Car number 86 has started 320 races and has 1 win, 6 poles, 31 top 5s, 76 top 10s, and 173 DNFs (that’s 54% of its starts!) in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Neil “Soapy” Castles has the most starts in #86 with 95 between 1958-1966. Neil Castles was an “also-ran” of the old days who once once found himself having an uncharacteristically good day. According to “American Zoom” by Peter Golenbock, he had lapped Curtis Turner, but the flagman apparently did not believe it, for he kept giving Castles the move-over flag to let Turner around him. As Castles told the story: “The starter kept doing this, and I was getting real mad, so I just picked up my gun and when I come by the stand the next time I took aim and shot that flag out of his hand.”

Both Buck Baker and Buddy Baker started #86 multiple times in their careers. Buck Baker started 38 races between 1959-1966 including 30 starts in the 1961 season with 1 win. His son Buddy Baker made 38 starts in the number from 1961-1970.

Other notable names in #86

• Don Oldenberg, 12 starts

• Jimmy Helms, 12 starts

• Bobby Mausgrover, 11 starts

• Cotten Owens, 6 starts

• Tim Flock, 4 starts

• Junior Johnson, 2 starts

• Bill Davis, 1 start

• Tiny Lund, 1 start

• Curtis Crider, 1 start

• Joe Weatherly, 1 start

FUN FACT: The #86 has not started a race in the Cup Series since 1993.