By Larry Higgs NJ Advance Media

Originally published Nov. 1.

How many N.J. drivers are fan enough to pony up a one time $60 fee for a license plate that screams their sports allegiance to the world, or at least to passing traffic? Last year, 6,049 people did, by buying or renewing one of the state's sports license plates.

Of the 107 different types of specialized license plates sold in New Jersey, plates with the logos of professional sports teams and NASCAR drivers have been offered for sale since 2010.

Some sports license plates are rare as a Knicks championship parade - the vehicle owners who have them number in the single digits. And some plates were discontinued and are almost as extinct as dinosaurs.

Which ones are the champions and which are chumps?

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(Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger)

Speciality plates.

In the world of speciality license plates that honor organizations and causes, sports license plates counted for a fraction of the total sales.

Drivers bought or renewed 168,670 non-sports specialty plates in 2017, according to MVC documents.

Out of those numbers, 6,049 were sports license plates. Drivers who bought or renewed those plates put $188,177 in the Motor Vehicle commission’s treasury, according to records obtained through an Open Public Records Act request.

To put that in perspective, the MVC collected $1.2 billion in revenues last year.

Vehicle owners pay a one time additional fee for sports license plates that are licensed from sanctioning organizations such as the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, National Basketball Association and NASCAR.

Here are the winners and losers.

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25. NASCAR Kasey Kahne: 1

You read that correctly, only one person renewed the license plate bearing the number of Kasey Kahne's #95 Chevrolet in 2017.

If you have this plate, you are the unicorn of the highway. Spotting this plate is like finding Bigfoot waiting on the drive-thru line.

Kahne announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2018 NASCAR season. His license plate has already been retired by the MVC.

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24. NBA NJ Nets: 3 (tie)

You remember the New Jersey Nets?

This is another license plate that is so rare, even license plate collectors don't have a photo of it.

The Nets abandoned New Jersey for Brooklyn in 2012 and Garden State fans seemed to have returned the favor.

Only three fans renewed their Nets license plates last year. Hey, nothing personal! The MVC said good riddens to the team that turned its back on the state, discontinuing the plate after they moved.

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24. NASCAR Ryan Newman: 3 (tie)

Newman was Rookie of the year in 2002 and has had 18 career wins since.

But his license plate sales record are in the back of the pack at three renewals in 2017. His license plate has been discontinued

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24. NASCAR Mark Martin: 3 (tie)

Mark Martin is retired and so is his license plate.

His winning ways with a career high of 49 NASCAR wins did not translate to the highway. His license plate was one was one of the original NASCAR license plates introduced by the MVC in 2010.

Last year, only three fans renewed their plates.

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21. NASCAR Danica Patrick: 6

Patrick was voted most popular NASCAR driver in 2012, after making the switch from Indy car racing in the 2011 season. She retired from NASCAR this year.

Her license plate is still sold by the MVC, but only six fans bought or renewed it in 2017.

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20. NASCAR Kevin Harvick: 8

Harvick is a two-time NASCAR champion with 47 wins during his career. The driver of the #4 Ford Fusion didn't the same success at the MVC with eight license plates sold or renewed in 2017.

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19. NASCAR Martin Truex Jr.: 25

New Jersey's hometown NASCAR driver has 19 series wins to his credit.

His brother and NASCAR driver Ryan Truex helped the MVC introduce the NASCAR license plate at Wall Stadium in 2010.

The Truex license plate was renewed or bought by 25 fans last year.

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18. NASCAR Tony Stewart: 39

Stewart was another driver who switched from open wheel Indy 500 race cars to NASCAR and continued his winning ways with three NSACAR cup championships.

While he ended his 20-year career as a driver, Gordon is co-owner of Stewart-Hass Racing. His fans bought or renewed 39 of his license plates last year.

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17. Dale Earnhardt Hall of Fame: 45

This is one of two Dale Earnhardt Sr. license plates sold by the MVC, and commemorates his induction to the first NASCAR Hall of Fame "class"in 2010.

The plate, still sold by the MVC, was purchased or renewed by 45 loyal fans of the Intimidator.

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16. NASCAR Jimmie Johnson: 47

This seven time NASCAR Cup series champion was the first driver to win five consecutive championships between 2006 and 2010. His license plate also is hit with fans.

The 47 plates sold or renewed last year made him the MVC’s fourth top selling driver.

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15. NASCAR Jeff Gordon: 49

Gordon is a three time Daytona 500 winner and a four time NASCAR cup series champion and fans can still see him in the broadcast booth, as a NASCAR analyst with Fox sports. Gordon retired in 2013, but fans bought or renewed 49 of his license plate in 2017.

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14. NBA Philly 76ers: 50

The last NBA championship for the 76ers came when Car And Driver named the AMC/Renault Alliance to its 10 best cars of the year list.

Stop scratching your head, it was 1983 and the franchise did as well as that forgotten car after 83.

The team’s license plate has a better, but not great record in the world of new sales and renewals. The upside? Unlike the car, you can still buy a 76ers license plate.

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13. NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Sr. 52

Earnhardt's black #3 Chevy was perhaps as iconic as Derek Jeter's #2 Yankee jersey.

Earnhardt was killed in a crash in 2001 during the final lap of the Daytona 500, but the memory of the seven-time champion and his legendary 22-year NASCAR career lives on. Last year 52 fans bought or renewed his number 3 license plate.

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12. NASCAR Dale Earnhardt Jr. 74

Is this a case of the son eclipsing the father? To be fair, Dale Senior has two license plates to Junior’s one. And Dale Jr. is the third generation in this stock car racing family.

He won two Daytona 500's and has 26 career victories, having left racing in 2017 for the broadcast booth with NBC.

Those reasons could account for him leading the pack of NASCAR drivers that have their own Jersey License plates.

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11. NASCAR Ford racing: 75

First On Race Day? Ford is the only manufacturer to get its own Jersey plate and we don’t know why, since both Ford and GM used to build cars here.

Ford's license plate just missed the top ten at number eleven for most sales and renewals.

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10. NASCAR Fan: 79

This is the license plate for NASCAR fans who want to declare their allegiance to the sport, especially if their favorite driver doesn’t have their own plate. It was tenth among in the top ten of highest selling or renewed sports license plates in 2017.

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9. NBA NY Knicks: 122

The Knicks haven't seen an NBA championship since 1973, when the gavel came down on the first hearings into the Watergate break-in that brought down President Richard M. Nixon.

In retrospect, an ninth place finish in the state sport license plate competition is a win that Knicks fans will probably take.

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8. MLB Phillies: 399

Would the Philadelphia Phillies had sold more plates if they had the Philly Phanatic adorning it or if a team license plate was available after their 2008 World's Series win? In the world of state sports license plates, they're eighth place and behind the Mets.

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7. MLB Mets: 400

Seriously, can Mr. Met convince a few more drivers to slap a license plate adorned with an orange and blue logo on their ride to put some distance between the team and the Phillies in license plate sales?

Even though it is a one sale margin, the Mets were seventh in sales and renewals and the Phillies were not in 2017, mirroring their finish in the NL East that year.

Enjoy the bragging rights, fans.

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6. NY Jets: 424

J-E-T-S, were sixth place in the 2017 license plate race in Jersey.

Fitting because they share a home with the Giants in Met-Life stadium.

And the license plate sales were a better showing than the team’s dead last finish in the American Football Conference last year.

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5. NFL Eagles: 475

The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl and fans went wild. But did they go as wild for the team's license plate? It wasn't a number one seller, but the current Superbowl champs have the fifth highest selling or renewed sports plate in the state.

Should they be number one?

Fly, Eagles fans, fly to the DMV and make it happen.

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4. NHL Flyers: 599

The Philadelphia Flyers, famous, or infamous for a particular brand of "aggressive" hockey, haven't won a Stanley Cup since back-to-back championships in the mid-1970's.

In 2017, the Flyers finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Flyers fans can be prouder of how the team license plate did with the fourth top selling and renewed sports plate in the state last year.

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3. NHL Devils: 784

The David Puddy character from Seinfeld doesn't have to paint his face or a D on his chest to support the Devils, he can buy their license plate instead.

New Jersey’s only remaining hometown pro sports team that has the state's name was the third highest selling or renewed sports license plate in the state last year.

It's also much better than how the team finished the 2017 season.

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2. MLB Yankees: 1,008

Was there any surprise that the Yankees would place close to the top? The ghost of George Steinbrenner wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, wait, he'd be angry that the Yankees weren't number one. Time to step up fans and get another 300 drivers to make them number one at the MVC as they pursue a 28th World's Series win next season.

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1. NFL Giants: 1,279

The current and last seasons have been pretty lousy for the Giants, but that didn’t stop their fans from showing their loyalty for the team by making it the top selling sports license plate in New Jersey.

Four Superbowl championships help, despite this seasons abysmal win-loss record. Beef up the offense and maybe a few more fans may be inclined to bolt a Giants plate on their ride.

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(Larry Higgs | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

Read More:

N.J. legislature approves sports license plate sales.

New NASCAR license plates unveiled at Wall Stadium.

N.J. football fans and display team spirit on their car.

Basketball fans can buy team license plates.

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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

