NASCAR Numerology — The Lineage Behind The No. 8

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Aric Almirola is the latest driver to drive the No. 8 car in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition. As for who is the greatest, let the debate begin.

And believe it not, that debate does not begin and end with Dale Earnhardt Jr., his considerable success notwithstanding. Instead, a pretty convincing case can be made for Joe Weatherly being "the man" when it comes to the No. 8's legacy.

Weatherly made 110 starts in the No. 8 between 1961-64, winning 20 times and capturing back-to-back NASCAR Sprint Cup championships in 1962 and '63. Weatherly, who died in a racing accident at Riverside, Calif., in '64, was named in 1998 to the elite list of "NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers."

Earnhardt made 291 starts in the No. 8 from 1999-2007, continuing a family alignment with the number. His grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, drove the No. 8 in the 1950s and '60s in NASCAR Sportsman competition and other short-track events.

An interesting aside: The grandfather made 51 starts in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition but none were in the No. 8. The grandson won 17 times in the No. 8, most notably the 2004 Daytona 500.

And then there's this historical gem which can't be overlooked: Eventual seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt even made one NASCAR Sprint Cup start in the No. 8 — his series debut in the 1975 Coca-Cola 600.

While the No. 8�s all-time history in NASCAR Sprint Cup is spread out among 86 drivers and 1,319 starts, the total number of times the number has visited Victory Lane is attributable to a surprisingly small group. The No. 8 accounts for 38 wins. In addition to the win totals of Weatherly and Dale Earnhardt Jr., the only other No. 8 win was provided by Bobby Hillin Jr. at Talladega Superspeedway in the summer of 1986.

Those are some strange statistics to grasp, especially considering the history-rich "family tree" of the No. 8. Consider: The 1950 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bill Rexford had two starts in the number; Jeff Burton had 59; Mark Martin had 24; Dick Trickle, Hut Stricklin and Morgan Shepherd also took the No. 8 out for some afternoon spins.

And then there�s Ed Negre, who may have lacked quality finishes but certainly not quantity. Negre made 283 starts in the No. 8 between 1967 and 2007, second only to Earnhardt�s 291. Negre, who usually owned the cars he raced, failed to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup race during his career.

Almirola, driving for the Earnhardt-Ganassi organization, will attempt to make his 18th start on Sunday in the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

— Source: NASCAR