Ranier-Lundy

1983 car, driven by Cale Yarborough.

Ranier-Lundy was a NASCAR Winston Cup (now Sprint Cup) racing team until 1987, fielding Cale Yarborough during the 1980s late in its operations. The team later became Robert Yates Racing after Yates, an engine builder and crew chief with the operation, bought the team in 1988. The team largely fielded General Motors vehicles for its various drivers until switching to Fords in 1985.

The team won the 1980 Daytona 500 with Buddy Baker and 1983 and 1984 Daytona 500 with Yarborough.

The team was based in Charlotte^[1] and co-operated by Harry Ranier (b. ca. 1930s - d. July 21, 1999)^[2] and J.T. Lundy.^[3] who left in 1987^[3] Ranier was a Kentuckian^[1] coal mining magnate.^[2][4] Ranier's entry into the sport predates magnates such as J.D. Stacy and Billy Hagan.^[5]

Team History: 1967 to 1980

Harry Ranier started entering racecars into NASCAR's top division sporadically starting in 1967 and consistently starting in 1978 with driver Lennie Pond and later Buddy Baker.^[6]

In 1978, Ranier's team won its first race^[6] at the Talladega 500 with Pond^[7][8] after other key leading cars were slowed when Bill Elliott's car blew a tire and spreading debris.^[8]

Buddy Baker drove for the team starting in 1979.^[6] In 1980, Waddell Wilson was crew chief and engine builder.^[1] Baker won the 1980 Daytona 500 for the team.

Team History: 1983-1988

In 1983, Yarborough moved to the #28 Hardee's Chevrolet owned by Harry Ranier, competing in 16 events. He won four races, including his third Daytona 500, his sixth Atlanta Coca-Cola 500, and swept both events at Michigan, along with three poles.^[9] In 1984 he repeated by winning his fourth Daytona 500, becoming the second driver to score back-to-back wins, the Winston 500 at Talladega, a race that featured 75 lead changes, and the Van Scoy Diamond Mine 500, along with four poles.^[10] In 1985 after his team switched to a Ford, he won his first Talladega 500 and scored his final win in the Miller High Life 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.^[11]

Team History: 1987-1988

Prior to the 1987 season, car owner Harry Ranier tapped Davey Allison to replace veteran driver Cale Yarborough in the Ranier-Lundy #28 Ford Thunderbird. Yarborough was leaving the Ranier-Lundy team to start his own operation along with the team's sponsor, Hardee's.^[3] Ranier negotiated a sponsorship deal with Texaco's Havoline motor oil brand,^[3] a deal that was signed during the NASCAR edition of Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway^{[citation needed]}. He also hired Robert Yates as his engine builder and Joey Knuckles as the #28's crew chief,^[3] who paired with Allison for years. On qualifying day, Davey signalled that he was in Winston Cup to stay when he qualified an unmarked, but Texaco-Havoline painted #28 Thunderbird second for the 1987 Daytona 500, becoming the first rookie ever to start on the front row for NASCAR's most prestigious event. A pit miscue which allowed a rear tire to fall off on the track ended his hopes of a good finish in the race, but success for Davey Allison would be just around the corner.

1990s

Harry Ranier ran a #20 car in 1996 with Elton Sawyer driving in the season finale at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and 1997 with Hardee's sponsorship and Greg Sacks driving as Ranier/Walsh Racing.

Further reading

Racing Reference Team Statistics:

References