Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway is the 1,000 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race for Team Penske.
Race coverage starts at 12:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
Ever since Team Penske first competed in NASCAR IN the 1972 Winston Western 500 at Riverside International Raceway, the team has employed a total of 23 different drivers.
Here’s how we rank all 23:
Nigel Kinrade/LAT Photo USA Nigel Kinrade
23
Chad Blount
In 2004, Blount ran in the fall Talladega race in the No. 06 Penske Dodge. He finished 41st after an engine failed. In four career Cup starts, Blount’s average finish was 42nd.
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22
Tom Hubert
At Watkins Glen in 2000, Hubert started 16th and finished 33rd in the car Penske co-owned with Michael Kranefuss. In 11 career Cup starts, Hubert’s average finish was 34.6.
© Dan Streck/USA © 2009 Dan Streck
21
Kyle Petty
A solid racer in NASCAR for his career, Petty had only a cameo appearance with Penske, replacing an injured Jeremy Mayfield in the Penske-Kranefuss Ford at the Brickyard 400 in 2000. Petty finished 22nd in that race.
Getty Images Grant Halverson
20
Travis Kvapil
During the 2004 season, Kvapil drove the No. 06 Penske Dodge in three races, with a best finish of 21st at Martinsville.
AP John Amis
19
David Stremme
In 2009, Stremme drove the No. 12 Penske Dodge for 33 races, leaving the team after the fall Talladega race, when he was 31st in points.
18
Dave Marcis
The veteran driver competed in a total of 28 races for Penske in 1972, ’73, ’74 and ’77. During that period, his best finishes were five fourth-place runs.
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17
Mike Wallace
After Jeremy Mayfield left the Penske-Kranefuss team in 2001, Wallace filled in for him over the final eight races. Wallace had a best finish of second at Phoenix Raceway.
Getty Images Jerry Markland
16
Gary Bettenhausen
The veteran open-wheel racer ran five NASCAR races in a Penske AMC Matador in 1974. His best result was fourth place at Michigan.
15
George Follmer
Follmer ran only one NASCAR race with Penske, winning the pole but losing an engine after seven laps at Riverside in 1974. But over his career, Follmer competed successfully in NASCAR, Formula 1, USAC, Indy cars and sports cars.
14
Jeremy Mayfield
In 2001, when Penske took over sole ownership of the No. 12 Ford from Michael Kranefuss, Mayfield spent 28 races with the team, with best finishes of third at Darlington and Watkins Glen.
©Robert LeSieur2001
13
Brendan Gaughan
The veteran XFINITY Series racer spent 2004 as a rookie in the Cup Series, driving the Penske-Jasper Dodge. Gaughan ended the year 28th in points with a best finish of fourth at Talladega.
12
AJ Allmendinger
The Northern California native competed in 17 NASCAR races with Penske in 2012 before splitting from the team. Allmendinger had one top five and three top-1o finishes while with Penske.
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11
Ryan Blaney
One of today’s rising stars in NASCAR, Blaney now drives for Wood Brothers Racing, a squad affiliated with Team Penske. But Blaney did make two starts for “The Captain.”
10
Sam Hornish Jr.
A three-time Indy car champion, Hornish never found much success in stock cars. He competed in 129 Cup races with Team Penske, during which time Hornish had three top fives and nine top 10s.
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9
Donnie Allison
Although he only ran one NASCAR race for Penske, finishing third at Riverside in 1972, Allison had an excellent NASCAR career, winning 10 races and posting 78 top fives in just 242 starts.
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8
Ryan Newman
In 2008, Newman gave Penske his first Daytona 500 victory. Newman won 13 times with Penske, including eight races in 2003. He also beat out Jimmie Johnson for rookie of the year honors in 2002.
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7
Juan Pablo Montoya
Although Montoya only ran two Cup races with Penske, he did win an Indy 500 for the team and has demonstrated success in Indy cars and Formula One.
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6
Joey Logano
Do not be surprised if Logano moves up this list in the next few years. Since joining Team Penske, he has become one of NASCAR’s elite drivers.
, LAT Images www.latphoto.co.uk Nigel Kinrade
5
Kurt Busch
Busch shocked the NASCAR community in mid-2005, when he was the reigning Cup champion but announced he was leaving car owner Jack Roush to move to Penske. Busch would go on to win 10 races with Penske.
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4
Brad Keselowski
A Michigan native like his boss, Keselowski gave Penske both his first XFINITY Series title in 2010 and his first and so far only Cup championship in 2012.
3
Mark Donohue
One of the most versatile drivers ever, Donohue gave Penske his first Indy 500 victory in 1972 and his first NASCAR triumph at Riverside a year later. Sadly, Donohue perished after a crash in his Formula One car in 1975.
2
Bobby Allison
Although Allison and Penske competed in only 56 races together in the 1970s, Allison won four races with the team. And Allison went on to become a NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and one of the sport’s best drivers ever.
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1
Rusty Wallace
Without question, Wallace and Team Penske are synonymous with each other and with success, too. A NASCAR Hall of Fame driver, Wallace scored 37 of his 55 career Cup wins with Roger Penske as his car owner. Together, Wallace an Penske made the Blue Deuce one of the iconic cars of NASCAR.
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