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History of the No. 4: From Rex White to Kevin Harvick
External News Wire |
11/30/15
Author: Jay Pennell
Date: Nov. 28, 2015
While Stewart-Haas Racing's Kevin Harvick has been making the No. 4 famous in NASCAR today, the number has a long history in the Sprint Cup Series.
Harvick piloted the No. 4 to his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title in 2014, but he is not the only driver to carry the number to a championship. NASCAR Hall of Famer Rex White drove the No. 4 to his first NASCAR Premier Series championship in 1960, winning six races and beating fellow Hall of Famer Richard Petty for the title.
Aside from Harvick and White, a host of other drivers have driven the No. 4 throughout NASCAR history.
Here are some facts about the iconic number:
- A total of 118 different drivers have used the No. 4 in NASCAR's premier division, starting with Frank Mundy during the first Strictly Stock race in Charlotte on June 19, 1949. That season, three other drivers piloted the No. 4: Don Cecchini, Otis Martin and Bill Rexford.
- The first victory for the No. 4 car came during NASCAR's very first road course race at the Linden (New Jersey) Airport. Al Keller took the victory for team owner Paul Whiteman and was driving a Jaguar, also the first NASCAR victory for a foreign-made car brand.
- John Sears ran the most races in the No. 4, a total of 289. Sears never scored a victory in the No. 4, but did record 45 top fives, 115 top 10s and two poles.
- Rex White earned the most victories in the No. 4, recording 26 wins in his 168 races with the number. Along with 90 top fives and 121 top 10s, White had an average finish of 8.35 with the famed number.
- The No. 4 car has won the Daytona 500 a total of three times. Ernie Irvan was the first driver to do so in 1991 driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Sterling Marlin followed that up with back-to-back Daytona 500 wins for Morgan-McClure, winning in 1994 and 1995.
- Only 10 drivers have taken the No. 4 to Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series: White, Harvick, Irvan, Marlin, Keller, Kasey Kahne, Bob Welborn, Billy Myers, John Soares and Bobby Hamilton.
- All told, the No. 4 has competed in 1,511 Sprint Cup races, earning 53 victories, 264 top fives, 505 top 10s, 899 top 20s and 55 poles.
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