NASCAR Cup Series’ best by car number: 40-49

No. 42 (1949-Present)

The No. 42 is one of the cars that is synonymous with the Petty name. Used in 1,686 races with 75 wins, 401 top-five finishes and 715 top-10 finishes, the car will continue to add to its historic run in 2023 behind Noah Gragson in the Legacy Motor Club Chevy. 

Three generations of the Petty family drove No. 42, Lee Petty (414 races), Kyle Petty (286 races), Richard Petty (28 races) and Maurice Petty (11 races). Lee won 53 races, including the first-ever Daytona 500. Kyle (six) and Richard (two) combined for eight more victories in the car.