No. 28 through the years
By Zack Albert, NASCAR.com | Tuesday, June 18, 2019
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
1 of 23
The No. 28 has a rich history in NASCAR, adorning the door and roof of plenty of stock-car racing legends. Take a trip down Memory Lane with drivers of the No. 28, including Davey Allison's 1987 Daytona 500 ride (pictured).
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
2 of 23
Eddie Skinner of Yerington, Nevada, was among the earliest campaigners of the No. 28. From 1953-58, he competed in 72 races in NASCAR's top division, all but three in the No. 28. Skinner finished a career-best seventh in the series standings in 1955.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
3 of 23
Fred Lorenzen was among the earliest to take the No. 28 to prominence. He started fifth in the 1960 Daytona 500 in this No. 28 Ford, ultimately finishing eighth in his first start in The Great American Race.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
4 of 23
Fred Lorenzen (black shirt) and his crew check the tires temperatures on their Ford during the 1960 season. The following year, Lorenzen would pair with the legendary Holman-Moody duo, setting the course for a prolific run of success in NASCAR's biggest races.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
5 of 23
Fred Lorenzen poses with his Holman-Moody No. 28 Ford at Daytona in 1963. Lorenzen captured all but one of his 26 premier-series wins driving the No. 28 for the team.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
6 of 23
"Chargin'" Charlie Glotzbach poses with his Hoss Ellington-owned No. 28 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway in 1974. Glotzbach was a veteran of 124 premier-series starts, with just eight of those using the No. 28.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
7 of 23
A.J. Foyt was an occasional competitor in NASCAR, making 14 of his 128 career starts in Hoss Ellington's No. 28. Here he races alongside Ramo Stott's No. 83 during the 1975 Daytona 500.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
8 of 23
Buddy Baker and team owner Harry Ranier made a formidable combination with the No. 28 Oldsmobile, dubbed the "Gray Ghost." Baker swept the pole positions for both races in 1979 at Daytona International Speedway, and won three races that season in the sinister black-and-silver entry.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
9 of 23
Buddy Baker put the Gray Ghost No. 28 in Victory Lane in the 1980 Daytona 500, setting a record for average speed that still stands as the fastest Great American Race ever held. Baker won six poles and two races that season.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
10 of 23
Bobby Allison also carried the Gray Ghost No. 28 colors to success, winning five races with Ranier in 1981. He wound up second in the series standings to season champion Darrell Waltrip.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
11 of 23
Driving duties for the Harry Ranier's No. 28 were split in the 1982 season, with Benny Parsons making 14 of the starts. Baker made 15 appearances, and Joe Ruttmann made one. Parsons claimed three pole positions in the No. 28, notching top-five finishes in half of his starts.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
12 of 23
Cale Yarborough joined Ranier's No. 28 team in 1983, with master engine builder Waddell Wilson providing the horsepower and making calls as the team's crew chief. Here, Yarborough takes a break before setting a qualifying record of 202.650 mph at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1, 1983.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
13 of 23
Cale Yarborough's tenure with Ranier netted nine victories, including back-to-back Daytona 500 wins in 1983-84.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
14 of 23
Davey Allison came on board with Harry Ranier's team in 1987, quickly establishing his reputation as a budding star. Allison notched his first Cup Series win in just his 14th start, joining the Victory Lane festivities at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 1987.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
15 of 23
Davey Allison's No. 28 took on a predominantly black paint scheme as team ownership transitioned to engine builder Robert Yates in 1989 into the early 1990s. All of Allison's 19 wins in NASCAR's top series came using the No. 28.
ISC Archives & Research Center | Getty Images
16 of 23
Allison's death midway through the 1993 season stunned the sport. For a long-term replacement, Yates turned to Ernie Irvan, who secured eight of his 15 career wins driving the No. 28.
Jamie Squire | Getty Images
17 of 23
Dale Jarrett spent one season -- 1995 -- driving Robert Yates Racing's No. 28 before the team's expansion the following year.
Jamie Squire | Getty Images
18 of 23
Ernie Irvan pilots the Robert Yates Racing No. 28 Ford at Daytona International Speedway in 1997, his final year with the team.
Jamie Squire | Getty Images
19 of 23
Kenny Irwin took over the No. 28 Ford in 1998, the first of two seasons with Yates' group.
Donald Miralle | Getty Images
20 of 23
Ricky Rudd heads the field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2000, his first year paired with Yates. Rudd closed out his career with the team in 2007.
Jamie Squire | Getty Images
21 of 23
The paint scheme of the Yates No. 28 evolved over the years, but the car number struck a familiar profile. Here, Rudd exits his No. 28 ride at Talladega in the 2002 season.
Jerry Markland | Getty Images
22 of 23
Travis Kvapil was the most recent driver to campaign the No. 28 in NASCAR's top series. He made 40 starts for Yates, including four early in the 2009 season to close out his time with the team.
Streeter Lecka | Getty Images
23 of 23
The legacy of the No. 28 lives on, as several of its former drivers have been enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Cale Yarborough is among those inductees, seen posing with his No. 28 car during Hall of Fame weekend in 2012.
