#SrigleyStats Countdown to Daytona: 20 Days!
Monday, January 29th, 2024 -- 20 Days Until Daytona!
20 DAYS UNTIL DAYTONA!
Let’s look back at the history of the #20 in NASCAR’s National Series.
FIRST USAGE:
NCS: 1949-04 — Langhorne — Dick Linder
NXS: 1982-09 — Richmond — Bosco Lowe
NCTS: 1995-01 — Phoenix — Walker Evans
BEST FINISH:
NCS: 59 NASCAR Cup Series Victories (Most: Tony Stewart, 33)
NXS: 73 NASCAR Xfinity Series Victories (Most: Christopher Bell, 15)
NCTS: 1 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Victories (Spencer Boyd, Talladega 2019)
BEST START:
NCS: 37 NASCAR Cup Series Poles (Most: Bell/Kenseth/Stewart, 10)
NXS: 101 NASCAR Xfinity Series Poles (Most: Joey Logano, 18)
NCTS: 3 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Poles (Most: Creed/Ambrose/Lofton, 1)
IS THE NUMBER ACTIVE?
Yes. Last year, the #20 was used on a full-time basis in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, between two different organizations.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has continued to build a long-standing legacy with the #20, which is currently piloted by Norman, Oklahoma native Christopher Bell.
Throughout the years, the entry has been driven by several talented drivers including NASCAR Cup Series champions Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Joey Logano, as well as up-and-coming drivers Erik Jones and Christopher Bell.
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has also built a legacy for the #20, much like it has done in the NASCAR Cup Series. By doing that, the number has become one of the most successful in series history.
John Hunter Nemechek carried the entry to seven victories in 2023 and will continue to pilot it on a part-time basis in 2024 — as he moves to the NASCAR Cup Series with LEGACY MOTOR CLUB. Aric Almirola will join him as a pilot of the #20 in 2024.
Young’s Motorsports has been in control of the #20 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series over the last several years, contesting the Chevrolet Silverado entry with several different drivers, including Spencer Boyd, who captured its only victory.
As Young’s Motorsports makes its first foray into the NASCAR Xfinity Series this season with Leland Honeyman, the team’s exact plans for the NASCAR Truck Series are unknown, but it’s likely the #20 will remain within the organization in some capacity.
WHO HAS MOST FREQUENTLY USED THE #20?
NASCAR Cup Series: Tony Stewart — 356 Starts
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Denny Hamlin — 119 Starts
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Spencer Boyd — 60 Starts
MISCELLANEOUS STATS ABOUT THE #20 IN NASCAR
Since 1999, Joe Gibbs Racing has placed five different drivers in the #20 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Each of those five drivers has won events in the #20, and as of 2024, has won a championship in NASCAR’s National Series.
Christopher Bell has spent his full-time career in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series behind the wheel of the #20 for Joe Gibbs Racing — which has netted him 21 victories (15 in Xfinity, 6 in Cup).
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Joe Gibbs Racing has managed to secure the position in Victory Lane for 13 different drivers over the last two decades, while piloting the #20.
In what was two years of domination in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Christopher Bell is the all-time lap leader in the #20, despite making 50 fewer starts than second-place Denny Hamlin.
Joe Gibbs Racing owns 58 of the 59 NASCAR Cup Series victories for the #20 - between five different drivers. Marvin Panch is the only non-JGR driver to score a victory while using the number.
While Joe Gibbs Racing hasn’t built quite the same legacy in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the organization did have a presence several years ago, with Coy Gibbs, the son of Joe Gibbs. JD Gibbs also made five NASCAR Truck Series starts in the #20.