From the January 3rd, 2011 Racing Through History Show....

Since the last time we met, there have been lots of changes regarding whose name is above the door of a Sprint Cup car, one of them being A.J. Allmendinger leaving the famed Richard Petty owned 43, and heading to the #22 Pennzoil Dodge. But what makes this worth talking about is how famous that #22 really is. What in my book is the most famous 22 ever in Nascar, never really gets mentioned. After coming home from the war and meeting Red Byron, Raymond Parks decided to let Red drive one of his cars. When it came time to decide a number for his wounded friend, he chose the #22. He had already been known for fielding cars such as the #7, #14, and #21 for Bill France, who occasionally drove a Graham for Mr. Parks. Although Raymond has also had numbers such as 4, 20, and 13. A deal was made and Red Byron, the crippled war-vet, race-car driver started driving the Raymond Parks owned, Red Vogt built #22 Ford at the start of the 1946 stock car season at Daytona, where he won. In Reds years driving for Parks, he not only made a friend, but he earned his dear friend some of stock-car racings most sought-after races. He won numerous modified races across the south and even some towards the north. In 1947, he had finished 2^nd in the NSCRA series to his teammate Fonty Flock, who was driving in aid for his brother Bob, who had a bad accident mid-season. In 1948, Parks and Bryon entered the newly developed Nascar series driving the modifeds. Again he won at Daytona for the 6^th time. He won numerous races, although one, in Columbus Ga in June of that year, went terribly wrong. While battling Fonty Flock for the lead with around 15 laps to go, Byrons #22 blew a right rear tire and plunged into the crowd, killing a small boy. Byron had to force himself to get back into a racecar, he did, and won the first Nascar Championship ever. He only won a little over $1,200. The next year, While still racing modifieds to begin with, he and Raymond Parks soon entered the new Strictly Stock series that started up in June of 1949. Since it started so late, there were 8 scheduled races. Byron entered 6 and won two, again winning the championship. In 1950, the team only ran part schedule, this year, driving a #22 Cadillac. He didnt really do good all year until the Southern 500. He had a shot to win it, but during the entire race Byron pitted his new Caddy 24 times because of worn tires. Winner Johnny Mantz only pitted 3 times.

The next driver on my list of top drivers of the #22 would have to be Fireball Roberts. Fireball started driving his famed #22 driving for Pete DePalo during the 1956 Grand National and convertible campain. He compete in 33 out of 56 Grand National events, as he never ran a full season in his career, and just 2 starts in the pop-top cars as they called the convertibles. He won five races that year. In 1957, part of the year he drove a #22 Ford for Pete DePalo, part of the year in his self-owned #22 Ford, and part of the year, he drove a 57 Chevy 22 for Frank Strickland out of Florida. He won 8 races in the Grand Nationals and 1 in the convertibles that year. For the next year, he would drive the 22 only part time, and in 59, he would leave his #22. In 1960, now driving the #22 for John Hines, He won 2 races that year including the first race at Atlanta International Raceway on July 31^st. In 1961 he again won two races. When 1962 came around, Fireball was one of the most popular drivers out there, he was a fan favorite. He kicked off the season by winning the 62 Daytona 500 driving a Black and Gold #22 for Jim Stephens. That year, he swept Daytona. He won a qualifier race and the 500 for Jim Stephens, then came back driving for Banjo Matthewss #22 in the Firecracker race. In 1963, Fireball had his best season since 1958 winning four races that year, all in Fords. But one race that year, he was still driving a Pontiac at Riverside, the season opener. This Pontiac was like no other he had ever driven, it was a different body style and the paint was now changed to red and white, but still #22. After this race, Pontiac pulled their involvement from racing, and Roberts was picked up by the factory-backed Holman-Moody Ford team. They put Fireball in a brand new lavender colored Ford Galaxie, which was of course, 22. He went on to win 4 races, including his second Daytona Firecracker and his second Southern 500. In 1964, he was still driving for Holman-Moody, when he won one race in Augusta Ga, but not too long after that, as most know, he was badly injured in the 1964 World 600, and passed away just 6 weeks later.

Now Bobby Allison is known for driving the #22 in what is called The Modern Era. He started driving for Mario Rossi in 1969 where he first drove the 22. Allison was with Rossi for only two seasons driving Dodges. In those two years, he won 7 races, 5 for Mario and the last two was driving for himself. He was unsponsored in 69, but in 1970, the Coca-Cola company picked up Bobby and they were now on the car. However, in 1971, Bobby and Coke left Mario Rossi and went to the Holman-Moody team, now in the #12. It wasnt until the 1983 season when Bobby and the 22 would return to the track. He won 6 races in 1983 driving the #22 Miller Lite Buick for the DiGardi racing team, who he previously drove the #88 for. Those 6 races were good enough for his only Winston Cup Championship. The next year, he won 1 race, and then was winless in 1985. So in 1986, carrying the 22 number and Miller Lite with him, he joined the Stavola Brothers Team. He won two races for the 1986/87 seasons for them, then in 1988, still with Stavola, he switched to his old #12 in which he had success with in the 70s. He won the his last race, which was his third Daytona 500 win.

In the early 90s, Sterling Marlin drove the 22 for Junior Johnson. Then in 1993, Bobby LaBonte drove the 22 for Bill Davis, who kept the car number for many years. In fact, when LaBonte left Bill Davis, he earned one win that season with Ward Burton now in the 22. It wouldnt be until 2000 when Ward would get another win in the 22, then again in 2001. In 2002, he won 2 races that year, but most notably, that years Daytona 500. That year would be the last time for Bill Davis wins, and the #22s wins for quite sometime. Until whats now last year, when Kurt Busch won two points races and the Bud Shootout, but since he done what he did, A.J Allmendinger is now in the car for next yearwhich is really this year. Anyway, I think A.J will do good with Roger Penske, even though Petty was not top notch equipment, he did have a few good runs and finished 15^th in the points. So who knows? Maybe the 22 will be back in victory lane soon!