Car number 55 has been driven 1109 times with 13 wins, 20 poles, 94 top 5s, 234 top 10s, and 343 DNFs in the NASCAR Cup Series.
In 2022, J.J. Yeley attempted the Daytona 500 in car #55 for MBM motorsport, but would fail to qualify. Yeley would start #55 in April at Talladega, coming home with a 25th place finish.
In 2021, Matt Mills made his Cup series debut for B.J. McLeod Motorsports at Kansas with a 38th place finish. Mills regularly drives the #5 Chevrolet for BJMM in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, though Mills piloted a Ford in the Cup Series since the car came from the stable of Live Fast Motorsports, which B.J. McLeod co-owns and drives for.
In 2016 Premium Motorsports fielded the #55 Car in 30 races as either a Chevrolet or a Toyota. Reed Sorenson started the most races with 24 starts, Cole Whitt started 3 races, and D.J. Kennington, Alex Kennedy, & Michael Waltrip all started 1 race. In 2017, the car returned with Derrike Cope for 11 races, Gray Gaulding for 8 races, Reed Sorenson for 5 races, and D.J. Kennington and Tommy Regan for 1 race each. In 2018 the car hit the track 10 times with Sorenson for 7 races, and Jeffrey Earnhardt, J.J. Yeley, and Joey Gase each making 1 start. Premium did not field the number 55 in 2019.
Brian Vickers ran the entire 2014 season in #55, and ran part time for Michael Waltrip Racing in 2012-2013 for a total of 60 starts in the number. After missing the 2015 Daytona 500 & Atlanta 500 due to heart surgery to battle his longtime struggle with blood clots, Vickers returned to the #55 at Las Vegas. After just 2 starts in 2015 Vickers was forced to remove himself from the driver’s seat. His new blood thinning medication prevented him from being medically able to drive.
Vickers intended to return to the driver’s seat in 2016, but the shutdown of MWR has left him without a car to drive. Vickers has made a few appearances as a broadcaster with NASCAR on NBC during 2015. Vickers earned one win in the number in a 2013 New Hampshire race, he also earned 1 pole in 2014.
During Vicker’s absence in 2015 Brett Moffitt & David Ragan piloted the #55 for most of the remaining races. Moffitt made a total of 6 starts, and turned some heads by finishing 8th in his first start at Atlanta. Ragan, after subbing for Kyle Busch in the #18 for several races, drove the #55 for 26 races in 2015 earning no top 10 finishes. David Ragan’s Darlington car was a throwback paint scheme similar to one of his father Ken Ragan’s cars.
Mark Martin (39 starts), Elliot Sadler (4 starts), Terry Labonte (4 starts), and Patrick Carpentier (2 starts) have all made starts from 2007-2013 along with Brian Vickers as the number was a part time entry for MWR during this time.
Michael Waltrip has the most career starts in #55 with 129. Mikey drove the car full time in 2006 for Bill Davis Racing before bringing his Busch Series team Michael Waltrip Racing to Cup for 2007.
He would continue to drive #55 in 2008, & 2009 and part time from 2010-2013. In 2007 NASCAR inspectors found evidence in the engine manifold that Waltrip’s team had used an illegal fuel additive. NASCAR confiscated the car, forcing Waltrip to move to a back-up for the Daytona 500. Waltrip was docked 100 driver points & 100 owner points. After a 30th place finish in the Daytona 500, Waltrip became the first driver in series history to go into the second race of the season with a negative number of points (−27).
Waltrip failed to qualify for the next eleven races following the Daytona 500, so he maintained his negative point total for almost 4 months. He qualified for the thirteenth race of the season at Dover and finished 28th, moving his point total above zero to 52 points.
Beginning in 2010, Mikey retired from driving full-time, but became one of the rotating cast of drivers in the #55, usually starting at restrictor plate tracks. This continued until 2014 when Brian Vickers was named the full time driver of the #55 car. In 2015, Waltrip started #55 at Daytona & Talladega in place of Vickers. In 2016, Waltrip started 1 race at Talladega in the #55 Toyota for Premium Motorsports.
In 2010-2011 Davey Blaney , Michael McDowell, Jeff Green, Mike Bliss, JJ Yeley, and Travis Kvapil all drove the #55 for Prism racing in limited starts.
Bobby Hamilton drove #55 from 2001-2002, before a broken shoulder caused him to miss the last few races of the season. Hamilton scored 1 win for Andy Petree racing at Talladega in 2001. While Hamilton was injured Greg Biffle and Ron Hornaday filled in for him.
At Martinsville in October 2001, Hamilton moved rookie Kevin Harvick out the way to take the lead. In the following corner, Harvick repayed the favor by spinning Hamilton out of the lead. The incident ended in a memorable interview with Hamilton comparing Harvick to the man who previously drove that Goodwrench Chevy.
Prior to Hamilton, Kenny Wallace drove the #55 in 68 races from 1999-2000. Kenny’s best finish was 2nd in 2000 at Talladega when he pushed Dale Earnhardt to his 76th and final win.
In 1994 Jimmy Hensley drove the #55 for 15 races. That year Butch Miller made 2 starts in the number and Tim Fedewa made 1 start.
From 1991-1993 Ted Musgrave made 87 starts in #55.
From 1987-1989 Phil Parsons drove the #55 in 86 starts as a teammate to Harry Gant’s #33. Phil’s older brother Benny Parsons drove the same car in 66 races from 1982-1986. Benny and Phil earned 1 win each in the number, Phil Parsons’ only career win as a driver.
Tiny Lund started #55 119 times from 1957-1973 with 4 wins.
Junior Johnson drove #55 to 5 wins in 42 starts between 1955-1957.
Other notable drivers in #55:
Leeroy Yarbrough, 4 races
Wendell Scott, 1 race
Banjo Matthews, 1 race
Hut Stricklin, 1 race