NASCAR Car # Countdown to the 2008 Daytona 500

[James J.]

NASCAR Car # Countdown to Daytona 2008

A daily countdown to the 2008 Daytona 500 using car numbers.  I'll try to post information such as some drivers who've ran or are running the car number, win history (if any), or other related tid-bits of information.  The info. just needs to tie in to the car number of the day. 

As of this posting we're 80 days from the Daytona 500.

Sorry Jr. fans, this means the #88 obviously won't be covered in this countdown.  But I think there's been plenty of ink and coverage on the #88 during the '07 season, and will certainly be the same in '08.

[James J.]

#80

The #80 has seen victory lane only one time.  This win came in 1953 in Martinsville, VA with driver Jim Pashal behind the wheel of the Big Bear Market Dodge.  Jim led 73 of the 200 laps to take the win. He raced the #80 eleven times that season and had an average finish of 10.9 in that stretch of races.  Jim Paschal won 25 races during his Grand National / Winston Cup career.  Included in that 25 race win total are two wins in a car number that is deeply tied and rooted to one of NASCAR's greatest legends and cars... the #43. 

[James J.]

I hope some of you will enjoy this countdown. Some of the NASCAR tid-bits Chris has been posting in his off-season thread have been pretty interesting and in part spurred me to start this series. I can tell you I'm now going to enjoy it even more than I thought.  You see, it's forcing me to do a little searching and I'm learning some history.... especially for some of the numbers that aren't real popular or haven't been used in a while.  However, tonight in my research I came across something and was pretty surprising to me.  Tonight I learned something about the upcoming #79 that I never would have guessed, and if someone would have bet me whether it was true or not, I would have lost my money. 

Hope you'll check in tomorrow.... or later tonight if I'm still up.    

[KurtBuschFan]

This is a great idea....thanks!  Roswell....does this work as a countdown clock for you?

[sugar]

I agree, I'll learn all kinds of stuff from you guys.  Thanks in advance!

[James J.]

#79

A car with the number 79 on it's door has yet to experience a post race bath from a bottle of champagne in the top NASCAR division.... despite 471 starts!  The last time the #79 raced was in 1997 at Loudon.  A good majority of the races in which the #79 was on the track were with driver Frank Warren behind the wheel (which was most all of the races between 1965 and 1979!).  However, an interesting fact is that in 1980 there was a single start by a driver who some would argue was the best non-professional driver on the Cup circuit.  The race was the Firecracker 400 at Daytona.   With 35 starts in a 13 year period, this driver had 6 top tens in his career.  In his era, he was one of the most popular and successful country western singers. For most of his nearly four decade career, his name was rarely far from the country music charts with several of his songs also becoming pop hits.  Who was he?  Grammy Award winner, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and occasional NASCAR driver ....

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Marty Robbins.  Check out Marty's most popular song, El Paso, on YouTube.com
Now who hasn't heard that song?  What a great classic!

BTW, Bobby Allison won that race in Daytona.  Cale Yarborough finished last (40th).  Marty had engine problems and finished 30th, followed by Darrel Waltrip in the #88 Gatorade car (there Jr. fans, I worked the #88 in somewhere for you) and Terry Labonte in the #44.

[Chris]

Hey Sunkist... NICE JOB...
Like the little deal you are doing here...
this is what FS is all about.  You doing your little countdown,.. I'm doing my deal...
I hope it serves to educate the fans here, and keep them entertained at the same time.  Some of us old timers actually remember some of this stuff... (I was abig fan back in the day and saw frank run back in the 70's)  Great Indepentant racer)
In any event,... KBF also has her deal,.. and soon we'll also have the prediction deal up and going... so lots of stuff to keep folks entertained in the off season.

[KurtBuschFan]

And of course if anyone has anything they'd like to see, by all means get it started or just send me a message and let me know.  I hate the way racing message boards tend to die off for a while during the off season

[DotheDew88]

I started here last year a couple of days after Christmas, so I had fun during the off season. You guys all gave me some good info for my first race! Hey, at least we don't have to wait as long as other sports teams.

[HUDSON HORNET]

GONE FISHIN'
~~~~~~~~ 
Will Return in
~~Feburary~~
>>>>><<<<

.........  ........

[Roswell]

This is a great idea....thanks!  Roswell....does this work as a countdown clock for you?

Uh huh... it's a cool idea
 I'd still like to see a clock on the main message board page though. I've looked for one but I wouldn't know how to post it if I found one, probably. 

[HUDSON HORNET]

Uh huh... it's a cool idea
 I'd still like to see a clock on the main message board page though. I've looked for one but I wouldn't know how to post it if I found one, probably. 

Shux Howdy Ros!
Jest getcha a hammer and a nail and pound that nail into the post on the main board.
Then hang the clock on the nail.
Measure carefully.
Adjust as necessary.

So simple, even a caveman could do it.

Might need to pull a building permit though. 

[KurtBuschFan]

Well Ros if you find one, let me know, and I'll talk to Ren about it.  If anyone can get it up and running it'll be him.

[Roswell]

Seems to me that BB6 used to post one every year,  wonder if there's one up at Caws site. I don't  have the address with me but if I remembe I'l look tonight and we can steal errrrrr... borrow it!

[James J.]

#78

The tidbit of information will be a little more current and modern for today's car number, #78.  Between 1949 and present, the car in victory lane has had a #78 on four times in 287 starts.  The car #78 is currently in use for Sprint Cup competition.  Kenny Wallace drove the for owner Barney Visser and his Furniture Row Racing team for most all of 2007.  Joe Nemecheck has now been signed on for a three year contract to drive the car beginning in 2008.  Not only does Barney Visser own the car, but he also owns the sponsor, a retail chain of stores based in Denver, CO.  The race team itself is also based out of Colorado.  Many NASCAR fans are already aware of Barney and his involvement in his Cup race team ownership and his entrepreneurial work.  But did you know Barney can also claim to be a film producer, author, and is a Vietnam veteran?

Visser served as executive producer of a movie titled "Uncle Nino." The movie tells the story of a family unable to find time for each other until the arrival of Uncle Nino from Italy helps open the lines of communications.  The movie starred Joe Mantegna (currently stars in the TV show "Criminal Minds"; and stars as the recurring voice roll in the "Simpsons" as mob boss "Fat Tony.") and actress Anne Archer (starred opposite Harrison Ford in movies "Patriot Games" and "Clear and Present Danger", as well as opposite of Michael Douglas in "Fatal Attraction").

Barney Visser also co-authored the book "Vietnam Insights."  You see, not only did Barney volunteer for the draft, but after being offered a choice of stateside service academies he instead chose to go to active duty in Vietnam where he served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade.  During his 21 total months of service to his country, he was a paratrooper from July '68 to June '69.