#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 36 Days!
Saturday, January 13th, 2024 -- 36 Days Until Daytona!
36 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #36 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-01 - Charlotte - Jimmy Thompson
NXS: 1982-03 - Bristol - Tommy Ellis
NCTS: 1996-03 - Portland - Lonnie Cox
BEST FINISH:
NCS: P2 - Tommy Irwin, Columbia, 1959
NXS: P1 - 8 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Kenny Wallace, 3)
NCTS: P6 - Ryan Matthews, Memphis, 2007
BEST START:
NCS: P1 - 5 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Ernie Irvan, 3)
NXS: P1 - 14 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Kenny Wallace, 9)
NCTS: P2 - Tyler Walker, Kansas, 2007
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
Yes. The #36 competed on a part-time basis in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2023, with two different teams - Front Row Motorsports and DGM Racing.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the #36 was utilized on a part-time basis by Front Row Motorsports last season, with drivers Zane Smith, Todd Gilliland, and Riley Herbst at the helm in the series’ four superspeedway events.
Riley Herbst, a full-time driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, was the driver that scored the best result for the Front Row Motorsports #36 in 2023, scoring a ninth-place result in the Playoff event at Talladega.
Front Row Motorsports has used this number at NASCAR’s top level since 2019.
Much like the NASCAR Cup Series, the #36 is only used on a part-time basis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with DGM Racing, where this past season it qualified for four events with drivers Josh BIlicki, Alex Guenette, and Kyle Weatherman.
The organization has utilized this number since 2018, when Alex Labbe competed full-time in the #36 Chevrolet Camaro. The number is also responsible for the organization’s best-ever finish.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the #36 hasn’t been used since Kansas in 2018, when Bayley Currey made a start-and-park appearance in a second entry for MB Motorsports. Currey would finish 29th, after retiring 30 laps into the event.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #36?
NASCAR Cup Series: Ken Schrader - 106 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Kevin Wallace - 126 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Justin Jennings / Lonnie Cox - 13 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #36 IN NASCAR
The last six events that the #36 has attempted in the NASCAR Cup Series have all been at Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway, and have resulted in one top-five and three top-10s.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, DGM Racing has brought three different Canadian drivers to the #36 — Alex Labbe, Alex Guenette, and Donald Theetge.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the #36 has recorded a whopping 44 DNFs in 73 starts, meaning the truck number has only been running at the finish 29 events.
The #36 has scored a top-10 result in its debut in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Lonnie Cox finished 21st in its first event.
Both Geoffrey Bodine and Todd Bodine have competed in the #36 across NASCAR’s National Series.
Ryan Blaney, the most recent champion of the NASCAR Cup Series, made his first-ever start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the #36, driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
In the matter of three seasons, Ryan Blaney, Ryan Preece, and Ryan Truex all competed for Tommy Baldwin Racing in the #36. Ryan Matthews has also made NASCAR Truck Series starts utilizing the number.