Things You Didn't Know About NASCAR's Iconic No. 2 Car (Part:1)Few numbers in NASCAR carry the weight of the No. 2. From dirt tracks in 1949 to modern superspeedways, it has been piloted by champions, underdogs, and future Hall of Famers. The Blue Deuce era made it a household name, but the car's history runs deeper than most fans realize. Here are the untold chapters behind one of stock car racing's most storied numbers.The No. 2 has surpassed 1,900 Cup Series startsThe No. 2 car has started 1,986 races in NASCAR Cup Series competition, a total that places it among the most-used numbers in the sport's history. That figure spans seven decades and reflects consistent presence across multiple teams and eras, from the earliest days of stock car racing to the current generation.More than 115 different drivers have piloted the No. 2A total of 116 drivers have climbed behind the wheel of the No. 2 in Cup competition. The roster includes champions, rookies, journeymen, and one-race fill-ins. That turnover reflects the number's long tenure and its use by both powerhouse operations and smaller independent teams across NASCAR's evolving landscape.The No. 2 has crossed the 100-win milestoneThe No. 2 has collected 101 victories in Cup Series competition, a win total that ranks it among the most successful numbers in NASCAR history. Those trips to victory lane came from drivers spanning multiple generations, with the bulk of the wins arriving during the Penske Racing era that began in 1991.Rusty Wallace owns the record for most starts in the No. 2Rusty Wallace started 522 races in the No. 2, driving it in 1985 and then again from 1991 through 2005. Wallace spent his sophomore season in the number with Cliff Stewart's team, then returned to it when he joined Penske Racing and stayed through his retirement.Wallace also scored 37 victories in the No. 2Wallace's 37 wins in the No. 2 stand as the record for the number. Those victories came across 15 seasons with Penske Racing, where he turned the Miller-sponsored car into one of the sport's most feared machines.Dale Earnhardt won his first Cup race in the No. 2 at BristolEarnhardt earned his first career Cup victory driving Rod Osterland's No. 2 at Bristol in 1979, defeating future stars Terry Labonte and Harry Gant. The win launched a Hall of Fame career and tied the No. 2 to one of NASCAR's greatest legacies before Earnhardt ever climbed into the black No. 3.Earnhardt became the only driver to win Rookie of the Year and then the championship in the No. 2Earnhardt won Rookie of the Year in 1979 driving the No. 2. He remains the only driver in NASCAR history to follow a Rookie of the Year title with a championship the next season.Penske's famous Blue Deuce became one of NASCAR's most recognizable carsThe Penske No. 2 became known as the Blue Deuce, a nickname that defined the team's identity for over a decade. The Miller Genuine Draft sponsorship and Wallace's success made the car instantly recognizable, a blue-and-gold machine that fans could spot from the grandstands at any track.Wallace's favorite No. 2 chassis was nicknamed MidnightWallace raced a No. 2 Miller Genuine Draft Pontiac he affectionately called Midnight. The car carried him to his first win in the Penske No. 2 at Richmond in 1992 and remained in competition for six seasons before being retired in 1997.Midnight remained in competition for six seasons before retirementMidnight remained in competition for six seasons, collecting multiple race wins before Wallace and the team retired it in 1997. The car became one of the most feared and celebrated machines in Penske history, defining Wallace's peak years in the No. 2.Wallace's return to Penske reunited him with Miller sponsorshipWallace left Cliff Stewart's team after 1985 and won the 1989 championship driving for Raymond Beadle's Blue Max Racing. In 1991, he returned to Penske Racing and brought Miller Genuine Draft with him, creating one of NASCAR's longest and most successful sponsor-driver partnerships. The reunion defined the Blue Deuce era.Wallace won 10 races in 1993 yet still fell short of the championshipWallace dominated the 1993 season with 10 victories, the highest single-season win total of his career. Despite the performance, he failed to capture the Winston Cup championship, a frustration that marked one of the most dominant yet unrewarded seasons in the history of the No. 2 car.Wallace's 2000 campaign produced a career-high nine pole positionsWallace earned nine pole awards in 2000, the highest qualifying total of his career. The performance kept him among NASCAR's top front-row threats and demonstrated the speed of the No. 2 team even as Wallace entered the later stages of his driving career. He failed to win the championship that year.Wallace snapped a three-year winless drought at Martinsville in 2004Wallace returned to victory lane at Martinsville in 2004, ending a three-year stretch without a win. The victory came at one of his historically strongest tracks and proved the No. 2 team remained competitive late in Wallace's career. It was his final trip to victory lane before his 2005 retirement.Rusty still made the inaugural Chase during his farewell season in 2005Wallace announced 2005 would be his final full-time season, citing his son's racing career and his Busch Series team. He failed to win a race that year but still qualified for the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup, finishing eighth in the final standings and remaining relevant through NASCAR's new playoff format.Wallace returned to drive the No. 2 during Gen-6 testing at Daytona in 2014Wallace climbed back into the Penske No. 2 during preseason testing at Daytona in 2014, nine years after his retirement. The test helped the Keselowski team and gave Wallace an understanding of the Gen-6 car for his broadcasting career with ESPN and NBC. The moment reconnected Wallace to the number he made famous.Kurt Busch's first No. 2 victory came at Bristol after rare snowfallBusch won his first race in the Penske No. 2 at Bristol in 2006, a week after the track experienced rare snowfall. The victory marked a successful debut season for Busch in the car and kept the No. 2 competitive in the post-Wallace era. The win came in Busch's first full season with Penske.Busch celebrated that win by making a memorable snow angel on the frontstretchBusch celebrated his Bristol victory by dropping to the frontstretch and making a snow angel, a reference to the snowfall that had blanketed the track earlier in the week. The moment became one of the most memorable postrace celebrations in Cup history and defined Busch's early tenure in the No. 2.Kurt Busch collected eight wins in the No. 2Kurt Busch earned eight victories in the No. 2 across five seasons with Penske Racing, from 2006 to 2010, with his final win coming at the 2010 Coca-Cola 600. He qualified for the Chase three times and finished fourth in the standings once. Busch moved to the Penske No. 22 for 2011, ending his tenure in the Blue Deuce.Brad Keselowski's first No. 2 victory came in a fuel-mileage gamble at KansasKeselowski moved from the Penske No. 12 to the No. 2 in 2011 and struggled early. His first win in the car came at Kansas in a fuel-mileage race, a strategic gamble that broke through and established his winning identity in the number. The victory launched a career-defining run in the Blue Deuce.Keselowski's breakthrough season began after he suffered a broken leg in a testing crashKeselowski injured his leg during a testing crash at Road Atlanta in 2011. The team's performance improved dramatically after the injury, and Keselowski grabbed two more wins at Pocono and Bristol. He rallied to make the 2011 Chase field and finished fifth in points despite the mid-season setback.The No. 2 delivered Team Penske its first Cup championship with Keselowski in 2012Keselowski won Team Penske's first Sprint Cup championship in 2012, ending a decades-long drought for the organization. The title validated the No. 2 as a championship car and cemented Keselowski's place in Penske history. He battled Jimmie Johnson through the final races to secure the crown.Keselowski's title came after victories at Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky, Chicagoland, and DoverKeselowski posted five wins during his 2012 championship season, with victories at Bristol, Talladega, Kentucky, Chicagoland, and Dover. The last two came during the Chase and proved critical in his title run. The five wins built a title-caliber regular season and playoff performance that delivered Penske's first Cup crown.Keselowski cut his hand while trying to open a champagne bottle after winning Kentucky in 2014Keselowski won six races in 2014, second only to teammate Joey Logano. His celebration at Kentucky ended early when he cut his hand while unsuccessfully trying to open a bottle of champagne. The injury required medical attention and became one of the more unusual postrace moments of the season.Brad's aggressive 2014 playoff run sparked feuds with Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, and Denny HamlinKeselowski's aggressive driving style during the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup caused controversy multiple times. His on-track contact sparked conflict with Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, and Tony Stewart. Keselowski advanced to the Eliminator Round with a clutch win at Talladega but failed to make the final four drivers.