Who is the Greatest NASCAR driver not to Win the Daytona 500?
Daytona 500 is the most prestigious NASCAR race ever.
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Daytona International Speedeway
The Daytona 500 is one of the most prestigious racing events in the world. It is the most admired race win a NASCAR driver could ever earn. The Super Bowl of stock racing is the season opener and the race carrying the most oversized purse. The superspeedway race represents NASCAR more than any other event in the cup schedule.
Since its debut in 1959, the Daytona International Speedway has witnessed some of the sport’s most iconic and tragic moments. The track has crowned ‘King’ Richard Petty a record seven times but has also taken the life of Dale Earnhardt. The four turns of 2.4 miles Florida track is waiting to crown its champion for the 2023 season.
The Daytona 500 has an elite winners list. At the same time, the list of NASCAR greats who failed to earn the glory even after giving their 110% is also as elite. The list includes legends such as Rusty Wallace, Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, and Bobby Labonte the list goes on. Modern-day greats of the sports Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski, haven’t attested victory in Daytona Beach.
It’s hard to argue who among these is the greatest ever not to win the Great American Race. Arguments can be made for two-time cup champions Kyle Busch and Mark Martin. But ultimately, Tony Stewart, the three times cup champion, gets the title of the greatest not to win the Daytona 500. It is also worth noting that Tony has 13 Daytona Road Course race wins.
Who has the most Daytona 500 wins?
Winning one race at Daytona makes racers superstars and for the 12 racers who have won it more than once, they are legends of the sport. With two wins each, seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. are tied for P7 with two race wins each at the track.
These two are joined by four other tow times Daytona champions. Bill Elliott, the most famous racer ever in the sport, Sterling Marlin, Michael Waltrip and Matt Kenseth, who won the championship in 2003 with just one race win, are the other drivers with two wins at the Florida beachside track.
Four drivers share the P3 spot. They are ex-Cup champions, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Allison with three wins. Along with them four-cup title-winning HMS Vice-Chairman Jeff Gordon and 23XI Racining co-owner and JGR driver Denny Hamlin also have a sport on the list.
At P2, its three times Cup champion Cale Yarborough, who has won the event four times in his impressive career. At the top, it is none other than NASCAR’s most successful racer, Richard Petty who has won the Daytona 500 a record seven times.
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Justin P Joy
(4880 Articles Published)