Picture courtesy of Wikipedia
By Brandon Kettelle
TheRacingExperts.com Reporter
9/17/2010
The #88 team started at the Ford 300 in 2005 with Mark McFarland driving with the U.S NAVY
as sponsorship on the car. Many drivers drove the #88 car, including Mark McFarland, Shane Huffman, Martin Truex Jr., and Robby Gordon through 2005 and 2006.
In 2007, Shane Huffman was hired to drive the #88 full time but later on in the year was released.
In 2008, Brad Keselowski was hired to drive the #88 full time and won two races
at Bristol Motor speedway and Nashville Superspeedway. When Dale Earnhardt Jr.
started driving for Rick Hendrick in 2008 in the Sprint Cup Series, he merged teams
with Rick in the Nationwide Series to have the #5 and #88 car running in the series.
Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Martin Truex, Jr, Mark Martin, Landon Cassill,
Ron Fellows and Adrian Femandez all drove the #5 car in 2008.They won two
races with Mark Martin at Las Vegas Motor speedway and Ron Fellows at Montreal.
They were sponsored by Lowe’s, U.S NAVY, National Guard, Delphi, and Godaddy.com.
In 2009 Brad Keselowski, won four races and finishing 3rd in Nationwide points.
The #5 and the #88 were sponsored by Hellmann’s, Godaddy.com, and Delphi
Losing the U.S NAVY as a sponsor.
In 2010, Brad Keselowski Left JR Motorsports to no to Penske Racing in Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Dale Earnhardt Jr put Kelly Bires in the #88 car and took the owner points of the #5 car to the #7 for Danica Patrick to drive. Later on in the year, Dale Earnhardt Jr. released
Kelly Bires. Now Elliott Sadler, Aric Almirola and Jamie McMurray share the
#88 car in 2010 and now Josh Wise shares the #7 with Danica Patrick.
The main sponsors on the #88 and # 7 are Hellmann’s, Godaddy.com, and
GT Vodka. Jamie McMurray won the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motorspeedway.
In 2011 Aric Almirola will drive full time in the #88 and plans are still to be announced
For the #7 car in 2011.