NASCAR / david pearson

By Zane Miller 10- Ricky Rudd Rudd ran the 10 car for his own team from 1994-99, and achieved pretty good success with six wins, 31 top fives and 69 top 10's over 196 races. First Win: 1985 Pepsi Firecracker 400 (Greg Sacks) Last Win: 2021 Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 (Aric Almirola) Currently Used by: Noah Gragson Total Wins: 12 11- Cale Yarborough There were a few good candidates for this number, as the 11 has won the most championships in the series with eight thus far. Yarborough edges out fellow champions Darrell Waltrip and Ned Jarrett with three of them from 1976-78. While Waltrip also has three championships while driving the 11, Yarborough has 55 wins (to Waltrip's 43), 158 top fives and 172 top tens in 237 races. First Win: 1957 Kitsap County Airport race (Parnelli Jones) Last Win: 2023 Bass Pro Shops Night Race (Denny Hamlin) Currently Used by: Denny Hamlin Total Wins: 231 12- Ryan Blaney Blaney started off his Cup Series career with the 12 car beginning with a couple of races in 2014, before racing full-time in the number from 2018 to the present day. Winning the 2023 championship with the number, Blaney has also secured nine victories, 61 top-fives and 106 top-10s in 218 starts in the 12. First Win: 1953 Central City Speedway race #2 (Speedy Thompson) Last Win: 2023 Xfinity 500 (Ryan Blaney) Currently Used by: Ryan Blaney Total Wins: 65 13- Casey Mears As the number most associated with unluckiness, 13 has not seen much use until recently, when Germain Racing chose it for their one-car operation. Mears had one top five and five top 10's in 227 starts, racing the 13 car from 2010-16. First and Only Win: 1963 Daytona 500 Qualifier #2 (Johnny Rutherford) Last Ran: 2023 YellaWood 500 (Chandler Smith) Total Wins: 1 14- Tony Stewart Stewart earned the 2011 championship in his 14 ride, along with 16 wins, 58 top fives and 101 top 10's in 262 races from 2009 to his retirement after the 2016 season. First Win: 1951 Occoneechee Speedway race #2 (Fonty Flock) Last Win: 2022 Ruoff Mortgage 500 (Chase Briscoe) Currently Used by: Chase Briscoe Total Wins: 45 15- Bobby Allison Allison makes a return to the list with 14 wins, 44 top fives and 62 top 10's in 92 races in the 15 car from 1978-80. First Win: 1956 Road America race (Tim Flock) Last Win: 2012 Bank of America 500 (Clint Bowyer) Currently Used by: Kaz Grala(?) Total Wins: 43 16- Greg Biffle Biffle ran the 16 car for nearly his entire Cup Series career, gathering 19 wins, 92 top fives and 175 top 10's in 504 starts, with one race in 2002 before going full-time from 2003 to the conclusion of the '16 season. First Win: 1960 Bowman Gray Stadium race #1 (Glen Wood) Last Win: 2023 Bank of America Roval 400 (AJ Allmendinger) Currently Used by: Multiple drivers Total Wins: 34 17- David Pearson Pearson comes up again in the 17 car, which he used to win the championship in 1968 and 1969. Pearson earned 30 wins, 100 top fives and 107 top 10's in just 140 races from 1967-71. Matt Kenseth also makes a strong case, as he won the 2003 championship in the 17. First Win: 1968 Southeastern 500 (David Pearson) Last Win: 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 (Chris Buescher) Currently Used by: Chris Buescher Total Wins: 75 18- Kyle Busch Busch won the 2015 & 2019 championship with the 18, to go along with 56 wins, 206 top fives and 304 top 10's in 528 races from 2008 until the conclusion of the 2022 campaign. First Win: 1951 Oakland Stadium race (Marvin Burke) Last Win: 2022 Food City Dirt Race (Kyle Busch) Last Ran: 2022 Cup Series Championship Race (Kyle Busch) Total Wins: 80 19- Martin Truex Jr. Truex makes his first of three appearances on this list, as he has earned 15 wins, 55 top fives and 99 top 10's in 180 starts while driving the number 19 car from 2019 to the present day. First Win: 1960 Copper Cup 100 (John Rostek) Last Win: 2023 Crayon 301 (Martin Truex Jr.) Currently Used by: Martin Truex Jr. Total Wins: 23