Ranier Racing with MDM, formerly known as Ranier-Lundy, was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the K&N Pro Series East, and the ARCA Racing Series. The team formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series 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 Daytona 500 three times, in 1980 with Buddy Baker and in 1983 and 1984 with Yarborough.

The team was based in Charlotte and co-operated by Harry Ranier (February 25, 1937July 21, 1999) and J. T. Lundy (January 3, 1941December 27, 2023), who left in 1987. Ranier was a Kentuckian coal mining magnate. Ranier's entry into the sport predates magnates such as J. D. Stacy and Billy Hagan.

Cup Series Car No. 28 history 1967–1980 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.

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

Buddy Baker drove for the team starting in 1979. In 1980, Waddell Wilson was crew chief and engine builder. Baker won the 1980 Daytona 500 for the team in a famous paint scheme known as the "gray ghost". The car set the record for fastest Daytona 500 ever run by average speed, a record that still stands.

1983–1988

In 1983, Yarborough moved to the No. 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. 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. 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.

1987–1988 Prior to the 1987 season, car owner Ranier tapped Davey Allison to replace veteran driver Cale Yarborough in the Ranier-Lundy No. 28 Ford Thunderbird. Yarborough was leaving the Ranier-Lundy team to start his own operation along with the team's sponsor, Hardee's. Ranier negotiated a sponsorship deal with Texaco's Havoline motor oil brand, a deal that was signed during the Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. He also hired Robert Yates as his engine builder and Joey Knuckles as the No. 28's crew chief, who paired with Allison for years.

On qualifying day, Allison signalled that he was in Winston Cup to stay when he qualified an unmarked, but Texaco-Havoline painted No. 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.

Allison drove full time in the Texaco/Havoline #28 for Ranier in 1987 and 1988. Ranier sold his team to Yates on October 1, 1988, prior to the 1989 season. Allison would have most of his success driving for Yates Racing. Ranier did not field a car again until the fall of 1996.

Car No. 28 results NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1973 Lennie Pond 54 Chevy RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL46 NSV CLT DOV TWS RSD MCH DAY BRI ATL TAL47 NSV DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR 23rd 4013.85 1974 RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL DAR NWS MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY BRI NSV ATL POC TAL MCH DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CLT CAR ONT 18th 723.25 1975 RSD DAY RCH CAR BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH DAR DOV NWS MAR CLT RCH CAR BRI ATL ONT 21st 2540 1976 RSD DAY CAR RCH BRI ATL NWS DAR MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 5th 3930 1977 RSD DAY RCH CAR ATL NWS DAR BRI MAR TAL NSV DOV CLT RSD MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 30th 1193 1978 RSD RCH CAR ATL BRI NWS MAR TAL DOV NSV RSD DAY NSV POC DAR RCH MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL ONT 7th 3794 Olds DAY DAR CLT MCH TAL MCH BRI DOV 1979 Buddy Baker 28 Chevy RSD CAR RCH NWS BRI DAR MAR NSV DOV CLT TWS RSD MCH POC MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT NWS CAR ATL ONT 15th 3249 Olds DAY ATL TAL DAY NSV TAL 1980 RSD DAY RCH ATL BRI TAL NSV DAY NSV TAL32* 21st 2603 Chevy CAR DAR NWS MAR DOV MCH MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS MAR CAR Buick CLT TWS RSD POC CLT ATL ONT 1981 Bobby Allison Chevy RSD1* RCH23 DAR9 CLT2 2nd 4827 Pontiac DAY2* CAR6 ATL4 BRI3 NWS2* MAR13 NSV3 Buick DAR9 TAL1 DOV2 CLT1* TWS3 RSD29 MCH1 DAY28 NSV2 POC25 TAL5* MCH7 BRI4 RCH5 DOV3 MAR10 NWS2 CAR2 ATL4 RSD1* 1982 Benny Parsons Pontiac DAY26 RCH3* BRI9 ATL4 CAR3 DAR4 NWS4 MAR29 TAL3* NSV22 DOV20 CLT39 POC3 RSD23 8th 3616 Buddy Baker MCH DAY NSV POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV NWS CLT MAR CAR ATL Joe Ruttman RSD40 1983 Cale Yarborough DAY1 RCH 28th 1960 Chevy CAR9* ATL1 DAR6 NWS MAR TAL29 NSV DOV22 BRI CLT28 RSD POC27 MCH1 DAY40 NSV POC TAL24 MCH1* BRI DAR7 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT10 CAR36 ATL23 RSD 1984 DAY1* RCH14 CAR ATL3 BRI NWS DAR4 MAR TAL1 NSV DOV CLT21 RSD POC1* MCH13* DAY3* NSV POC2 TAL5 MCH5 BRI DAR17 RCH14 DOV MAR CLT3 NWS CAR ATL11 RSD 22nd 2448 1985 Ford DAY36 RCH CAR7 ATL22 BRI DAR30 NWS MAR TAL3* DOV CLT40 RSD POC24 MCH3 DAY36 POC31 TAL1 MCH32 BRI DAR2 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT1 CAR28* ATL2 RSD 26th 1861 1986 DAY27 RCH CAR6 ATL27 BRI DAR22 NWS MAR TAL37 DOV CLT3* RSD POC3 MCH30 DAY17 POC25 TAL24 GLN MCH7 BRI DAR10 RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT36 CAR33 ATL34 RSD 29th 1642 1987 Davey Allison DAY27 CAR9 RCH26 ATL5 DAR27 NWS BRI MAR TAL1* CLT16 DOV1* POC12 RSD MCH2 DAY20 POC5 TAL2* GLN17 MCH5 BRI DAR29 RCH DOV2 MAR NWS26 CLT19 CAR42 RSD14 ATL5 21st 2824 1988 DAY2 RCH29 CAR9 ATL40 DAR3 BRI29 NWS8 MAR6 TAL34 CLT5 DOV5 RSD32 POC5 MCH35 DAY38 POC3 TAL39 GLN16 MCH1 BRI4 DAR9 RCH1* DOV4 MAR18 CLT19 NWS11 CAR27 PHO3 ATL2 8th 3631

Car No. 20 history After staying out of the Cup Series for eight years, Ranier fielded a Cup entry with Elton Sawyer driving the new #20 in the 1996 season finale at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Rainer back moved to Cup full time in 1997 with former partner Hardee's returning to sponsor the new #20 and Greg Sacks driving the car. However, after missing several early-season races, the team switched to part time, and eventually Hardee's left the team and it shut down.

Busch Series Car No. 15 history Ranier returned to run a limited schedule in the 1996 Busch Series with IRL star Tony Stewart driving the No. 15. The team had sponsorship from Mariah Entertainment for the first two events of a nine race schedule, running the rest unsponsored. Stewart had a best finish of 16th at Bristol. The Ranier Busch Series team shut down after the season.

Truck Series For the operations after the 2016 season, see MDM Motorsports

Truck No. 71 history On February 4, 2016, MDM-Hillman Racing joined Lorin Ranier to create a driver development team that would compete in, among other series, the Camping World Truck Series. A selection of Richard Childress Racing development drivers were scheduled to run a partial season in the No. 99 Chevrolet, with funding from the drivers' other sponsors. After rain cancelled qualifying at Dover, the team made a deal to run Dover and the rest of Ranier/MDM's 2016 schedule in the No. 71 Chevrolet, leasing owners points from Carlos Contreras. Brandon Jones and Austin Dillon split the Truck for six races.

Truck No. 99 history Ranier Racing/MDM was supposed to field the No. 99 in six Truck races in 2016, however the truck was renumbered to No. 71 after leasing owners points from Contreras Motorsports.

In 2017, the No. 99 truck returned but since Ranier and Miller parted ways the team starting in 2017 and beyond is called MDM Motorsports.

K&N Pro Series / ARCA Racing Series

In 2015, Ranier Racing with MDM partner with Hillman Racing to field two cars (No. 40 and No. 41) in both K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West.

The team returned for 2016.

In 2017, the team shut down because Ranier/Hillman and Miller part ways. Miller renamed the team to MDM Motorsports.

Austin Dillon, Landon Cassill, Ryan Preece, Kyle Benjamin, Travis Miller, Brian Wong, Corey LaJoie and Spencer Davis all drove for the team in K&N.

The team also fielded two part-time entries (the No. 8 and No. 28) in ARCA Racing Series' 2016 season, the team had 1 win with Brandon Jones at Michigan. The team also had 1 pole-position with Kyle Benjamin at Iowa.

Alongside Jones and Benjamin, Harrison Burton, Travis Miller, Matt Tifft and Michael Self also drove for the team in ARCA.

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