Welcome to the second installment of Sportscasting’s 10-part sequence, “The 101 Biggest NASCAR Cup Collection Drivers by Automotive Quantity.”
The objective right here is kind of easy. As we did previously with our “101 Biggest NFL by Uniform Quantity” sequence, we’re doing the identical right here as we listing the highest drivers to helm Nos. 00, 0, and 1-99 in NASCAR’s premier sequence.
We kicked issues off with an inventory of 11 for Nos. 00-9, and we proceed right here with the following 10 for Nos. 10-19. Take pleasure in.
No. 10: Ricky Rudd
The simple name to kick off this portion of the listing is Ricky Rudd, who owns exactly half of the 12 victories for the No. 10 within the NASCAR Cup Collection.
The 1977 Rookie of the Yr took six totally different numbers to Victory Lane all through his 32-year profession, and his six wins within the No. 10 are tied together with his six within the No. 15 on the prime of his private listing. Rudd made 196 begins within the No. 10, essentially the most of any of the dozen numbers he drove, and recorded 31 top-fives and 69 top-10s.
No. 11: Cale Yarborough
The No. 11 slot is perhaps essentially the most troublesome of any of the 101 on this listing. However that is sensible because it’s the winningest quantity in NASCAR Cup Collection historical past. Simply take a look at who didn’t get the nod right here.
Darrell Waltrip gained 43 races and three Cup Collection titles in it. Denny Hamlin has greater than 600 stars in it, essentially the most of any driver, and has taken 48 checkered flags. Ned Jarrett racked up 49 wins with it, successful a pair of championships.
In the long run, nonetheless, we went with Cale Yarborough. The South Carolina native gained 55 occasions within the No. 11 in 237 begins, giving him a successful proportion of 23.2%. Greater than half of these victories, 28 to be actual, got here from 1976 to 1978, a stretch during which he gained three consecutive Cup Collection titles.
Yarborough additionally earned his second of 4 Daytona 500 wins throughout this era. The NASCAR Corridor of Famer completed within the prime 5 in precisely two-thirds of his begins within the No. 11.
No. 12: Bobby Allison
With that out of the way in which, let’s get again to a different straightforward name at No. 12. Ryan Newman got here in at a distant second, however the clear alternative right here is three-time Daytona 500 champion, Bobby Allison.
Not solely does Allison personal extra victories within the No. 12 than Newman, 25 to 13, however he additionally gained extra in fewer begins. Whereas Newman’s 13 wins got here in 252 begins, Allison’s 25 checkered flags have been earned in 170, giving him a 14.7% successful proportion.
In these 170 begins within the No. 12, one in every of three numbers during which he began 100 or extra races, the 1983 Cup Collection champ recorded 89 top-fives and 111 top-10s.
No. 13: Casey Mears
No. 13 is a tough name with no clear frontrunner. If we went solely on wins, it could be fairly easy as only one driver took the bad-luck quantity to Victory Lane in a Cup Collection race, that being Johnny Rutherford.
Nevertheless it was merely a Daytona 500 qualifier in 1963, and it was one in every of solely two occasions he ever used the No. 13. However it’s fairly candy that it was Rutherford’s first-ever Cup Collection begin. He completed ninth within the precise Daytona 500 that yr.
However many others are extra carefully related to the No. 13, specifically Casey Mears, who considerably wins by default because the California native ran extra races with it than anybody — 227 to be actual — which accounts for almost 35% of its historical past.
No. 14: Fonty Flock
Some possible really feel Tony Stewart deserves the No. 14 slot. And there’s actually an argument there because the 2011 Cup Collection champ has essentially the most wins with the quantity at 16. However these 16 checkered flags have been in 262 begins, giving him a successful proportion of 6.1%.
And that’s why we’re giving the nod to Fonty Flock. Whereas not essentially the most well-known driver even in his family, the brother of Tim and Bob Flock and NASCAR’s second feminine driver, Ethel Mobley, Fonty drove the No. 14 to a becoming 14 victories.
And he did so in simply 103 begins for a successful proportion of 13.6%.
No. 15: Bobby Allison
Bear in mind how we instructed you Bobby Allison began 100 or extra races with three totally different numbers? Properly, the No. 15 truly wasn’t one in every of them, as he got here up simply quick with 92.
Nonetheless, the seven-time Most Widespread Driver award winner made essentially the most of these 92 begins, successful 14 occasions with 44 top-fives and 62 top-10s. Allison is the one driver with double-digit wins within the No. 15, the following closest being Ricky Rudd with six.
Some could not know that Dale Earnhardt Sr. gained three Cup Collection races within the No. 15, which ties him for fifth with the quantity with Benny Parsons, Geoff Bodine, and Clint Bowyer.
No. 16: Greg Biffle
The straightforward name at No. 16 is Greg Biffle.
Earlier than the Washington native’s victory on the summer time race at Daytona in 2003, the No. 16 hadn’t seen Victory Lane in almost 28 years. If you happen to haven’t heard his identify sufficient, Bobby Allison was the final to take a checkered flag with the quantity at Darlington in 1975.
Biffle gained all 19 of his Cup Collection races within the No. 16 and made 504 of his 515 begins within the quantity. The six others to win within the No. 16 mixed for 14 victories. Darel Dieringer sits in second place with 5 wins.
No. 17: David Pearson
The No. 17 slot had a number of nice choices from which to decide on. There was Darrell Waltrip and his 15 wins in 344 begins. And there was Matt Kenseth and his 24 wins in 471 begins.
However becoming a member of Bobby Allison as a two-time member of the general listing is David Pearson, who took 30 checkered flags within the No. 17. And he gained these 30 races in simply 140 begins, giving him an unimaginable 21.4% successful proportion. Of the 107 top-10s the Corridor of Famer recorded utilizing the quantity, 100 have been additionally top-fives.
What’s wild is that of all of the numbers Pearson used all through his storied profession, we nonetheless haven’t gotten to the one during which he gained essentially the most. But, he’s nonetheless already a two-time entry. That’s how good this man was.
No. 18: Kyle Busch
Earlier than Joe Gibbs Racing took over the quantity on a full-time foundation, the No. 18 solely went to Victory Lane as soon as within the NASCAR Cup Collection, a victory in Oakland in 1951 by Marvin Burke.
Dale Jarrett lastly broke the streak and posted a pair of wins within the quantity earlier than Bobby Labonte took it over and took it to Victory Lane 21 occasions.
However the straightforward name right here is Kyle Busch, who took over the No. 18 in 2008 and has taken 56 checkered flags and two Cup Collection titles since then. He’s additionally recorded 300 top-10s and greater than 200 top-fives.
No. 19: Martin Truex Jr.
Whereas one of many 25 most-used numbers in NASCAR Cup Collection historical past, the No. 19 hasn’t been to Victory Lane as typically as you may suppose. In reality, it’s solely visited Victory Lane 20 occasions over time.
Had this listing been constructed earlier than 2019, Carl Edwards’ 5 victories may need been sufficient to provide him this slot. However Martin Truex Jr. took over the No. 19 that season and gained seven races. He’s now gained a dozen races utilizing the quantity, simply essentially the most of all time.
Jeremy Mayfield and John Rostek are the one different drivers to win within the No. 19.
Stats courtesy of Racing Reference
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