Who are the 10 greatest Daytona 500 drivers of all time?

There are few sporting events bigger than the Daytona 500, which takes place Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app). The race happens at Florida’s scenic Daytona Beach and is the first of three held in-state annually.

The famous event began in 1959 when Lee Petty won the inaugural race, finishing with an average speed of 135.52 miles per hour. Petty, racing in an Oldsmobile branded car, is also the event’s first winner as both a driver and owner.

In all, Daytona has seen 12 multi-time winners and 14 teams win multiple times. William Byron, who captured the checkered flag in 2024, will look to become the first driver to win back-to-back Daytona races since Denny Hamlin did so in 2019 and 2020. That said, who’s the best driver to race this event?

Here are the 10 best drivers in Daytona 500 history.

10 best drivers in Daytona 500 history

10. Sterling Martin

Martin’s career at Daytona started with a bang when he earned his first NASCAR victory at the Daytona 500, becoming just the ninth driver to accomplish that feat. Moreover, his second career victory also came at the Daytona 500, winning in back-to-back years — something just four drivers can say about their careers.

9. Bill Elliott

Eliott was a fixture at the famed racetrack, making 30 career starts, which ties him with Michael Waltrip for fourth all-time in career Daytona 500 starts. He was also able to claim pole position a record-tying four times throughout his career, including three straight from 1985-1987, doing so with Ford three times and Dodge once. His two victories are tied for the seventh-most all time.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The son of a legend and a NASCAR Hall of Famer in his own right, Earnhardt Jr. was one of the more popular drivers during his time behind the wheel. He was able to deliver for those fans, earning two Daytona 500 victories during that time. Those races were especially meaningful for him after seeing his father struggle to win the race in his career. His average starting position of 5.67 is the second-best all-time for the race.

7. Dale Earnhardt

Perhaps the most famous NASCAR driver of all time, Earnhardt made sure to bring his A-game to Daytona. Overall, he collected 34 victories at Daytona International Speedway, but only one of those came specifically at the Daytona 500, winning his 20th attempt at the track in 1998. That race victory was considered the crown jewel of an otherwise stellar racing career.

Unfortunately, this track was also the site of his fatal accident in 2001, during his final lap at the event. His devastating loss resulted in numerous safety changes that have made every driver safer since.

6. Dale Jarrett

Jarrett was a fantastic driver and the Daytona track brought out the best in him. He claimed three Daytona victories from 1993-2000. His most famous moment at the course, though, was his first victory when he battled Earnhardt in a neck-and-neck battle referred to as the “Dale and Dale show.” Jarrett would pull ahead on the final lap for the heart-racing victory in one of the best battles of all time.

5. Bobby Allison

The résumé Allison put together at Daytona is beyond remarkable. He was able to win three races from 1978-1988, collecting victories in 1978, 1982 and 1988. But he routinely was at the top of the leaderboard and within striking distance of winning, finishing in second place three separate times and grabbing third place in two different races. In 1988, he became the oldest Daytona 500 winner on record at age 50.

4. Jeff Gordon

Gordon was fantastic at pretty much any track, but he always delivered at Daytona. His first victory there came in 1997, before claiming his second win in 1999 and his final win there in 2005. He also claimed pole position two separate times, in 1999 and then in 2015. Gordon was always at his best when it came to the Super Bowl of racing.

3. Denny Hamlin

Hamlin made history in 2020 when he claimed his second consecutive Daytona 500 win. That made him the fourth driver in the race’s long history to win back-to-back races at the event. He would come up short in his quest to become the race’s first-ever back-to-back-to-back winner, but finishing fifth in that attempt is nothing to sneeze at.

2. Cale Yarborough

You could make a real argument that Yarborough is the best driver in the race’s history. He’s one of just four racers to win back-to-back times at Daytona, doing so in 1983 and 1984, but he also was able to routinely set himself up well for those races. Yarborough was in pole position four times throughout his time at Daytona, had four second-place finishes and one third-place finish. Yarborough is also one of just two drivers to win multiple times from pole position, joining Elliott.

1. Richard Petty

If it wasn’t for Petty, Yarborough would be a shoo-in for the top spot, but Petty was otherworldly at Daytona. He’s the only driver to win the event five times or more, earning seven victories throughout his career there. Moreover, he’s also one of the four drivers to win back-to-back Daytona 500 races. Overall, he has finished in the top three 12 times in his career, a remarkable achievement.

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