NASCAR Hall of Famers’ rides you may have forgotten

By Zack Albert | Published: August 24, 2017 18

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ISC Archives | Getty Images

Remember Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan ending his NBA career with the Washington Wizards? Or Joe Montana, a San Francisco 49ers legend, hanging up his helmet after a two-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs?

Those late-career transitions have happened in NASCAR as well, with several drivers who made certain cars iconic during their heyday finishing out the end of their Hall of Fame careers in slightly less familiar rides. A look at those twilight stock cars, including some you may have forgotten.

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NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen is most closely associated with the creamy white No. 28 Holman-Moody Fords he drove to almost all of his 26 premier-series wins. But in his next-to-last season (1971), he wheeled this Ray Nichels-owned No. 99 Plymouth, earning seven top-five finishes in 14 starts.

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In his final season, Lorenzen returned to the No. 28 for all but one of his eight starts in 1972. But it was a distinctly different-looking car, fielded by team owner Hoss Ellington with sponsorship by the Lemon Tree Inn. Lorenzen drove this Ford Torino to a fourth-place effort in May 1972 at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Bobby Isaac secured nearly all of his 37 premier-series wins in the Nord Krauskopf-owned No. 71 Dodge from 1968-72. In 1973, he was driving for fellow Hall of Famer Bud Moore in a No. 15 Ford in the Talladega 500 when he said, 'Something told me to quit.' Isaac parked and Coo Coo Marlin drove the car the rest of the way to a 13th-place result.

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Isaac returned for just 19 races over the final three seasons of his driving tenure (1974-76). Hoss Ellington's No. 28, which came with support from Pylon Wiper Blades, became one of his final stops.

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David Pearson has several iconic rides on his Hall of Fame resume -- Cotton Owens' No. 6 Dodge, Holman-Moody's No. 17 Ford, and his best-known partnership with the Wood Brothers' No. 21 Ford. But in 1986 at age 51, Pearson made just two final starts in the No. 21 Chevrolet as an owner-driver.

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Benny Parsons drove for several team owners during his career, but enjoyed the most success -- including his lone premier-series title -- piloting the No. 72 for owner L.G. DeWitt. He rounded out the final season of his Hall of Fame career with Junie Donlavey in this No. 90 Ford.

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Darrell Waltrip had the Tide Ride, his No. 11 Chevys with Mountain Dew and later Budweiser sponsorship with Junior Johnson among his best-known cars. For the second half of the 1998 campaign, he competed in the Tim Beverley-owned No. 35 with Tabasco livery.

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Waltrip completed his career with two seasons (1999-2000) in Travis Carter equipment. The highlight of his final campaign was earning a front-row start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for his last Brickyard 400.

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Dale Jarrett achieved most of his 32 premier-series wins and the 1999 championship driving the No. 88 Ford for fellow Hall of Famer Robert Yates. He drove this No. 44 Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing in his final points-paying start on March 16, 2008 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

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Robert Laberge | Getty Images

Though he also won in cars fielded by Junior Johnson and Ray Evernham, Bill Elliott and the No. 9 Coors Ford owned by Harry Melling were synonymous with success in the 1980s and into the 1990s. But Elliott also drove for a handful of different car owners after he dialed back to part-time duty, including this 2006 No. 00 Chevrolet for team owner Michael Waltrip.

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Chris Graythen | Getty Images

After four partial seasons (2007-10) with the Wood Brothers, Elliott made just two starts in his final year, 2012. One of those was for Joe Nemechek's NEMCO outfit at Talladega Superspeedway.

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Todd Warshaw | Getty Images

Bill Elliott made the final start of his career in a one-off ride for car owner Steve Turner. His Walmart-sponsored No. 50 Chevrolet finished 37th after a late-race crash.

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Two-time series champion Terry Labonte had a special farewell salute at Texas Motor Speedway in his home state on November 5th, 2006. Though it was a departure from the Kellogg's No. 5 Chevrolet that carried him in the mid-1990s, the car brought back the No. 44 that was a part of his early success.

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From 2007-2014, Labonte competed in no more than 10 races per year. One of those was a five-race partnership with car owner John Carter in the No. 08 Toyota.

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Labonte spent most of his final driving days with car owner Frank Stoddard before the team transformed into FAS Lane Racing and later, Go Fas Racing. His final ride was this No. 32 Ford, which took 33rd place at Talladega on Oct. 19, 2014.

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Jared C. Tilton | Getty Images

Hall of Famer Mark Martin rose to NASCAR stardom driving Jack Roush's No. 6 Fords and later, Rick Hendrick's No. 5 Chevrolets. His final stretch in NASCAR's premier series was a two-year stint from 2012-13. Parts of those two seasons were spent with Michael Waltrip Racing in the team's No. 55 Toyota. He notched five pole positions with the organization.

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Ronald C. Modra | Getty Images

Martin was twice called on as a substitute driver in his final season of 2013. He filled in on the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota for one race as Denny Hamlin recovered from a back injury. Later, he completed his career as an interim driver for the injured Tony Stewart, making 12 starts in the Stewart-Haas No. 14 Chevrolet.