Car Number Histories: No. 46

ATLANTA -- With the exception of Cole Trickle's exploits in "Days of Thunder," cars bearing No. 46 are currently riding a 41-year winless streak.

However, in NASCAR's early years, No. 46 was driven to Victory Lane by some of the sport's best drivers.

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Bill Blair, who finished fourth in points during NASCAR's inaugural season in 1949, posted a fifth-place finish at Langhorne in the No. 46 Cadillac.

Four years later, Ralph Liguori drove a Lincoln in eight races, with a best finish of fifth. Liguori, a native of Bronx, N.Y., attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 six different times but failed to make the race.

Jim Murray fielded a No. 46 Buick in 1955, finishing fifth. Then a year later, Billy Myers drove the No. 46 Chevy to a third-place finish at West Palm Beach.

When Carl Keikhaefer ended his Mercury Outboards "super team" in 1956, Speedy Thompson started up his own team using the No. 46 the next season and promptly won two races, including the Southern 500. The winner's share at that time was $13,590.

In 1958, Thompson won four races but finished third in the points for the second year in a row. As the defending Southern 500 champion, Thompson decided to jump over to the No. 1, giving the No. 46 to his brother Jimmy. Bad move, since Jimmy wound up fourth and Speedy 14th.

Thompson switched to the No. 1 full-time in 1959 and failed to win a race. Julian Petty, Lee's brother, fielded a No. 46 Chevy that year for Bob Welborn at Fayetteville, who won the race and the $600 purse.

In 1960, Bobby Johns drove a Petty Engineering Plymouth No. 46 for one race.

Then Jack Smith, who normally drove No. 47, put the No. 46 Pontiac in the winner's circle in 1961 at Bristol and 1962 at the season-opener at Concord. That would be the last win for the No. 46.

Since then, only a few drivers have taken the wheel of the No. 46 -- and fewer still for an entire season.

Johnny Allen drove in 10 races in 1962, while Walt Hansgen and J.T. Putney shared the ride in 1964. Roy Mayne drove the No. 46 Chevy for seven seasons, mainly in a limited role, sharing the seat with Larry Manning in 1967 and 1968.

By the mid-'70s, Travis Tiller was running a limited program in the No. 46, never finishing better than 35th in the standings. Greg Sacks drove the No. 46 for one race in 1989 and 1990.

Then open-wheel star Al Unser Jr. took the wheel of the No. 46 for his only NASCAR start, finishing 36th in the 1993 Daytona 500 after tangling with Dale Earnhardt and setting off a chain-reaction accident following a restart late in the race. Stacy Compton put his name on the No. 46 for two races in 1996.

In 1997, Wally Dallenbach Jr. gave the No. 46 Chevrolet its first full-time run since 1964, scoring one top-10 finish in 22 starts. He returned to the No. 46 four times in 1998, with little success. Morgan Shepherd and Tommy Kendall also piloted the No. 46 that season.

Jeff Green had 18 starts in the No. 46 Chevy in 1998 and Frank Kimmel made a rare NASCAR appearance in a one-race effort in 2002.