing up the majority of the $. The casual fans are just that......casual. They will come and go and do you really think they are gonna give a rat's ass about #2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 or buy their merchandise a year after they have lost interest? By the way, props to Dungey for showing respect to Larocco and running #5 for his permanent # out of respect for Larocco since he had to pick one.
They used to run a rank system back in the 80's and 90's but smeone thought this would help bring the sport to a more mainstream level.... and it has... to a point.
But this new system is fine by me..... but then agian... my Vagyna dont hurt 6 days a week like jairtime's ;)
anyone notice that #13 was not assigned? Guess the AMA is superstitious...
cristian craig earned #43, his dad mike craig ran the same number back in 1990......pretty cool
No one took #4?? Hmmmmmmmm
.Why did Baggett get to take a career #?? I though you need to win a title but a LOT of the guys with career #'s the last few year never won a title. Hmmmm
ah, I don't really care either way anymore really. I liked the old system and I see the advantages of the new one. It's been good for alot of riders to market their number the way they have. Travis, Reed, RC have taken their number a long way.
You have to be a champion to get a single-digit number. The other ones are top 10(??) for the a season to earn it the first time, then not sure how you keep it.
@Jonesymx29 - Eli Tomac was given the chance to run #13 next year, but opted for the next available number, which was 17. Therefor 13 will go unused in 2012.
D. Wilson could have selected 6 or 8 but opted to make 15 his perm# . Anyone know why he chose to stick with 15?
@ramey223 - Wilson elected to go with 15 because... well, the number just grew on him! After all, he did win a championship with that number. He said this at the Steel City press conference.
Smee113, they still have to have a number for next year!
Hey JairKlan , We got your number , 666 ,but I am sure you dont ride , much less race , so stick it somewhere else
@SarahBaysore: This list is only for the top 100. You can likely see the remaining numbers at the AMA site.
I was Mike Alessi would change that dam number 800!
Ok. But it sucks, cause they were hurt. It wasn't like they rode bad!
Barcia look great with the #17, incomprehensible :(
Hey, anyone have a clue why #'s 6 & 8 were not taken? Thanks!
As an American, I always root for a US riders, but does anyone else remember a guy running #70 in the small-bore class his first full year on the Nationals? Uh-oh.
Ok, this is how it works. They used to assign every number according to ranking, but now they only rank up to 99. 100-999 are given on a first come, first serve basis. In order to earn a permanent number you have to finish in the top 10 in ranking for the year, and in order to earn a single digit number you have to win a championship. All the rider is required to do to maintain that number is score 25 points the next year. Of course they make exceptions with long term injuries (as in the case of Josh Hill). Apparently this rule does not apply to Christophe Pourcel, though.
@SarahBaysore - I can't say for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that Wharton and Hewitt will go back to their old amateur numbers. So Hewitt will probably run 126 and Wharton will probably run 721.
@Ryan D- oh yes sir....lil RC flying around that track showing the Boys how to go faster ....#70
I used to look forward to the guys running their new numbers...new gear...and sometimes new bike....the career numbers are cool too...but the real fans will know who's who....the other folks probably don't care...they will just ask you during the race anyway....like when they say "Where is Ricky Carmichael"....and you to say "he retired 3 years ago"....or my favorite is when people ask where a certain rider is when his class isn't even on the track.....
"....like when they say "Where is Ricky Carmichael"....and you say "he retired 3 years ago".... LMAO been there!!! Some of the stuff ya hear at the races from people who have no clue!!!
Why isn't Fredrik Noren on this list? He should be between Travis Sewell and Colton Faciotti.
I dont get this either. thaught 17 fit bam bam good. also thaught davalos would love to stick w/ the jordan( #23). it is hard to figure it out every season. I like how trey took 41, pourcel took 377 and permafied em. I'm gonnna be chearing on tevin tapia and not realizing that its K'rocky. I know if feld or ama hired me i could do way better. we need more permanant numbers, even if they're outside top 15.
Haha Mike Brown and John Dowd get to keep their numbers one more yr. Not exactly what the biaches at AMA were thinking when they increased the # of points required to keep. These old guys are still hauling.
the 8 looks fine and has a great past, Carlqvist 1983, Bradhaw 1990, Bayle 1991, and Langston, the 6 has Bailey 1986, Lamson, and probably many more, the RC number is maybe for Roczen (or Adam Ciancarulo) in the future, the #3 (of Mike Brown) for Canard, the #8 for Wilson and the #45 for Baggett? the #17 is great on Barcia, and the #13 for Pourcel or J-Law?