Beech Tree News Network

What’s in a number? More specifically, numbers on NASCAR vehicles.  How do they come to be? No better place for me to start than my favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr and the 88.  The first driver with the #88 was Pepper Cunningham, who started 15^th and finished 33^rd in the #88 Lincoln at Langhorne (Pa) Speedway on September 11, 1949 in the first year of the NASCAR Strictly Stock Series.  Other drivers who have driven the #88 are Dale Jarrett(28 victories), Darrell Waltrip (26 victories), Bobby Allison(8 victories), Buck Baker(3) and Dale Earnarhdt, Jr(2).  The #88 has run 1.604 races, 57 wins, 354 top 5’s, 612 top 10’s, 58 poles, 20,344 laps led, 364,452 laps run.

The black #3 has been dormant in NASCAR’s biggest circuit since that fateful Daytona 500 in 2001 that took Dale Earnhardt.  With 1136 races and 97 wins, the black #3 was in use from 1949-2001.  In NASCAR’s first year (1949), Bill Snowden, Johnny Rogers and Al Wagoner piloted the car.  Nobody even comes close to Dale Earnhardt’s 67 wins, 227 top five’s, 348 top ten’s, 21,532 laps led, and $24,031,944 in winnings in the #3.  In fact, the driver in second place in #3 lore is Richard Childress, yes Dale’s car owner, with 172 races, 0 wins, 3 top 5’s, 56 top ten finishes, 129 laps led and $567,685 in winnings. Now 13 years after Dale’s death, Earnhardt’s car owner Richard Childress’ grandson Austin Dillon will get behind the wheel of the black #3. 

Before Dale Jr took the #88 ride at Hendrick Motorsports, he drove the #8 Budweiser Chevy.  The #8 has its roots so firmly in NASCAR history that it was first driven in 1949, NASCAR’s inaugural year.  1,327 races, 38 wins, 179 top 5’s, 347 top ten finishes, 787 top 20 finishes, 26 poles, average finish of 18, average start of 19.  Jr is actually second place of #8 drivers.  In 110 races, Joe Weatherly drove the #8 to 20 wins(Jr had 17).  Jr does lead in top 5’s (76 to Weatherly’s 67), top ten’s (121 to Weatherly’s 86), laps led (5,485 to Weatherly’s 2,122) and winnings ($37,266,589 to Weatherly’s $1,623,103).

I remember the #18 long before Kyle Busch was the driver.  Bobby Labonte was the driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy drove 718 races, had 21 wins, 115 top 5 finishes, 203 top 10 finishes, 4,055 total laps led, 388 top 20 finishes with an average finish of 19^th.  He won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Championship.  That was the last time the 18 would ever gain the highest honor in the series.  It was also the next to last year of the name Winston Cup.

2014 will mark the 10^th year of Kyle Busch driving the #18 now MnM Chevy.  Before coming to the Cup series, Busch dominated the Nationwide Series, winning the championship.  Much like Dale Jr, however, Busch has not been able to have similar success in the Cup series.

Dale, Jr, Austin Dillon and Kyle Busch are just three of the drivers who will make up the field for Sunday’s Daytona 500.  Who do I predict will win the Great American Race? I’d love for Dale, Jr. to win.  However, I’m going to pick Kevin Harvick to win his second Daytona 500(first was in 2007).  Of course, I’ve just jinxed him now.   

Hello.  My name is Andy Sullivan.  I received my bachelor’s degree in business from Mid-Continent University in June 2009.  I began writing for beechtree in July 2009.  I enjoy writing, photography, watching basketball and football, and playing guitar.  I also write a blog that encompasses sports and entertainment, called Sports and More, at http://andyuk79.tumblr.com If you have any comments, please leave them in the space below.  Thanks for reading!