But not all 62 of them!
Naturally, after I’d
finished the original, mondo three pages, or was it thoust number four? And
heard the news, I decided to break this ever continuing No Fenders story into
glorious two part Harmony…
Obviously the most successful IndyCar
drivers to race in NASCAR are A.J. foyt and Mario Andretti, with both having
won the Daytona 500. As Foyt made His NASCAR Cup debut in the 1963 Riverside
500, site of one of His numerous bad accidents! With His brakes failing,
summersaulting multiple times and ending up in a ravine with a broken back,
ribs and ankle!
Foyt contested a total of 128 NASCAR Cup races, claiming
seven wins, 36 Top 10’s and nine pole positions. Scoring His first win in the
1964 Firecracker 400 at Daytona.
SuperTex’s biggest win was the 1972 Daytona 500 driving for
the Wood Brothers. Having run out of petrol the year prior when leading. With
Foyt’s final start being the inaugural 1994 Brickyard 400, finishing 30th.
SuperMario’ was the first IndyCar driver to win the Daytona
500. Claiming victory in 1967, driving a Ford Fairlane for Holman Moody. As
this would be Mario’s one and only NASCAR Cup win, albeit making only 14
starts. Huh, where have I heard that number 14 before, Eh?
Mario made His Grand National (Cup) debut and farewell at
the same venue, Riverside raceway in California, in the Motor Trend 500 between
1966 and 1969.
Scott Pruett, five-times Rolex 24 winner, and multi Grand Am
Sports Car champion raced in Cup for one season with Cal Wells Racing in 2000.
Driving the No. 32 Ford Taurus Tide entry, finishing a respectable P19 in His
Cup debut.
As Scooter’ would race several years as a Cup “Road Ringer”,
finishing runner-up to former IndyCar protagonist Robby Gordon at The Glen in
’03, His career best Cup result.
Robby “DirtMann” Gordoun’ raced in Cup between 1991 and 2012, just shy of 400 races. Winning a
total of three Cup races, including sweeping the aforementioned ’03 Road races.
Ironically with that Watkins Glen race being His final Cup victory.
As I can still recall laughing hysterically when Gordon ran
out of fuel with a single lap remaining in the 1999 Indianapolis 500!
Whenever I think of Juan Pablo Montoya’s Cup career, I
immediately think of the year He plowed into the Track Jet Dryer, which burst
into flames! Not to mention speeding in the pitlane while leading the Brickyard
400. Or when giving then Ganassi teammate Pruett the Chrome Horn treatment in
Mexico City to win His debutante NASCAR Nationwide race in 2007, Ariva-Ariva-Ariva!
As that Montoyer feller’ done shocked the moto racing world
when deciding to leave Formula 1 for NASCAR in 2006! Making His Cup debut at
Homestead, Miami. Running a total of 256 races over ten years.
As Montoya won the ’07 Sonoma road race, and then the 2010
Watkins Glen road race. His only two Cup wins before retiring from fulltime Cup
competition at the end of 2014. Returning to IndyCar, where He won the 2015
Indianapolis 500 driving for Team Penske.
While I was unaware that He’d raced at The glen last year
for 23/XI Racing in a third Toyota Camry in a “One-off” appearance.
Then Thars Queen Danica, aka Danica Patrick. Whose claim to
fame is winning the 2008 Motegi IndyCar race. With Patrick parlaying that
success into a Cup career with the now defunct Stewart Haas Racing.
Patrick made Her Cup debut in the 2012 Daytona 500, running
a limited schedule that year. Then the following year, in Her first full Cup
season. Danica started off with a bang. Becoming the first female to win a Pole
in NASCAR at the Daytona 500! Finishing eighth overall. With Patrick capping
Her cup career in 2018 with Her final outing being that year’s Day-Toner’ 500,
before ending Her racing career in that year’s Indianapolis 500.
Michael McDowell raced two Champ Car rounds for Rocketsports
in 2005 before gravitating to Cup. Winning the Daytona 500 in 2021, His first
Cup win in an astounding 358 starts! And currently competes for Spier
Motorsports, part of the Andretti, Err TWG Global empire…
A.J. Allmendinger went from promising ruSport Champ Car
driver to IndyCar Star upon winning five Champ Car races in ’06 for Forsythe
Racing after the dismissal of Mario Boom Boom Dominguez. Before accepting a
three year deal to go Roundy round racing in Cup for the newly formed Red Bull
NASCAR team.
As Allmendinger won the first of His three Cup victories to
date in 2014 at The Glen. Before a fantastic win in the 2021 Brickyard 200 at
Indianapolis. With His latest Cup triumph being the 2023 Charlotte Roval. While
last year He raced fulltime in the second tier Xfinity series for Kaulig
Racing.
Jacques Villeneuve, whom I prefer calling Jack Vanilla needs
no introduction. Other than the multi-discipline racer has one Daytona 500
start to His credit.
Villeneuve actually made His Nextel Sprint Cup debut in 2013
for Phoenix Racing at Sonoma. Before returning to NASCAR in 2022 as part of
Team Hezeberg, remember them Y’all? As Villeneuve qualifiered on speed in 40th.
And finished 22nd after a half spin and collision for the part-time non Charter
team, which disappeared after one season in cup.
And then by my very rudimentary Taxicab Bombers’ knowledge,
Conor Daly is currently the latest IndyCar driver to have successfully
qualified and raced in the Day-Toner’ 500. Although Daly actually made His Cup
debut for The Money Team in the 2022 Charlotte Fall Roval race.
For 2023 The Money Team announced that Daly would run a
limited schedule for the team co-owned by world Heavyweight Champion Floyd
Mayweather.
As Daly raced His way into the Day-toner’ 500 with an
ill-handling car, due to the other non Charter competitors crashing out! With
Daly ultimately finishing P29 of the 40-car field, six laps behind winner Ricky
Stenhouse Jr.
And speaking of six degrees ‘O separation, where are Yuhs
Kevin Bacon? Y’all know that Ricky boy’ (Stenhouse) had a past relationship
with Danica. Whilst Conor was driving the Cup ride originally slated for
Castroneves, before the deal broke down.
Reportedly, Daly was the 62nd driver to date to compete in
both the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500. Making Castroneves the 63rd
illustrious member to join this “club”.
