Memorable drivers of No. 6 in history

By Staff Report | Published: February 21, 2020 18

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The No. 6 car has a rich legacy in NASCAR, and Ross Chastain adds his name to the list of all-time drivers this weekend when he subs for Ryan Newman at Las Vegas. We take a look at the memorable drivers of the No. 6.

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NASCAR Hall of Famer Herb Thomas' first start in the No. 6 in 1951 produced both a pole position and a win at Jacksonville, a half-mile dirt track. He would make just one more start in the No. 6.

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Marshall Teague earned seven victories driving the No. 6 from 1951-52, including back-to-back victories on the Daytona Beach & Road Course to kick off both seasons.

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Known more for piloting the No. 8, seven of Ralph Earnhardt's 51 premier series starts came in a No. 6 Pontiac owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Cotton Owens.

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Hall of Famers Junior Johnson (left) and Fireball Roberts made five combined starts in the car number from 1961-62.

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Among 27 starts in the No. 6 car, NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductee Buddy Baker drove to Victory Lane in the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington.

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Add Bobby Allison to the list of NASCAR legends with experience driving the No. 6 car, with nine starts in 1967.

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Six of the No. 6's 83 wins at NASCAR's top level were courtesy of Hall of Famer Cotton Owens.

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David Pearson, one of just two drivers with at least 100 wins in NASCAR's top level, jumped into the No. 6 in beginning in 1962. He won 27 races from 1964-67, including 15 alone in 1966.

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Charlie Glotzbach made 25 starts with the 6 on the side of his car, earning one victory from the pole at Charlotte in 1968.

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Pete Hamilton made 20 starts in the No. 6, but it was the first one that marked his final Cup Series victory, in a Daytona 125-mile qualifying race in 1971.

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Yes, that is Richard Petty in a green No. 6. 'The King' totaled his No. 43 in practice before the 1986 Coca-Cola 600, so instead he hopped into D.K. Ulrich's No. 6 for one race only. He finished 38th, exiting early after the engine expired.

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There may not be a driver more synonymous with the No. 6 than Mark Martin. The veteran excelled in this ride for Roush Fenway Racing, winning 35 races from 1988-2006.

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David Ragan is the most recent driver to win in the No. 6. He drove to victory at Daytona in 2011, the 83rd time the car number had won a race.

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Before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made his full-time NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2013, he drove four races in Roush Fenway Racing's No. 6 Ford in 2012.

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Trevor Bayne raced three-plus full-time seasons driving the No. 6 for team owner Jack Roush.

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Matt Kenseth drove the No. 6 Ford part-time in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season.

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In 2019, Ryan Newman moved from Richard Childress Racing to compete in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.