No. 11 at Bristol: I Wouldn't Bet Against It

If you need to try in predict a winner for the Food City 500 at Bristol you definitely couldn't bet against the No. 11.

Since Hamlin's debut in 2005 he has raced at ''Thunder Valley'' six times with an avg. finish of 14th and sixth and a third there last season driving the No.11 Fed Ex Toyota.

If history serves Hamlin a win he would join Ned Jarrett who drove the No. 11 car to a third-place finish in the first race at Bristol in July 1961. He also drove the car to its first victory at Bristol in July 1965. Since then, the 11 car has been synonymous with Victory Lane at the track. In 86 NASCAR Sprint Cup races since Jarrett’s victory, the No. 11 car has won the race 17 times.

Credit team owner Junior Johnson, who fielded the No. 11 car for those 17 victories. Three-time champion Cale Yarborough drove for Johnson in the 1970s and made Bristol his personal playground, winning nine of 16 races from 1973-1980. Two that he lost were won by a flashy young driver named Darrell Waltrip.

“The 11 number and Bristol certainly go together,” said Darrell Waltrip, who leads all drivers with 12 wins at the track. “With all of the wins Junior has been a car owner for, that makes that number special when you go to Bristol.”

When Yarborough decided to scale back his career after the 1980 season, Waltrip gladly moved over to take the ride.

“When I got out of the 88 and into the 11, I had my credentials and I was prepared, at the top of my game, and then they gave me that race car to drive...I couldn’t lose,” Waltrip said.

Yarborough will also be in the legends race that weekend along with Junior Johnson. Waltrip was originally scheduled but due to a schedule conflict he with drew his name.

Can Hamlin add his name to the list of No. 11 winners at Bristol.