In NASCAR Cup Series competition the #30 car has started 1061 races with 80 drivers and has 1 win, 8 poles, 44 top 5s, 188 top 10s, and 344 DNFs.
Michael Waltrip has the most starts in #30 with 265 from 1987-1995. His most memorable moment in #30 came during a Busch Series (XFINITY) race at Bristol in 1990 when an improperly closed track gate caused him to collide head on with the concrete wall. Mikey walked away just fine and even gave a cheeky interview after the incident. Years later, Mike Harmon would be involved in a similar Busch Series crash at Bristol, also walking away uninjured. After Harmon’s crash Bristol installed a tunnel, eliminating the need for track gates. Waltrip never won a points paying race in the number, but he did win the 1991 Winston Open and earned 2 poles.
1971 Rookie of the Year Walter Ballard made 161 of his 176 career starts in #30 from 1966-1977.
Tighe Scott was a successful dirt modified racer before moving to NASCAR to drive for Walter Ballard, now a car owner. Scott started 87 of his 89 career races in #30 from 1976-1982. He earned 18 top 10s during that time.
Though he is best known for his 589 starts in #71, Dave Marcis drove the #30 Dodge Daytona for his first 3 years on the Grand National (Cup) circuit from 1969-1971, a total of 83 starts.
David Stremme has 71 starts in #30 for Swan Racing since 2011. Other part time drivers in the Swan Racing #30 include Parker Kligerman, Cole Whitt, and Kevin Swindell. In 2014 J.J. Yeley made 1 start in #30 after Xxxtreme Motorsports bought #30 from Swan, but the deal quickly fell apart.
Following the departure of Michael Waltrip, Johnny Benson took over the Pennzoil #30 for 62 starts from 1996-1997. He won the 1996 Rookie of the Year in the car.
Kevin Harvick was supposed to drive the #30 AOL Chevy for RCR for 7 races in 2001, and full time beginning in 2002. The death of Dale Earnhardt changed everything, and Harvick got called up to Winston Cup sooner than expected as he took over Dale’s car, now #29.
Instead, one of Harvick’s Busch Series rivals Jeff Green was hired by Childress starting with those 7 races in 2001. Green struggled from 2001-2003, earning only 7 top 10s in his 55 starts. In 2003 he started strong by winning the pole at Daytona, but at Richmond Harvick ran into the rear of Green’s car while Green was attempting to avoid a conflict between Ryan Newman and Ward Burton. Harvick began apologizing for the spin-out, and cameras showed that Green’s car had hesitated before the collision. Green was outraged by the incident and confronted Harvick’s crew chief, Todd Berrier, later saying, “Tough to be teammates when it seems like there’s only one car at RCR.” He was fired by Childress the next day, who said that change was needed after the relationship had gone awry.
Following the Richmond race Steve Park was hired to replace Green. Park had recently been let go from DEI’s #1 car after poor performances, so Jeff Green was hired by DEI to drive #1. The two drivers essentially swapped rides, but in reality they were both fired, then hired by the other team. Park would finish 2003 in the car with 24 total starts.
In 2004 Johnny Sauter was promoted from RCR’s Busch program to drive the #30, but the struggles continued for the team. After 13 starts Dave Blaney replaced Sauter. Childress announced that Dave Blaney would drive #30 for the rest of the year and the 2005 season, but after 8 races Blaney was replaced.
Jeff Burton had recently been released from Roush Racing after his #99 team failed to find sponsorship. Knowing that Robby Gordon would be leaving the #31 car at the end of 2004, Childress hired Burton to be his replacement. Burton drove #30 for the rest of 2004 before moving to #31 in 2005. At the beginning of 2005 RCR rehired Blaney, but the #30 was changed to #07 in accordance with the team’s new sponsor Jack Daniel’s.
From 1998-1999 Derrike Cope made 39 starts in #30.
Speedy Thompson only drove #30 twice in his career, both in 1955. At Martinsville on October 16, 1955 Thompson won the only Grand National win that the #30 has ever gotten.
In 2015 Curtis Key’s The Motorsports Group fielded the #30 car in 2 races. One with Ron Hornaday and one with Jeff Green. In 2016 the team returned with Josh Wise for 28 races and Gray Gaulding for 2 races.
Other notable names in #30
Tiny Lund, 7 starts
Todd Bodine, 7 starts (but is best known for his 2 Championships driving the #30 Truck .)
Cale Yarborough, 3 starts
Friday Hassler, 3 starts
Ned Jarrett, 2 starts
Jim Paschal, 1 start
Elmo Langley, 1 start
Buddy Baker, 1 start
Buckshot Jones, 1 start
Jim Inglebright, 1 start
Bob Welborn, 1 start
Dale Earnhardt , 1 start
Juan Pablo Montoya , 1 start. It did not go well .
