Hey everyone, it’s your boy back again with another deep dive into the world of racing! Today, I wanted to figure out who’s been behind the wheel of that iconic No. 88 car in NASCAR. You know, the one that always seems to be in the mix.
So, I started digging, just poking around the internet to see what I could find. First thing I did was try to get a list of all the drivers who’ve ever driven the 88. I stumbled upon a few names, some I recognized, others were a bit before my time. I found out that Dale Jarrett was the one who really put the 88 on the map, with a whopping 28 wins in that car. That’s wild! But I wanted to know who’s driving it now.
Next, I looked for anything mentioning current drivers of the 88 car. Turns out, until recently, a guy named Alex Bowman has been tearing it up in the No. 88 for Hendrick Motorsports. He replaced Dale Earnhardt Jr., who also drove the 88 before he retired. Apparently, Bowman has been with the team for seven full seasons. It’s like he found a home there. The records say this happened after the 2017 season.
But then I found something even more interesting. It looks like there’s a new driver coming to the 88 car in 2025. And get this, it’s Shane van Gisbergen, a dude from New Zealand! I saw that he won the Chicago Street Race in 2023. Apparently, a team called Trackhouse Racing announced on Aug. 24, 2024, that he’ll be driving for them full-time next year.
Then I realized that the No. 88 isn’t just in the NASCAR Cup Series. It also shows up in the Truck Series, driven by Matt Crafton in a Ford F-150. Seems like the 88 is a popular number across different NASCAR series. It’s pretty cool to see all these names associated with the No. 88, from legends like Dale Jarrett to current stars like Alex Bowman and future drivers like Shane van Gisbergen.
Here’s what I gathered:
- Dale Jarrett has the most wins in the No. 88 car, with 28 victories.
- Alex Bowman has been driving the No. 88 for Hendrick Motorsports since 2017, replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Shane van Gisbergen, the 2023 Chicago Street Race winner, will drive the No. 88 for Trackhouse Racing starting in 2025.
- Matt Crafton drives the No. 88 Ford F-150 in the NASCAR Truck Series.
So yeah, that’s my little adventure into the history and future of the No. 88 car in NASCAR. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m stoked to see what Shane van Gisbergen does with it next year! Hope you all enjoyed this little journey with me. Catch you on the next one!
