#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 39 Days!
Wednesday, January 10th, 2024 -- 39 Days Until Daytona!
39 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #39 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-04 - Langhorne - Budd Olsen
NXS: 1982-04 - Martinsville - Clay Highberger
NCTS: 1996-15 - Watkins Glen - Jeff Spraker
BEST FINISH:
NCS: P1 - 4 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Ryan Newman - 4)
NXS: P1 - 8 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Ryan Newman - 6)
NCTS: P1 - 1 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victory (Austin Dillon, Eldora 2013)
BEST START:
NCS: P1 - 11 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Ryan Newman - 8)
NXS: P1 - 7 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Ryan Newman - 5)
NCTS: P7 - 2010-10 (Iowa Speedway) - Ryan Sieg
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
In 2023, the #39 was utilized only in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The number was not utilized in any capacity in the NASCAR Cup Series or NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the #39 has not been utilized since Ryan Newman drove the entry for Stewart-Haas Racing, leaving the number vacated after he left the organization for Richard Childress Racing in 2014.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Ryan Sieg and RSS Racing utilize the #39 on a full-time basis, and have for quite some time, with the family-owned team appearing first in the second-tier series in the middle of the 2013 season.
For 2024, Sieg will continue as the drive of the #39 in the Xfinity Series, with SciAps serving as a full-season primary sponsor. However, the Tucker, Georgia-native has never scored a victory in the series.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Ryan Sieg and RSS Racing were the last driver-team combination to use the #39, when the family-owned operation fielded a NASCAR Truck Series effort, which closed down after the 2015 season.
While Sieg never scored a victory in the Truck Series using the #39, the organization did, with Austin Dillon winning the inaugural MudSummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #39?
NASCAR Cup Series: Ryan Newman - 180 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Ryan Sieg - 324 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Ryan Sieg - 101 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #39 IN NASCAR
Ryan Sieg has driven the #39 in 425 NASCAR National Series events — which accounts for 36.45% of all starts for the number across NASCAR’s top-three series.
In 2005, Ryan Newman had a mind-blowing season while driving the #39 for Team Penske in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — scoring eight top-three finishes and five victories in nine starts.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the #39 has only run as a Chevrolet.
Upon winning the 2013 MudSummer Classic at Eldora Speedway, Austin Dillon became the first driver to score a top-five finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series while driving the #39.
Ryan Newman is responsible for running 42.15% of the NASCAR Cup Series events in the #39.
In the first season of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, four different drivers got behind the wheel of the #39 — Clay Highbreger, John Settlemyre, John Cleek, and Paul Radford.
The #39 holds the honor of having one of the worst finishes in NASCAR Cup Series history with Rudy Hires finishing 77th in the 1951 Southern 500.