Welcome to the Shift Number Cruncher. We are entering into our third season of the Shift Number Cruncher and we hope you guys have enjoyed reading it as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. I wanted to use this week to go back over some of the biggest numbers we crunched in 2007. I suppose one of the coolest things about this column is that it has no set template; we’ve pulled numbers at random some weeks, given praise to numbers that were hot at the current time, or just simply granted reader feedback requests. So, thanks for all of your contributions and keep’em coming, and thanks for reading the Shift Number Cruncher. Here are my favorite numbers we crunched in 2007 and why:
This has always been one of my favorite numbers and it was so big in 2007 that we crunched it twice. From Bradshaw to Bayle to LaRocco to Langston, this number is huge. And with Grant pulling out the stops in what was one of the most exciting AMA Toyota Motocross Championships in history, his #8 sits at the top of my list for 2007!
This was another one that was a blast to put together. That #525 Buckwheat shot was awesome, then the Everts #215 at ‘Dilla was another diamond-in-the-rough. Having the Racer X Archives to dig through is like going through the National Motocross Treasury!
2007 was an amazing year, and like every year, it had its downfalls. Seeing Doug Henry get injured again was one of the major low points for me. This was dedicated to one of the toughest and most determined racers of all-time who will always make us ask ourselves “What’s stopping you?”
I remember crunching this number well. It just seemed to be everywhere for a while! But mostly, I liked running it in honor of Ben Townley and his 2007 East Coast SX Lites title. I was in St. Louis for his first win and got to celebrate with his team and his family. Ben and his crew are really good people….
…plus, Fubar made the cut.
This is another one that was fun to take a couple minutes and think about all of the numbers that riders used in their rookie seasons. Years from now, it will be difficult to remember that Dungey was once #142, Canard was #140, and Izzi was #341. Heck, Austin Stroupe made the cover of Dirt Rider running the #981!
This was a special one for several reasons. For starters it was dedicated to a rider we lost in 2007 named Rick Stepanovic. It also gave me the chance to dive into the year, 1955, which was one of the most pivotal and tragic in the history of motorsports. Clink on the link and remember why
That’s a year in motocross numbers, folks. Once again, I want to thank everyone for contributing to the column and I promise that it will be cooler and more insightful than ever in 2008. In closing, I want to remind all of you how important motocross numbers are: They are our code of arms and symbols of the best times in our lives that we spent on two wheels. Happy New Year, everyone.
See you next year.
