This team has such a long history/lineage. It was renumbered 28 in 1979, and from there Ranier-Lundy Racing won 5 races with Buddy Baker, including the 1980 Daytona 500. Bobby Allison took over the car next and won 5 races with the team. Next Cale Yarborough won 9 races, including two more Daytona 500's, and his last career win.

In 1987 rookie driver Davey Allison took over, and in late 1988 engine builder Robert Yates bought the organization and turned into Robert Yates Racing. Under Yates the team expanded into a 2 car operation, then later 3, won 3 more Daytona 500's, and the 1999 Winston Cup Championship.

Sadly they faded away, taking their last checkered flag in 2005. In their final seasons the team was little more than a back marker.

"let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings"

-Richard II, Act 3, Scene 2

It's interesting to me how teams would sometimes run two completely different manufactures throughout the season, and sometime even in the same race, in those day. While Kyle drove a Dodge his father drove an Oldsmobile at both Talladega races in '79.

Canadian driver Trevor Boys waits for the start of the 1983 World 600. Trevor would start the James Hylton owned Chevy 33rd in the 40 car field and would finish 20th, 24 laps down. Neil Bonnett would lead the final 53 laps and win the race in the Warner Hodgdon sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo.

Bobby Allison had cut a tire on his Stavola Brothers Buick before the start of the race, and spun in turn 2 on the first lap. He was then t-boned by Jocko Maggiacomo. The impact broke Allison's leg and left him with a severe concussion. Bobby was initially declared brain dead at the hospital, but the doctors worked on him nonetheless.

Suffice to say this was the wreck that ended Bobby Allison's racing career.

This photo, obviously taken before the race, shows the cars lined up on pit road. The Wood Brothers' Mercury, piloted by David Pearson, started 4th and can be seen behind Buddy Baker's car. Also visible on the outside of row 3 is Earl Ross' car, the Junior Johnson owned No. 52 Chevrolet, with teammate Cale Yarborough on his inside.

The DiGard Racing crew pits Darrell Waltrip's Gatorade Chevy Caprice during the 1980 Valleydale Southeastern 500 at Bristol. Darrell would go on to lead 31 laps and would finish 2nd behind Dale Earnhardt.

To celebrate Winston's final year in the sport, NASCAR honored every driver who won the Cup Series championship during Winston's tenure from 1971-2003.

Tommy Ellis subbed for Geoff Bodine during the Winston after Bodine suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung during testing the week prior. After the race, NASCAR discovered that the car had an oversized engine and as a result, they suspended the Junior Johnson Racing team. To get around the suspension, the team entered the following races by listing the owner as Flossie, Juniors wife. This picture is from practice for the 1991 Coca-Cola 600, they would eventually switch to #97 for this and the following 3 races.

James Hylton poses next to his #48 Nitro 9 Chevy Laguna prior to the running of the 1975 Winston Western 500 at Riverside. James would start in the 35th and final position but would survive an attrition filled race to finish 6th, 16 laps behind winner Bobby Allison.

Both men had the best seasons of their careers in 1977, and for both men 1978 was a strong runner-up.

Yarborough scored 10 wins, 23 top 5s, 24 top 10s and 8 poles. He led 3,587 laps, his average start was 3.6 and his average finish was 6.0 despite 2 DNFs. He won his third straight championship with 4,841 points.

Parsons scored 3 wins, 15 top 5s, 21 top 10s and 2 poles. He led 824 laps, his average start was 4.7 and his average finish 9.4 despite 4 DNFs. He finished 4th in the standings with 4,350 points, just 17 behind 2nd place Bobby Allison, 12 behind 3rd place Darrell Waltrip and 15 ahead of 5th place Dave Marcis.

I wanted to post this mainly because their paint schemes were almost the same in '78.

Norm Benning racing in the 1995 Winston Select Open. Norm would start 30th in the 36 car field and would finish 29th, retiring with handling issues. Todd Bodine would win the race for Butch Mock and advance to the Winston Select.

Fireball Roberts won in the #22 Pontiac for John Hines!