In Nascar how or who decides what number each car is given?

Question

I've noticed that from 1 year to another some racers car # changes. Bobby LaBonte used to be 18 I think and now he's 43.

Answer 1

Teams lease the numbers from NASCAR. Labonte switched teams after 2005 from Joe Gibbs Racing (18) to Petty Enterprises. Many numbers not being raced are leased. Numbers and who controls them (to my knowledge): 00-MWR, 01-Ginn, 07-RCR, 1-DEI, 2-PR, 3-RCR, 4-MorganMcClure, 5-HMS, 6-RFR, 7-Robby Gordon, 8-DEI, 9-EMS, 10-EMS, 11-JGR, 12-PR, 13-Ginn, 14-Ginn, 15-DEI, 16-RFR, 17-RFR, 18-JGR, 19-EMS, 20-JGR, 21-WBros, 22-BDR, 23-BDR, 24-HMS, 25-HMS, 26-RFR, 27-Shelmerdine, 28-RYR, 29-RCR, 30-RCR but CGR has used it, 31-RCR, 32-PPI, 33-RCR, 34-Front Row, 36-BDR, 38-RYR, 39-CGR, 40-CGR, 41-CGR, 42-CGR, 43-PE, 44-PE on loan to MWR, 45-PE, 47-WBros, 48-HMS, 49-BAM, 55-MWR, 60-Simo, 66-HAAS, 70-HAAS, 72-CJM, 74-McGlynn, 78-Furniture Row, 80-JGR, 83-TRB, 84-TRB, 88-RYR, 96-HallofFame,98-EMS, 99-RFR

Answer 2

Nascar owns the numbers, teams lease the numbers on a yearly basis.

So someone like Richard Childress has to pay for the #3, or someone else can use the number(which would be unlikely), but it is the only way to keep it retired.

Answer 3

NASCAR leases the numbers to the teams. If a driver changes teams he will drive a different numbered car.

Answer 4

The teams are assigned #'s and as for Labonte he went to Petty Racing this year and they have #'s 41 42 43 44

Answer 5

the teams do not own the #'s as ur first answer says.
the #'s belong to nascar and the teams lease the #'s.
the #'s in order for the teams to keep them they must be run a certain number of times a year.
this is why childress keeps the #3,it is actually run on the side of the 29 just behind the driver on the window post

Answer 6

If you move to a different team, you can be a # the team owns. NASCAR doesn't give out #s

Answer 7

I think that the teams own the car numbers. I think