40 Of NASCAR’s Most Legendary Drivers
Since the first NASCAR race in 1948, drivers have become folk heroes, legends, and icons for their fans. Determining the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time can be tough because there are so many factors to look at–but here are 40 of the top contenders.
Bobby Allison
Born in Florida in 1937, Bobby Allison became one of the greatest and most beloved NASCAR drivers in history. Although he only won one championship (1983), he raced competitively from 1961 to 1988 and accumulated 84 race victories.
Virginia Office of the Governor, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Davey Allison
Bobby Allison’s son, Davey, had racing in his blood. The younger Allison began racing in 1985. He completed his first full season in 1987, earning the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award. He tragically perished in a helicopter crash in 1993.
Robert Alexander, Getty Images
Sam Ard
North Carolina native Sam Ard is one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. Born in 1939, Ard dominated the Late Model races in the 1970s and early 1980s, winning two back-to-back NASCAR Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series championships in 1983 and 1984. He sustained significant head injuries in a crash in 1984 and never raced again.
Buck Baker
The legendary Buck Baker was one of NASCAR’s earliest drivers, completing his first race in 1949. He dominated the NASCAR tracks in the mid-1950s. In addition to winning back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series championships in 1956 and 1957, Baker was the series championship runner-up in 1955 and 1958. He raced for 27 years before retiring in 1976.
Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker didn’t have to look far to find a NASCAR driver to idolize—he was the son of Buck Baker, an early NASCAR legend. Buddy won 19 races during his 33-year NASCAR career. He set the track record at the Daytona 500 in 1980—with an average race speed of 177.602 mph. That record still stands.
Racing One, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Greg Biffle
Greg Biffle had an impressively strong start to his NASCAR career. He won the Rookie of the Year award in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998 and the championship title in 2000. His career in the Xfinity Series followed a similar progression, with a Rookie of the Year award in 2001 and a championship title in 2002.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Geoff Bodine
The legendary Geoff Bodine was only five years old when he started racing in the micro-midget division at the Chemung Speedrome in New York State. His list of racing accomplishments is truly staggering and includes capturing an estimated 600 checkered flags as a NASCAR Modified racer, winning 55 races in the 1978 Modified season, and winning races in NASCAR’s Modified, Busch Grand National, Winston Cup, and Craftsman Trucks Series.
Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kurt Busch
One of the famed Busch brothers, Kurt Busch competed in over 800 NASCAR races during his 22-season career. Most of his races were in the Cup Series—and he was the 2004 champion—but he also raced in the Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series.
KickinTheTires, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch drove in his first NASCAR race in 2001 when he was only 16 and has since amassed an incredible list of accomplishments. He has competed in over 1200 races during his career—in all three NASCAR national series—with 231 wins. He claimed the championship in the Cup Series twice (2015 and 2019) and the Xfinity Series once (2009).
TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Red Byron
The legendary Red Byron won the first-ever NASCAR race in 1948 and became its first champion in any division that same year when he won the Modified championship. Considered one of the best drivers of his era, Byron famously drove with a special brace attached to the clutch pedal to compensate for a WWII injury.
Jerry Cook
One of only 13 drivers to win six or more NASCAR championships, Jerry Cook had back-to-back Modified championship wins in 1971 and 1972 before winning four consecutive times in that series, between 1974 to 1977. He was included in NASCAR’s inaugural list of its 50 best drivers in 1998.
Dale Earnhardt
The iconic Dale Earnhardt won seven NASCAR Cup Series championships. He captured his first championship in 1980, during his second full season. With 76 Cup wins, he is ranked seventh among NASCAR’s all-time greatest drivers.
Dale Earnhardt Jr
Dale Earnhardt Jr is a third-generation NASCAR driver, following in the footsteps of not just his father, Dale Earnhart, but also his grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt. He won 26 races in the Cup Series and claimed the championship twice in the Xfinity Series (1998 and 1999).
Carl Edwards
Known for performing a backflip from his winning car, Carl Edwards raced to victory 28 times in the Cup Series and 38 times in the Xfinity Series. He claimed the Xfinity championship in 2007 and was the circuit’s runner-up four times.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Bill Elliott
Adored by fans for his racing skills and affable demeanor, Bill Elliott holds the record for winning NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award. After his 16th win in 2002, he withdrew his name from further consideration. His list of achievements on the track is incredible. He is ranked 19th of all time for his 44 Cup Series wins and 8th for his 55 poles. He won the Cup Series championship in 1988.
Chase Elliott
Like several other top NASCAR drivers, Chase Elliott grew up calling a NASCAR legend
“Dad”. Elliott followed in Bill Elliott’s footsteps in more ways than one—like his dad, Elliott has won NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Award multiple times. He also won the Cup Series championship in 2020 and the Xfinity Series title in 2014.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Richie Evans
Richie Evans won over 400 races and, incredibly, nine NASCAR Modified championships within 13 years. He sadly passed on in 1985 at the age of 44 when he crashed during practice at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.
Red Farmer
Red Farmer was one of the original members of the legendary Alabama Gang, along with brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison. The number of Farmer’s wins is only estimated—and is guessed to be more than 700. He won the Modified championship in 1956 and three consecutive Late Model Sportsman Division championships between 1969 and 1971.
Tim Flock
The Flock siblings dominated NASCAR’s first season with Tim Flock finishing in eighth place, his brother Fonty finishing in fifth, and his other brother Bob in third. The three brothers also had a sister who raced—Ethel Mobley—and who was NASCAR’s second female driver. Tim was the Grand National Series champion in 1952 and 1955.
AJ Foyt
Although AJ Foyt only made 128 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series over 30 years, his record remains impressive, with seven wins and 36 top-10 finishes. His racetrack accomplishments include a record 159 USAC victories and 67 Indy car racing wins, which is also a record. He is the only driver to win the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon is ranked third on the list of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners, with an incredible 93 wins. In 1995, when he was 24 years old, he became the youngest driver in the modern era to win a Cup Series championship. He went on to win three more titles in 1997, 1998, and 2001.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Denny Hamlin
Denny Hamlin competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. Although he has not yet won a championship, he has racked up an impressive list of achievements during his 20-year career. In addition to 49 Cup Series wins, he has won the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500 three times each, as well as the Coca-Cola 600 once.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Kevin Harvick
Now semi-retired and a commentator on NASCAR on Fox, Kevin Harvick racked up an impressive list of accomplishments while racing full-time. He is currently ranked as the third greatest all-time Cup Series driver, with 121 national series wins, behind only Richard Petty and Kyle Busch. He won the Cup Series championship in 2014 and the Xfinity title in 2001 and 2016.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jack Ingram
Although he began racing in 1965 at the age of 29, his biggest championships came later in life. He won the Late Model Sportsman Division title in three consecutive years, from 1972-74, and the NASCAR Busch Series title in 1982 and 1985.
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac earned legendary status thanks to his skill at qualifying a race car. He captured 49 career poles, ranking as the 10th greatest of all time. But, more impressively, he took 19 poles in 1969, which remains a season record.
Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett is part of another legendary NASCAR father-son duo, with his father Ned Jarrett. The younger Jarrett earned an impressive list of career achievements, including the 1999 NASCAR Cup Series championship, three Daytona 500 wins, and a Coca-Cola 600 win.
Ned Jarrett
Ned Jarrett began his NASCAR career in 1953 and racked up an impressive number of wins before retiring in 1966 when he was 34. With 50 career victories, he is tied for 13th place among the all-time greatest NASCAR Cup Series drivers. In addition to two Cup titles, Jarrett also won two Sportsman Division championships.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson is a NASCAR legend, winning 83 races and seven Cup Series championships. He is tied with Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the most premier series championships. Johnson won his first five Cup titles in an unprecedented streak between 2006 and 2010.
Junior Johnson
Although Junior Johnson never won a championship as a driver, he racked up an impressive 50 race wins, tying for 13th place with Ned Jarrett on the list of all-time greatest NASCAR Cup Series drivers. After retiring, Johnson became a racing team owner. Two of his drivers each took the Winston Cup title three times, giving Johnson six wins as an owner.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski began his NASCAR career in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, when he was just 20 years old. Since that time, he transitioned first into the Xfinity Series and then into the Cup Series, where he won 35 races and the 2012 championship. He was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver in 2008, 2009, and 2010.
TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
David Pearson
The legendary David Pearson won 105 NASCAR Cup Series races, securing him the number two position behind Richard Petty in the list of all-time greatest Cup Series drivers. He also captured three Cup Series championships—in 1966, 1968, and 1969.
Freewheeling Daredevil, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lee Petty
Father to NASCAR’s iconic Richard Petty, as well as grandfather to Kyle Petty and great-grandfather to Adam Petty, Lee Petty was the patriarch of a racing dynasty. The elder Petty was no slouch on the track. He won the very first Daytona 500 race and went on to capture three NASCAR Grand National Series championships.
Richard Petty
Richard Petty’s astonishing list of achievements made him a NASCAR icon. With a career that spanned from 1958 to 1992, Petty accumulated the most starts, the most wins, the most consecutive wins, the most wins in a single season, and the most poles. He is also tied at seventh place—with Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt—for the most premier series championships.
Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart began racing competitively with go-karts when he was still a child. He began his professional racing career with the USAC before transitioning to Indy car racing and later to NASCAR, beginning with the Busch Series. With 49 career wins and three championships in the Cup Series beginning in 1999, Stewart’s place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame is more than assured.
Herb Thomas
One of the most successful NASCAR drivers of the 1950s, Herb Thomas began his NASCAR career in 1949. After winning the Grand National championship in 1951 and 1953, Thomas became NASCAR’s first driver to win more than one championship.
Martin Truex Jr
The Truex dynasty of race car drivers includes Martin Truex Jr as well as his father, uncle, younger brother, and cousins. Truex began racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2001 and by 2004, he won the first of two Xfinity championships, with the second to follow just one later. In 2004, he drove in his first Cup Series race, and went on to win the Cup Series championship in 2017.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, Flickr
Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace earned his first top-five finish in his very first NASCAR race, in 1980. When he began racing full time, he quickly earned Rookie of the Year honors. With 55 career wins and a NASCAR Winston Cup championship in 1989, Wallace earned his place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip is a NASCAR legend with an impressive list of wins. With 84 career victories, he’s tied with Bobby Allison as the fourth all-time greatest NASCAR Cup Series driver. His other accomplishments include capturing 59 poles and securing three Cup Series championships, winning the title in 1981, 1982, and 1985.
Billferguson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Joe Weatherly
Joe Weatherly—nicknamed “The Clown Prince of Racing” for his antics on and off the track—began racing in 1950. Just two years later, he won his first of two championships in the NASCAR Modified division. He went on to win two Grand National Series titles in 1962 and 1963.
Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough began his iconic NASCAR career in 1957. His list of achievements is incredible. With 83 career wins, he is tied with Jimmie Johnson as the sixth greatest NASCAR Cup Series driver of all time. He won three consecutive Cup Series titles from 1976-78—a feat that went unmatched until Jimmie Johnson achieved his third Cup championship in 2008.
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