Rating: The Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time

NASCAR has a rich history stretching deep into America. Stock car racing, born of rebellion during Prohibition, has rewarded the country with some of its greatest folk heroes. From Richard Petty and his seven championship titles to Jeff Gordon and his 85 wins, the world's best racers know how to make our hearts beat faster. But how do they relate to each other? These are the top NASCAR drivers of all time in the rankings.

Which one is your favorite?

David Pearson - 105 wins

David Pearson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011, one year after Petty. Then it makes sense, he's second on our list. During his illustrious career, Pearson competed in over 574 races, winning 105 times.

Pearson's 113 pole positions at the start of races is the second most in history behind Richard Petty. He won three cup championships despite rarely racing the full season each year. If he did, who knows how many titles he would win. Then we could just talk about him as the greatest of all time.

Next, the greatest athlete ever to wear number three.

Dale Earnhardt - Seven Cup Championship

During the races, Dale Earnhardt was the "intimidator". Few riders struck fear into the hearts of their rivals the way he did. He won seven cup championships as well as 76 victories and would have won even more if tragedy had not happened at the turn of the century.

During the 2001 Dayton 500, Earnhardt was involved in a three-car accident that claimed his life. His son Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second, only learning of his father's fate after crossing the finish line. The Intimidator was 49 years old at the time.

Kyle Busch - 51 wins and score

Kyle Busch is not retired so you might be surprised to see him on this list. How can someone who is still competing be considered one of the greatest in history? It's all about the numbers. At the end of the 2018 season, Bush was 33 years old and had 51 career wins.

Kurt Busch's younger brother, Kyle, made the sports world know he was the most talented in the family. In 2015, Bush won his first cup championship. By the time he decides to retire, we're sure there will be a few more people on his mantle.

Richard "King" Petty - 200 wins

Known simply as "The King", Richard Petty tops our list of the best NASCAR drivers ever to drive. He started his career in the late 50's and over the next 1,184 years took part in 35 races.

He won 200 races, finished 712 times in the top ten and started from pole position 123 times. Petty retired in 1992 after winning seven cups. In 2010, he was inducted into the first ever NASCAR Hall of Fame class.

Cale Yarborough - Three Cup Champion

In many ways, Cale Yarborough was a precursor to Jimmie Johnson. Whatever he did, Johnson ended up doing it better. Take, for example, his three consecutive cups from 1976 to 1978. Johnson saw this record lift them by two more.

Of course, Yarborough was not Jimmie Johnson, he was one of the greatest racers of his time. In 2011, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. More surprisingly, a section of South Carolina Highway 403 was renamed in his honor.

Jimmie Johnson - Seven Cup Championship

By the time Jimmie Johnson retires, he may be at the top of this list. Born in El Cajon, California in 1975, Johnson has already won seven Cups and is on track to win several more. Since signing with Hendricks Racing in 2001, it seems like all Johnson does is win.

Johnson's biggest achievement to date is winning five consecutive cup championships from 2006 to 2010. No racer in the history of the sport has ever done this. He also won over 50 races and started from pole position over 20 times.

Up front is the rider who defined the sport in the 90s.

Buck Baker - 635 races

Buck Baker started his career as a bus driver before he decided to try his hand at racing. His NASCAR career began in 1949 at Charlotte Speedway. It was another three years before he won his first race at Columbia Speedway, after which he drove 634 more races in his 27-year career.

During his career, Baker had 46 wins, at least three of which were in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1953, 1960 and 1964. Baker retired in 1976 and opened Buck Baker Racing where he drove his first production car.

Jeff Gordon - 93 wins

Jeff Gordon was known as "The Kid" early in his NASCAR career. Young and full of life, seeing him on the race track was a breath of fresh air that the sport so desperately needed. However, he was more than just young handsome, winning 93 races before retiring.

Gordon retired after the 2014 season with the third most wins in NASCAR history. In 2016, he briefly returned, replacing the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. Today, he makes his career as a NASCAR broadcaster for Fox Sports.

Darrell Waltrip - 84 wins

Darrell Waltrip earned his place in the Hall of Fame in 2012. With 84 wins and three cups to his credit, he was always going to get busted in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is fourth all-time on the win list.

Outside of the car, Waltrip was an experienced team owner and retired TV presenter. He started his second career in 2001 and quickly became a teacher at Fox. Today, he is one of the leading analysts on the NASCAR network.

Bobby Allison - 84 wins

Bobby Allison may have been from Miami, but that didn't stop him from becoming a member of the Alabama Gang. Together with Donnie Ellison and Red Farmer, the gang settled in the south. Bobby Ellison was the top scorer of the group, retiring with 84 wins and one Cup championship.

Ellison's career record was good enough for him to be inducted into the 2011 Hall of Fame. These days, Ellison is still going strong at 80 and is even helping to promote NASCAR safety with the Keep On Living campaign.

Still ahead, the man who gave life to Richard Petty!

Lee Petty – Three Cup Championships

Without Lee Petty, there would be no Richard Petty. The patriarch of the Petty dynasty and the man who first made the Petty name legendary, Lee Petty started racing in 1949. He won 54 races and 18 pole positions. He was also the first driver to win three cups.

Most importantly, without Lee Petty, NASCAR might not exist today. He was at the forefront of racing safety innovation and helped develop lifesaving equipment such as window screens and roll bars.

Tony Stewart - 49 wins

Few riders have had as much competitive fire as Tony Stewart. He was one of the "bad guys" of NASCAR and won three Cups (2002, 2005, 2011). He earned his reputation for his fearless and sometimes reckless driving style.

In every season he competed in, Stewart won at least once. He's an unmistakable Hall of Famer as long as voters can ignore his attitude issues. Towards the end of his career, Stewart added "ownership" to his resume by winning the 2011 Cup as owner/driver of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Junior Johnson - 50 wins

Known more as an owner than a driver these days, it's important to remind everyone how good Junior Johnson is at the wheel. His 50 wins rank him tenth all-time and 46 career pole positions rank him ninth.

However, the main reason Johnson made this list is that he is credited with opening drafting. The art of drafting allows one driver to follow another driver who blocks wind resistance. With less resistance, the driver behind can pick up more speed and eventually overtake his competitor.

Still ahead is the driver, affectionately known as "The Gentleman."

Ned Jarrett - Three Cup Champion

"Gentlemen" Ned Jarrett raced in the NASCAR Cup Series for 13 years. During this time he competed in 352 races, winning 50. He took pole position 25 times and retired with a top ten finish 239 times. If he had raced longer, it is not known what records he could have set.

The greatest race of Jarrett's life took place at Darlington Speedway in 1965. He not only won, he destroyed the competition, ahead of the nearest rider by 14 laps. For those who are curious, this is approximately 17.5 miles.

Tim Flock - 37 pole positions

A member of the famous Flock family, Tim Flock more than held his own on the race track. He raced from 1949 to 1961, making 187 starts and 37 pole positions. He also won 39 races.

Flock's career winning percentage was 21 percent, which may sound low, but it's not. This is the best winning percentage of all time and easily makes it into this list. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.

Terry Labonte - two championship cups

Terry Labonte raced in NASCAR for 27 years. During his career he won two cup championships and 22 races. His twelve-year drought between cup championships is the longest in the history of the sport.

Labonte was one of the most popular racing drivers of his day. His two brothers, Bobby and Justin, also raced, but not as well. In 1984, Terry became a television celebrity by starring in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard.

The first Winston Million winner in NASCAR history is ahead!

Bill Elliot Winston Million

Bill Elliot is one of the most popular NASCAR drivers of all time. Before he could retire from racing, he was forced to retire from Most Popular Driver of the National Motor Sports Association competition. He won it 16 years in a row! It was definitely time for new blood.

On the track, his skills supported his popularity. He won 55 pole positions, 44 races and one cup championship. He was also the first driver to win the Winston Million, finishing first in the Daytona 500, Winston 500 and Southern 500 in the same season.

Fireball Roberts - 32 pole positions

Fireball Roberts has been a dominant force in the racing world for 15 years. He started in 206 races, 32 of them from pole position. In total, he won 33 races, 93 of which finished in the top five. He also competed in 16 Convertible Series races.

Of course, Fireball wasn't his real name. Born Edward Glen Roberts Jr., he got his nickname while playing baseball for the American Legion. The story goes that he played for the Zellwood Mud Hens and teammates were so impressed with his fastball that they started calling him "Fireball".

Rusty Wallace - 697 straight starts

Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2013, Rusty Wallace was one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen. It was also one of the most durable. His 697 consecutive starts are second only to Ricky Rudd's 788.

Wallace won his only cup championship in 1989 but continued to chase another until he retired in 2005. At the end of his long career, Wallace finished 349 times in the top ten, with 55 wins and 36 starts from pole.

Mark Martin - 882 races

Mark Martin's resume doesn't scream "best ever," but he more than deserves a spot on this list. Despite never winning a cup championship, Martin retired after 31 years with 40 wins and 51 pole positions. When he announced his retirement, he had made over $85 million.

In 2017, Martin was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame along with Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Raymond Parks and Benny Parsons. In addition to NASCAR, Martin now runs several car dealerships in Arkansas.

Harry Gant - 123 top-five finishes

Harry Gant raced for 22 years, ending his career with 208 top ten finishes, 18 wins and 17 pole positions. He has never won the Cup, but like Mark Martin, he has such a large body of work that it is impossible to exclude him from this list.

In retirement, Gant returned to a "quiet" life in North Carolina riding motorcycles. He still appears at NASCAR events. In 2015, he was seen racing the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Herb Thomas – 228 races

Herb Thomas was one of the most successful NASCAR drivers in the 1950s. Thomas began his career in 1949 racing NASCAR's Stictly Stock, scoring his first win that year in a privately owned Plymouth at Martinsville Speedway.

Herb Thomas poses here with his Fish Carburertor 1939 Plymouth Modified, with which he finished fifth in NASCAR in 1955. The Plymouth was definitely the car that helped Thomas build his career, but at some point he did switch to the Hudson Hornet. . In 13 years of racing, Thomas won 48 victories.

Kevin "The Closer" Harvick - Sprint and Xfinity Champion

With 45 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series wins and 47 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, it's no surprise that Kevin Harvick always has a reason to celebrate. Having started his racing career in 1995, Harvick is proud to say that he is the third or only five other drivers to win a championship in the Sprint Cup and Xfinity Series.

As of 2019, Harvick holds the record for most wins at Phoenix International Raceway, winning there a total of nine times. As a regular in the Monster Energy series, Harvick drives the No. 4 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Matt Kenseth - 181 Top XNUMX finishes

Matt Kenseth is by far one of the best riders of his generation, having completed 11,756 300 laps and over 10 top 13 finishes in his career. After his father bought a car when he was 16, Kenneth started racing when he was only XNUMX at Madison International Speedway.

Kenseth competed in 288 races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and 665 races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. In 2017, Kenseth announced that he was phasing out full-time racing and has been racing part-time ever since.

Bobby Isaac - Grand National Champion

Back in the 60s, Bobby Isaac raced the Dodges for Nord Krawskoph and won three NASCAR Cup races in 1968 alone. After he became a full-fledged racer in 1956, it took him seven years of hard work to get into the Grand National division.

In 1970, Isaac won the NASCAR Grand National Series driving the No. 71 Dodge Charger Daytona sponsored by K&K Insurance. Having started 49 times on pole, Isaac won 37 races in the top series during his career. He holds the record for 20 poles in a single season.

Dale Jarrett is a three-time Daytona 500 champion

Dale Jarrett smiled when he won the Daytona 500 NASCAR Winston Cup at none other than Daytona International Speedway in 1993. It was his first win at the famous Daytona Beach, Florida race after winning again in 1996 and 2000.

These victories were capped off with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1999. Jarrett is still connected to the racing world these days, except you probably saw him around the table as ESPN's lead race analyst. Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.

Danny Hamlin is the 2006 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year.

Denny Hamlin drives the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing as a regular driver in NASCAR's Monster Energy Cup Series. Although he is already a credible driver with over 30 race wins, he is still working hard to keep his name at the top of NASCAR's Greatest Drivers rankings.

After winning Rookie of the Year at the 2006 Sprint Cup, Hamlin became the first rookie to qualify for the NASCAR playoffs. In 2016, his career ended with a Daytona 500 championship win, but this latest model racer is still winning for his fans.

Kurt Busch - 30 wins

You've already seen his little brother on this list, but all this talent just couldn't go to one family member. Kurt Busch is a champion in his own right, having been the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion and 2017 Daytona 500 winner.

Bush's older brother drives the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Chip Ganassi Racing as a regular in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Bush is one of the few drivers to win races in the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.

Carl Edwards - 75 wins

Carl Edwards celebrates his victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Speedway in 2015 by hoisting the checkered flag. Edwards was known for the No. 19 Toyota Camry, which he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. We are sure that after this victory, Edwards performed his infamous celebratory backflip from his car.

With a total of 75 wins in his career, Edwards retired by 2017. He said at the time, "I don't have a life raft that I jump on, I just jump... It's a clean, simple personal decision."

Rex White - 223 races

By the time Rex White became NASCAR Cup Series champion in 1960, he had already had six wins and 35 top-ten finishes in 41 starts that year alone. White began his racing career in 1956 and went on to become one of the drivers on the original Ford racing team.

When he won the NASCAR Grand National Championship in 1960, White was awarded a check for $13,000. He continued to win races until 1963. Rex White retired in '1964, by which time he had already racked up 73 career victories.

Brad Keselowski - 67 wins

Brad Keselowski's career began in 2004 and he has already won championships in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series. As of 2019, says Keselovsky. NASCAR that he is ready for his first Daytona 500 win. “Of course, I consider myself the most prepared for this race, simply because it is the first race of the season,” he said in February of that year.

He may still be racing, but Keselowski already has 67 career wins. You might recognize him driving Penske's #2 Ford Mustang in the Cup Series.

Dale Earnhardt Jr - 26 Cup Series wins

Clearly, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is known as the son of one of NASCAR's greatest drivers, but the man some simply call "Junior" has had a distinguished career himself. A two-time Daytona 500 winner, Dale Jr. was known as the "Pied Piper" of Daytona, winning his first in 2004 and his second in 2014.

Earnhardt won 26 Cup victories but ended his career in 2017. Now you can see it as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC, but he also races part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving the No. 8 Chevy Camaro for JR Motorsports.

Fred Lorenzen - 158 races

Fred Lorenzen has been known by various names: Golden Boy, Fast Freddy, Elmhurst Express, and Fearless Freddy. He started his career in 1956 but finished 26th in his first race at Langhorne Speedway and walked away with just $25.

Lorenzen had one of the shortest careers on this list, having only competed for 12 years. During this time, his winning streak lasted from 1962 to 1967, during which time he won a total of 22 races. This is him celebrating his victory at the Daytona 500 Qualifier.

Jim Easter - 430 races

Jim Pascal is perhaps one of the most underrated riders on this list. During his 25-year career, he won 23 races and was elected to the Stock Racing Hall of Fame in 1977.

He won the World 600 in 1964 and 1967, in the latter of which he set a race record with 335 laps. This record was not broken for another 49 years until Martin Truex Jr. took the lead with 392 laps in 2106. Pascal was clearly the stronger short track rider and that may have been why he eventually retired.

Joe Weatherly - 153 top XNUMX spots

During his 12-year career, Joe Weatherly took part in 230 races. His career began in 1950 and he won over half of the races he entered that season. Two years later, he won the NASCAR Modified national crown.

By 1956, Weatherly began racing in the NASCAR Grand Nationals, driving a Ford for Pete DePaolo Engineering. Tragically, Weatherly died in a car accident in 1964 after his head flew out of the car and instantly hit a retaining wall at the Riverside International Raceway. He didn't have window screens because he was afraid of getting into a burning car.

Ricky "Rooster" Rudd - 788 straight starts

One of Ricky Rudd's most iconic moments in NASCAR came in 1988 at Budweiser At The Glen when he crossed the finish line victoriously on his way to victory over Rusty Wallace, whose car picked up speed in the final laps.

Rudd had 23 official NASCAR Cup Series victories but retired permanently after 2006. The previous season, he held the record for most consecutive starts, with a total of 788, but was finally surpassed in 2015 by Jeff Gordon. his home state of Virginia, where he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.

Jeff "Major" Burton - 306 races

Jeff Burton is best known for his 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins. Burton fans will never forget his Coca-Cola 600 wins in 1999 and 2000. Burton's racing career began in 1988 when he competed in the Busch Series. His first official NASCAR victory came nearly ten years later in 1997 when he won the Interstate Batteries 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

He doesn't race as much as he used to, but now you can see Burton as a sportscaster for NBC Sports on their NASCAR coverage.

Bobby Labonte - 932 races

Terry Labonte's younger brother, Bobby, has driven a whopping 932 races in his entire career! The Labonte brothers are one of two pairs of brothers (the other being Bush) who have both won the Cup.

For his part, Bobby is the first driver to win the Winston Cup Championship in 2000 and the Busch Series Championship in 1991. He was also the first to reach the NASCAR Triple Threat by finishing first at Martinsville in all three of NASCAR's premier racing series. Now he is an analyst NASCAR RaceDay on FOX Sports.

Joey "Bread Slicer" Logano - 52 wins

As of 2019, Joey Logano may be under 30, but he has managed a total of 52 career wins in that time. You may have seen him drive the No. 22 Ford Mustang GT for Team Penske in the Cup Series and occasionally in the Xfinity Series.

Logano had one of its best seasons in 2016, with a total of 22 top-five finishes and 28 top-ten finishes. Logano is the current champion of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and is looking to defend that title in the 2019 season.

Benny Parsons - Top 285 Top XNUMX

Benny Parsons rose to fame as the winner of the 1973 NASCAR Winston Cup after finishing in the top ten 21 times and finishing in the top five 15 times out of 28 events that season. This is just won from the 21 victories that he managed to win in his entire career.

In 2017, Parsons was finally inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Between his retirement from racing and his passing in 2007, Parsons was one of NASCAR's most prominent announcers and analysts for several networks including TBS, ABC, ESPN, NBC and TNT.