#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 12 Days!
Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 -- 12 Days Until Daytona!
12 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #12 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-02 — Daytona Beach — Woodie Wilson
NXS: 1982-01 — Daytona — Tommy Ellis
NCTS: 1995-18— Sonoma — Bob Strait
BEST FINISH:
NCS: 65 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Bobby Allison, 25)
NXS: 25 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Tommy Ellis, 14)
NCTS: 1 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory (Tate Fogleman, Talladega 2022)
BEST START:
NCS: 96 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Ryan Newman, 42)
NXS: 38 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Tommy Ellis, 19)
NCTS: P2 — 2004-02/07 [Atlanta, Texas] — Robert Huffman
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
Yes. In 2023, the #12 competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. However, the number hasn’t made an appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in multiple years.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the #12 is fielded by Team Penske, the organization responsible for winning each of the last two NASCAR Cup Series championships with Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano. The team has fielded the #12 on and off for the better part of two decades.
Blaney will look to defend his title in 2024, highlighted by a third-place finish in Saturday’s Busch Light Clash, after having to take the points provisional to advance into the 150-lap main event.
The #12 has been away from the NASCAR Xfinity Series for quite some time now, with the exit from the series for Team Penske, who last fielded the entry in the 2020 season-opener at Daytona for Brad Keselowski.
Much like in the NASCAR Cup Series, Penske has had control over the #12 for several years but relinquished that control upon leaving the series after 2021. However, no driver has run the number since.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the #12 has been traditionally fielded by Young’s Motorsports, including in 2022, when Tate Fogleman scored a shock win for the organization — albeit the second shock win.
However, with the team’s expansion to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, it’s unknown if the truck number will return to the series in 2024.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #12?
NASCAR Cup Series: Ryan Newman — 252 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Tommy Ellis — 104 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Mario Gosselin — 45 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #12 IN NASCAR
If Ryan Blaney can compete in each of the 36 NASCAR Cup Series events on the calendar in 2024, he will officially become the driver with the most starts in the #12 at NASCAR’s top level, surpassing Ryan Newman.
Aside from Tommy Ellis, the #12 has also had great success in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Team Penske, scoring victories with Joey Logano, Sam Hornish, Ryan Blaney, and Justin Allgaier.
Primarily used by Young’s Motorsports, Tate Fogleman scored the #12 only victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in an intense superspeedway event at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022.
Ryan Newman, graced with the appropriate nickname of ‘Rocket Man’, is one of the best qualifiers in the history of the NASCAR Cup Series with a whopping 51 career poles — 42 of which came while driving the #12.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Team Penske drivers Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano each scored at least one victory in the #12, despite having less than 10 starts in the number.
Since 1998, Team Penske has had a lock on the #12 in the NASCAR Cup Series. While the number took some time off in 2011, and then again from 2015 to 2017, it has remained within the stable, with several drivers.
Bobby Allison and Ryan Blaney are the only two drivers to capture victories in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series with the #12. Neither driver has won in the NASCAR Truck Series with the number, or even run for that matter.
Only Mike Wallace has led more than 10 laps while piloting the #12 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Gus Dean, Mario Gosselin, Robert Huffman, Carlos Contreras, Tate Fogleman, and Joey MIller led laps as well.
After crossing the start-finish line in second place at Phoenix, Ryan Blaney ensured that each of Team Penske’s primary numbers - #2, #12, #22 - had won a title in the NASCAR Cup Series.