By Ben White The number 43 is widely associated with seven-time champion Richard Petty. The winner of 200 Cup races enjoyed an incredible career as a driver from 1958 to 1992. Many have wheeled the famed Petty machines since his retirement and currently, the job falls to Aric Almirola. Last July, he became the first driver to take the No. 43 back to victory lane at Daytona International Speedway since Petty won his final race there in July of 1984. The Cuban-American standout competitor is most appreciative of the opportunity to carry on such a storied tradition for Richard Petty Motorsports. “That’s…

By Aaron Burns Jeff Gordon’s final Sprint All-Star Race was solid if unspectacular last Saturday, but the importance attached to the event made it memorable. Gordon was introduced last during driver introductions at Charlotte Motor Speedway and met with a chorus of cheers that nearly rivaled those for teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gordon, if you didn’t know, used to draw cheers at Charlotte only when he wrecked or pulled into the garage early. Those times are long gone. On Saturday, fans held up “Thank you, Jeff” No. 24 cards as he walked onto the stage with his family and crew. Gordon hoped…