We’ve had a permanent numbering system in AMA Supercross/Motocross for 20 years now. Wow, time flies, huh? The 1999 season was the last to use the old format, where the riders ran whatever number they earned each year via national points. Yes, kids, before the 2000 season, every rider would have a different number every year. That made the supercross opener both exciting and confusing all at once!
Starting in 2000, the riders that won AMA National Championships (that’s 125/250MX, 250/450MX or the premier-class AMA Supercross Championship) were eligible for a single digit number for the rest of their career. Side note: for that inaugural year, the rider with the most titles, Jeremy McGrath, had the first-ever permanent single-digit number choice. He went with #2.
For riders that have not earned a national championship, those that were in the top ten overall at the end of the year (based on combined supercross and motocross points) got to pick permanent career numbers, but they were not allowed to pick single digits.
They’ve tweaked this format slightly over the years. For example, now 250SX points count for national points, which is the DUMBEST rule in the sport, by the way. A regional championship where the talent is split in half counts the same as a national championship with everyone on the line? Do you know how much harder it is to get a seventh in a 450SX compared to in a 250SX? I digress.
Also, now 250SX champions get to pick a permanent two-digit number even if they weren’t in the top ten overall in points. Also, riders used to be able to keep their career number by scoring a single point each year, now they must earn 25 points to keep the number. Oh, and riders used to get to pick three-digit numbers for career numbers (you all know the legendary #800 of Mike Alessi). Now you must pick a two-digit number. There are probably a couple more tweaks I missed but these are the basics of the numbering system.
So, we’re 20 years in and the numbers having been rolled through several generations of riders. We thought (well, I thought of this and Weege blessed the idea) that we’d take a look at the numbers that have been held by multiple riders and take a look at who wore it best. We have a few exceptions in here for some notes. Also, we won’t break down numbers like 94 and 51, which have just been held by one rider each in 20 years (that’s Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia, duh).
Got it? Good, let’s dive in. For part one we will run the top 15, and then we’ll do the rest of the numbers next week.
#2: Jeremy McGrath, Ryan Villopoto, Cooper Webb
Steve Matthes: I mean, where do you start? Three all-timers have held the #2 and it’s a toss-up on who wore it best. I’m partial to MC, he’s the all-time supercross wins and title record holder, he made #2 cool and even though Webb’s records aren’t done yet and even though RV is the self-proclaimed “best retired rider ever,” I’ll go with Jeremy. He’s just cool, man.
Jason Weigandt: I’m gonna go with Villopoto here because he wore #2 more than MC. MC was #2 when he wasn’t #1, but he was #1 all the time! We basically have, um supercross in 1998 and 2002? A one-off national here and there? Then his part-time comebacks and such? As far as I’m concerned, McGrath’s career number is #1. Period. Villopoto clinched his first 450SX title as #2 (McGrath was #15 when he won his first premiere supercross title) and also wore #2 while winning the 2011 and 2013 450 National Motocross Championships. Webb’s done some a lot of winning wearing the #2, also, but I’ll put Villopoto ahead of him.
#3: Jeff Emig, Mike Brown, Eli Tomac
Matthes: Emig didn’t wear the #3 for long, his career was cut short by injury just when the career number thing was getting started. Mike Brown really fit the #3 because of his Southeastern roots. You’ve got the Dale Earnhardt Sr. tie-in and his font was pretty similar to that NASCAR legend. That’s all good for Brownie. But you have to go with ET3, right? He’s really made it his own for sure with some great rides and many, many wins.
Weege: Yup. Bummer for Brownie who wore #3 forever, on tons of different bike brands and classes and even into EnduroCross and off-road. Hey, I guarantee you Brownie has a bike with a #3 ready to go race somewhere this very weekend. Doesn’t matter when we post this story, either. He’s ready to go race on ANY weekend.
Yeah, it doesn’t matter. Eli Tomac is one of the baddest of the bad and he’s done lots of winning with #3, and probably more to come. Plus, he pretty much runs the ET3 butt patch on his pants in every race, so even when he’s #1 he’s still ET3. Sorry Brownie!
#4: Ricky Carmichael, Blake Baggett
Matthes: I mean, no offense to Baggett but yeah, Carmichael took #4 the first year of permanent numbers and won a lot of titles and races with it. Like, the most ever. He wore #1 one time for Honda, he wore his Motocross of Nations number one time but other than that, most of his wins and titles were with the #4. Baggett did win a couple of races with the digit and did it proud but this one is no contest. We were unable to get ahold of Blake to talk about this list.
Weege: Uh, yeah, doesn’t matter who else wears the number for now through eternity. Not only will they not eclipse Carmichael’s records, but they also would be forced to wear #1 as champion. That rule didn’t exist in RC’s day, so he got to be #4 all the time. Case closed. Yes, Baggett was unavailable for comment.
#5: Mike LaRocco, Ryan Dungey
Matthes: “Iron” Mike LaRocco looked good over the years on the Factory Connection Honda team running the #5 but he didn’t run it for that long to be really associated with it. Ryan Dungey grabbed it the first time he was able to after his 2009 250 Motocross Championship (leaving his other permanent #10 behind) and really grabbed it for himself.
Weege: I’m gonna swerve here and make the case for LaRocco. Dungey made the mistake of winning too many titles and having to wear #1 at his peak, like in 2016. Winning titles? Bad move, Dunge! I know Dungey is very, very partial to the #5 and even ran a small sticker with the digit on his bike even when he was running #1 plates. I still vote for The Rock! Somehow the dude was still racing in 2006.
#6: Steve Lamson, Jeremy Martin
Matthes: Like #5, #6 has only had two dudes rep it over the 20 years. Lammy ran it for many years before finally calling it a career in 2007 and then it’s been with J-Mart ever since the Minnesota native was first eligible for a double-digit number. Hard to say who wins this one to me, both guys are small bike specialists, J-Mart has more 250SX wins than Lammy, Lammy somehow never won a 450SX or MX race while we’re still waiting for Jerma to move up. Can we call this one a tie?
Weege: As a cool note here, Lammy was actually the Star Racing Yamaha team manager when Jeremy rose to prominence in 2014. That’s cool. This one is very tough to call, I guess I’ll give it to J-Mart by a nose, because his #6 has been up there winning races year after year, even a little longer (post title run) than Lamson.
#7: Greg Albertyn, James Stewart, Aaron Plessinger
Matthes: Uh yeah, Stew wins. Sorry not sorry. Although James just had a couple of prime years with the #7, a lot of his dominance also came with #259. But he named his gear company after the number for God’s sake! Sorry Albee, sorry AP, it’s Stew and all Stew.
Weege: I was a big Albee fan back in the day but it’s hard for anyone to compete with Stew when it comes to iconic looks. Plessinger’s best days are probably to come but being more memorable that Stew? That’s tough.
I still wish Stew had just stuck with #259 the whole time, though.
#8: Grant Langston
Matthes: I just have to say: why does it seem everyone is running from #8? When the system was first created, there weren’t enough eligible riders to take it. GL grabs it after his 2007 450MX title, has to retire early, and that’s it. No one has taken it since! Dylan Ferrandis just had a chance to take it and said, “Nah, I’ll stick with my two-digit #14 thanks anyways.” Now Jett Lawrence just did the same thing! Very odd for sure. Weege, what did #8 do to these guys?
Weege: I do not, at all, understand why Jett didn’t go with #8. Let me be the 1,000th person to suggest #8 as double donuts. The huge thing about winning an AMA National Championship is getting the single digit, and Ferrandis and Lawrence just decided not to take it.
I love GL anyway but didn’t need to win this by default.
#9: Ivan Tedesco, Adam Cianciarulo
Matthes: Let me just say that #9 is a cool number and in 2006 when Ivan Tedesco became the first guy to have it since RC in ’99, it looked good on a bike. AC took it after his 2019 250MX title (leaving his heavily-favored #92) and he’s been pretty good with it although injured a bunch as well. I see #9 black on white on a Kawi with Fox and I think RC still so what does that say about me? Close call but I’ll go with AC for the win here.
Weege: Steve, that’s ridiculous that you STILL associate this number with Carmichael who wore it for exactly one year! When Adam won the 2019 250 National Championship he asked a bunch of people during the post-race celebration if he should take #9. I suggested he just keep #92 and of course my suggestion was not taken. I just thought it would be rad to match up his minibike pics with 450 pics and still have the same number! Now looking at it, I realize #9 looks better. Single digits just look bigger and bolder. ARE YOU LISTENING JETT AND DYLAN?
All that said, I’ll still give Tedesco the nod as best #9 here at the moment. He stuck around for a long time and still looks good running the number as a test rider for Pro Circuit. Adam has only run it for two seasons. He has time to change this answer.
#10: Larry Ward, Ryan Dungey, Justin Brayton
Matthes: Big Bird was the highest scoring rider that didn’t have a major championship when this format was introduced so that was definitely something to hang your hat on. Dungey grabbed the #10 for a couple of years, then he went to the #5 right away. The next guy with the #10? I’ve never really heard of him. He hasn’t done much. I’ll go with Big Bird for the win here, wonder what Weege thinks?
Weege: JUUUUUUUSTIIIIIIIIIIN BRAYYYYYTONNNNNNNNN!!!!
#11: Ezra Lusk, Travis Preston, Kyle Chisholm
Matthes: Yogi Lusk was a bad dude, when he was on he could beat anyone and had a cool style also, very smooth yet aggressive. Preston beat James Stewart in a title hunt straight up and that’s pretty awesome. Kyle Chisholm is just the solid veteran who will always Chiz. People sometimes forget about how Kyle earned this #11. He got it from being a bad enough dude to get inside the top ten overall at the end of the year in combined points, indoors and out. Because Yogi won 450SX races, I’ll go with him as the best #11 but never forget Chiz will always Chiz.
Weege: I love Chiz Chizing as much as the next guy, it was literally my favorite moment of the entire 2021 Houston Supercross trio. That said, there’s no way I can’t go with Ezra Lusk as the best #11.
#12:Jimmy Button, David Vuillemin, Blake Baggett, Jake Weimer, Shane McElrath
Matthes: Button didn’t run the #12 for long before he got hurt and had to hang it up. DV picked up the mantle and was awesome for a few years with the digit. It’s funny but to me, Vuillemin is equally remembered for #12 and #934, his three-digit number from early on. Baggett ran 12 for a year or so before winning the 250MX title and jumping to the #4, Jake Weimer was a solid veteran with the #12 and on the podium a few times and McElrath, well his first year with the permanent number couldn’t have gone any worse so better things lay ahead for him. This one is no contest, it’s DV all the way. He beat RC and MC with the #12, bro!
Weege: Agreed. He’s still called DV12! Apologies to JW12, SM12, JB12 or any of the other #12s. Sheesh Damon Huffman looked good as #12 in 1995. Okay, I’ve lost my way here.
#13:Sebastien Tortelli, Heath Voss
Matthes: In the USA, this number is considered pretty unlucky so lots of people stay away from it. In fact, Tortelli said that because he’s French, the superstition thing didn’t matter to him, but then after a bunch of injuries and bad luck he requested #103! True story! Colt Nichols and Jessy Nelson didn’t like running this either but Heath Voss, yeah, he had NO issues with it. Knowing Heath, I’m sure he was DGAF about #13. For that attitude alone, I’ll go with Heath as repping it the best.
Weege: Very weird how this number really has been associated with bad luck, including Rick Johnson somehow earning the number in back-to-back years (1990 and 1991), and this was under the old format without career numbers. Literally, the AMA just counted the points and RJ ended up in the exact same rank of 13 two years in a row. I can’t think of a more symbolic way to show a legend going from unbeatable to struggling with an injury than earning #13 two years in a row. So yeah, RJ’s not even on this list because he pre-dates career numbers, but I don’t care. I’m an RJ guy and anytime you see a photo of him as #13 it makes you think what if.
#14: Kevin Windham, Cole Seely, Dylan Ferrandis
Matthes: Ferrandis has done this digit proud for sure in his time wearing it, Cole Seely always looked stylish with it and won a 450SX running the #14 but, yeah, I mean it’s got to be K-Dub, right? The original #14 when the rule was introduced, Windham was massively popular and won tons of races indoors and out. Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki, it didn’t matter. Windham ruled. Easy choice although Cole and Dylan are great people, also.
Weege: Yup. Respect to Seely and Ferrandis but K-Dub as the iconic #14 is hard to topple. Plus, Dylan could easily have taken a single digit. Have I mentioned this yet?
#15: Timmy Ferry, Dean Wilson
Matthes: Soooo, yeah, I was actually Ferry’s mechanic when he earned a top-ten overall in the 1999 season and as total privateers, that was quite an accomplishment. I remember talking about him picking a number and what he would take. He mentioned that when McGrath rode the Glen Helen National that year on a Yamaha with #15, it looked good. I told him that didn’t matter. This was MC, he would look great running #69! I was trying to get Timmy to take #17 because I used to run that and my favorite hockey player ever, Wendel Clark, ran it. I’ve always liked #17, looks good on a bike. Anyways, for some reason he wasn’t having it and he was the fifth guy to get a choice and just followed Windham with the #15. Dean Wilson grabbed the #15 years ago and has done “our” legacy proud with some good results and being a funny, cool guy. Still though, I’ll go with Ferry as the best #15. Shocking I know.
Weege: Wow, Timmy didn’t take #17 because it was the number of his mechanic’s favorite hockey player? Now THAT is shocking! Yeah, Dean is great, but I’ll go Timmy on this one.
