#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 38 Days!
Thursday, January 11th, 2024 -- 38 Days Until Daytona!
38 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #38 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-01 (Charlotte) - Lee Petty
NXS: 1983-10 (Dover) - Gary Potter
NCTS: 1995-01 (Phoenix) - Sammy Swindell
BEST FINISH:
NCS: P1 - 7 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Gwyn Staley, 3)
NXS: P1 - 4 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Kasey Kahne, 2)
NCTS: P1 - 8 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victories (Most: Zane Smith, 6)
BEST START:
NCS: P1 - 12 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Elliott Sadler, 7)
NXS: P1 - 10 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Kasey Kahne, 5)
NCTS: P1 - 10 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Poles (Most: Zane Smith, 6)
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
In 2023, the #38 was utilized on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, primarily by Front Row Motorsports, which fields the No. 38 Ford in multiple series.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Front Row Motorsports currently fields the #38, and has done so since 2010. This past year, the organization had Todd Gilliland as the anchor driver of the entry, with Zane Smith making sporadic appearances.
This coming season, Gilliland will enter his third full-season campaign at NASCAR’s top-level, after coming directly from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Throughout his time in Cup, all in the #38, Gilliland has recorded one top-five and six top-10 finishes.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, RSS Racing fields the #38 Ford Mustang, which last season saw Joe Graf, Jr. as the anchor driver, but also included appearances by Kyle Sieg, Nick Leitz, Chris Hacker, and Ryan Sieg.
For the upcoming season, the organization will scale down the schedule of the #38 in the second-tier series, as it runs the #28, #29, and #39 on a full-time basis. At this time, no driver has been announced for the entry in 2024.
RSS Racing has fielded the entry since 2017, encompassing a vast majority of drivers from JJ Yeley to Gray Gaulding to Jeff Green to Angela Ruch.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Front Row Motorsports has also staked its claim on the #38, fielding the Ford F-150 for defending champion Zane Smith this past season.
Spending two years with Front Row Motorsports, Smith collected five victories in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, en route to his first championship in 2022, all of which featured Chris Lawson on the pit box.
This coming season, Layne Riggs will take over the reins of the #38 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series — his first full-time opportunity in NASCAR’s top-three series.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #38?
NASCAR Cup Series: David Gilliland - 243 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Jason Leffler - 184 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Brandon Whitt - 57 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #38 IN NASCAR
Butch Gilliland, David Gilliland, and Todd Gilliland have each driven the #38 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Of the three drivers, only David and Todd have scored top-five finishes utilizing the number.
In the last decade, the #38 has only scored a single top-five finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series — when Ryan Sieg finished in fourth place at Talladega Superspeedway.
Since 2007, the #38 has recorded four top-five finishes in the NASCAR Cup Series — all of which have come from the father-son pairing of David and Todd Gilliland.
J.J. Yeley is the only driver to have utilized the #38 in the NASCAR Cup Series (7x), NASCAR Xfinity Series (34x), and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2x).
Gwyn Staley (NCS, 1957), Brad Teague (NXS, 1984), and Sammy Swindell (NCTS, 1995) were the first drivers to lead laps in the #38 in each of NASCAR’s top-three series.
Zane Smith, Todd Gilliland, and Ross Chastain have each driven the #38 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (Zane and Todd for FRM, Ross for Niece) and will qualify for the 2024 Daytona 500.
Patty Moise and Angela Ruch are the two women who have utilized the #38 in NASCAR’s National Series — both running a single event in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.