#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 11 Days!
Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 -- 11 Days Until Daytona!
11 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #11 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-01 — Charlotte — Skimp Hersey
NXS: 1982-01 — Daytona — Jack Ingram
NCTS: 1995-01 — Phoenix — Mike Hurlbert
BEST FINISH:
NCS: 231 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Cale Yarborough, 55)
NXS: 37 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Jack Ingram, 30)
NCTS: 7 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victories (Most: Corey Heim, 3)
BEST START:
NCS: 169 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Denny Hamlin/Cale Yarborough, 39)
NXS: 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Jack Ingram, 5)
NCTS: 5 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Poles (Most: Corey Heim, 4)
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
Yes. In 2023, the #11 competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, finding success with three different organizations in all three series.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Denny Hamlin is currently the pilot of the #11 with Joe Gibbs Racing fielding the entry for him in 2024, much like they have since his rookie campaign in 2006.
Of course, if you watched Saturday’s Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum you would already know that, seeing as the 51-time NASCAR Cup Series winner captured the victory in the pre-season exhibition event.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kaulig Racing has fielded the #11 since its entrance into the series several years ago. However, this past season Daniel Hemric took on the brunt of the driving for the team’s flagship entry — with Layne Riggs, Derek Kraus, and Jordan Taylor also making appearances.
This season, though, Hemric is headed to the NASCAR Cup Series and Josh Williams has been tapped to drive the #11 Chevrolet Camaro, in his first season in semi-competitive equipment in NASCAR.
In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Corey Heim and TRICON Garage are partnered together in an effort that is truly that of a championship-winner. Scoring three victories in 2023, the pairing advanced to the Championship 4 at Phoenix.
Heim returns to the organization for a second full-time campaign in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and will continue to pilot the #11 for the David Gilliland-owned organization.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #11?
NASCAR Cup Series: Denny Hamlin — 650 Races
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Jack Ingram — 273 Races
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: David Starr — 50 Races
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #11 IN NASCAR
In the NASCAR Cup Series, the #11 leads the all-time wins list with 231 victories.
With five different winners in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the #11 has had races won by five different organizations, including Kaulig Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
With only 22 starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, while driving the #11, Corey Heim has already led double the number of laps as any other driver to compete in the number.
Over the years, the #11 has become a powerhouse in the NASCAR Cup Series, with four different drivers — Cale Yarborough, Denny Hamlin, Ned Jarrett, and Darrell Waltrip each recording more than 40 victories in the number.
Easily the most successful driver to compete in the #11 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Jack Ingram has 100 more top-fives and top-10s than anybody else to utilize the number in the second-tier series.
Last season, TRICON Garage became the first organization since 2015 to field the #11 for the complete NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule. In 2024, it will be the first time the number has run back-to-back seasons full-time since 2009.
In 650 NASCAR Cup Series starts, Denny Hamlin has never ventured away from the #11, making him the driver with the most starts to stay with a single car number throughout their entire career.