#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 7 Days!
Sunday, February 11th, 2024 -- 7 Days Until Daytona!
7 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #7 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-01 — Charlotte — Bob Flock
NXS: 1982-01 — Daytona — Stuart Huffman
NCTS: 1995-01 — Phoenix — Geoffrey Bodine
BEST FINISH:
NCS: 23 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Jim Reed, 7)
NXS: 55 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Justin Allgaier & Harry Gant, 20)
NCTS: 7 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory (Most: Dave Rezendes, 3)
BEST START:
NCS: 41 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Alan Kulwicki, 24)
NXS: 41 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Justin Allgaier, 12)
NCTS: 2 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Poles (Most: Parker Kligerman, 2)
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
Yes. Last season, the No. 7 was utilized in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series for the entire schedule, while making sporadic appearances in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Spire Motorsports is responsible for fielding the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro on a full-time basis. The number will continue with the organization in 2024, one of three entries for the team.
Corey LaJoie, son of NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie, is set to continue as the pilot of the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2024, marking his fourth season with the organization and fourth season using the number.
It’s been more than a decade since an organization other than JR Motorsports fielded the No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with the organization first using the number in 2010 — as part of a part-time campaign for Danica Patrick.
Justin Allgaier is the entry’s current pilot and has been since dropping back down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2016. Since then, the Illinois native has found a great deal of success, collecting 20 victories.
In the last couple of seasons, NASCAR Cup Series team Spire Motorsports has dipped its toes into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, fielding a part-time entry in the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado, which has featured several drivers.
This season, Corey LaJoie is piloting the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado in the season-opener at Daytona, while both Kyle Busch and Sean Hingorani are expected to make appearances in the vehicle.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #7?
NASCAR Cup Series: Robby Gordon — 226 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Justin Allgaier — 264 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Dave Rezendes — 36 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #7 IN NASCAR
Todd Bodine, Geoffrey Bodine, and Barry Bodine have all made appearances in NASCAR’s National Series while piloting the #7. However, Geoffrey Bodine was the only one able to score a victory — winning four NCS races using the number.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, John King, William Byron, and Kyle Larson have all scored a victory utilizing the #7, despite having five or fewer starts in the truck number.
Justin Allgaier and Harry Gant are equal for the number of victories in the #7 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — each scoring 20 apiece, despite Allgaier having more than double the number of starts.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, there have only been three car owners to score victories using the #7 — JR Motorsports, Ed Whitaker, and Ed Evans — each of which have scored victories with two drivers.
Alan Kulwicki, despite not being the stat leader for many (if any) categories for the #7 in the NASCAR Cup Series, is the driver most widely recognized with the number — likely a result of his championship.
Bob Flock, despite only making 14 starts in the #7, has one of the best stat lines to date using the car number in the NASCAR Cup Series with nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.
Both Bob and Fonty Flock have scored victories in the NASCAR Cup Series using the #7 — in fact, both have won in the same year using the number.