Car number 91 has started 330 races and has 17 wins, 13 poles, 57 top 5s, 92 top 10s, and 130 DNFs in the NASCAR Cup Series.
In 2022, Kimi Raikkonen made his Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen for Trackhouse Racing. After a strong run, Kimi’s day ended early after being sent into the barrier on the exit of the bus stop. He finished 37th. Kimi was the first entrant for “Project 91,” an initiative by Trackhouse Racing to bring notable international drivers to NASCAR. He returned to the ride in 2023 at Circuit of the Americas, where he finished 29th.
Shane van Gisbergen became the second driver to participate in the Project 91 initiative at the 2023 innagural Chicago Street Race. The Australian Supercar Ace would win in his very first start, a modern era record in the NASCAR Cup Series. After his impressive debut, “SVG” returned for another round at the Indianapolis Road Course, earning a 10th place finish. SVG is expected to compete part-time in multiple NASCAR series in 2024.
Tim Flock has the most starts in #91 with 90 from 1951-1954 with 16 wins. Flock was one of NASCAR’s first drivers, finishing 5th in the inaugural race, but was forced to sit out after injuries sustained in a 4 car pile-up.
Returning to racing in 1951, Flock won seven races. 1952 brought eight wins and four poles. At the end of the 1952 NASCAR season, Tim Flock had 106 more points than Herb Thomas, earning Flock his first Grand National (Cup Series) Championship title, despite flipping in the final race at West Palm Beach. Flock later joked, “I was the only driver to ever win a championship upside-down.”
Tim had a Rhesus monkey named “Jocko Flocko” as a co-driver with him for his May 16, 1953 Grand National win at Hickory Motor Speedway. Jocko Flocko became the only winning monkey ever. Jocko was retired two weeks later at Raleigh. At the time, drivers string or lever device to open part of the wheel well, allowing them to observe tire wear. The monkey pulled the device and was hit by a pebble. Tim had to do a pit stop to remove the upset monkey, and he finished third. He would have won without the problem.
In 1954, Flock was disqualified despite winning at the Daytona Beach Road Course for illegally screwed carburetor screws. Partway through the 1954 season, Flock switched his car from #91 to #300, where he would continue his winning ways including another championship in 1955.
In 1961, in his final race before “retiring” Tim Flock was disqualified and banned from NASCAR as a result of “having too much solder on his carburetor screw” which was illegal. This was widely known by the public to be retaliation by NASCAR management for Flock’s support of a NASCAR driver’s union. Like Curtis Turner, he faced a life ban from NASCAR.
Richard Brown drove the #91 car 23 times between the 1971-1972 seasons.
In the 1998 season Kevin Lepage started the underfunded #91 car in 16 races. As a rookie, Lepage out-drove his equiptment and collected several good finishes. His performance caught the eye of Jack Roush and landed him a ride in the #16 car midway through the season.
Harold Miller drove the #91 in 14 races from 1975-1977
Bill Elliott drove the #91 in select events car for Evernham racing during 2004 & 2005, Elliott’s first year of semi-retirement. Elliott made a total of 12 starts in the number.
Reed Sorenson started the #91 10 times in the 2012 season.
Other notable names in #91
Todd Bodine, 9 starts
Mike Wallace, 7 starts
Dick Trickle, 7 starts
Morgan Shepherd, 6 starts
Casey Atwood, 3 starts
Ralph Earnhardt, 3 starts
Herb Thomas, 2 starts
Fonty Flock, 2 starts
Charlie Glotzbach, 2 starts
Jason Leffler, 1 start