As veteran driver Oriol Servia takes to the track this season with PKV Racing, we can’t help but notice that he carries with him not only the new Gulfstream/Bell Micro color livery of red and white, but also a new number. However, Servia does not sport the #12, still under the ownership of Team Owner Jimmy Vasser, or even the #21 last driven by Cristiano da Matta, but rather will carry the #6 typically run by Newman/Haas Racing.
Numbers are a matter of possession when it comes to racing. For instance, when throwing out the numbers 3 or 7, one would automatically equate them with a driver from Forsythe Racing. Likewise, the numbers 2 and 6 have most recently been acquired by Newman/Haas, along with the #1 carried by the series champ. Teams that start anew must chose numbers for their sidepods that have not yet been claimed by current competitors, though once a team leaves the series or a “seat” remains vacant, the number is usually up for grabs.
So one can only speculate that Newman/Haas’s loaning out of its #6 to its former driver might be an indication of things to come. Despite not being able to sign Servia for the ’06 season, perhaps NHR is extending their bridle another way. Only time will tell.
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Posted by Shelly Paul, Servia Squad Feature Writer