Tribute to the #28

How sad it is that the #28 car will not be racing this weekend at Martinsville and, in fact, has suspended operations indefinitely until a sponsor can be found for the car. The team had been a staple of the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit for decades but eventually lost prominence in the mid- and late-90s and never really regained competitiveness in the 2000's. After the recent Ford engines merger between Jack Roush and Robert Yates, the team was pretty much relegated to back-marker status and hasn't recovered since.

But, we still have our memories. Cale Yarborough of course made the #28 famous with back-to-back Daytona 500 wins in 1983 and 1984 driving for Harry Ranier. Later, Davey Allison picked up the ride in 1987 with Texaco-Havoline sponsorship and a year after that Robert Yates bought the team.

Here's a look back at Davey's first win during his rookie season in the 1987 Winston 500 at Talladega (AL) Superspeedway. During a late-race caution that injured driver Ken Ragan -- father of Roush-Fenway driver David Ragan -- NASCAR officials decided to cut the race ten laps short due to darkness. The race had been delayed over two and a half hours after Davey's father Bobby tore a hole in the catch fence on lap 22.

So here are the final 10 laps... Davey's first win and the last race with unrestricted engines. Bob Jenkins and Larry Nuber call the race for ESPN.