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The 17 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time

by YPB Team3 votes

From dirt-track pioneers to modern superstar champions, this lineup spans stock car racing's earliest legends to today's title contenders. Who's your pick for the best ever?

  1. Richard Petty — ranked #11
    Richard Petty
    'The King' won a record 200 Cup Series races and seven championships, the benchmark for NASCAR greatness.
    1000pts
  2. Dale Earnhardt — ranked #22
    Dale Earnhardt
    'The Intimidator' won seven Cup championships and became one of the sport's most iconic and aggressive competitors.
    789pts
    US
  3. Jeff Gordon — ranked #33
    Jeff Gordon
    A four-time champion with 93 career wins who modernized NASCAR's popularity in the 1990s and 2000s.
    663pts
  4. Kevin Harvick — ranked #44
    Kevin Harvick
    The 2014 champion who won at least one Cup race for 19 consecutive seasons.
    546pts
  5. Cale Yarborough — ranked #55
    Cale Yarborough
    Won three consecutive championships from 1976 to 1978, a feat unmatched for decades.
    473pts
  6. Darrell Waltrip — ranked #66
    Darrell Waltrip
    A three-time champion with 84 wins who later became one of NASCAR's most recognizable broadcasters.
    473pts
  7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. — ranked #77
    Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    A two-time Daytona 500 winner and NASCAR's most popular driver for 15 consecutive years.
    473pts
  8. Bill Elliott — ranked #88
    Bill Elliott
    The 1988 champion nicknamed 'Awesome Bill' for his blistering superspeedway speed.
    473pts
  9. Jimmie Johnson — ranked #99
    Jimmie Johnson
    Won a record-tying seven championships, including five straight from 2006 to 2010.
    387pts
  10. Bobby Allison — ranked #1010
    Bobby Allison
    A Hall of Famer with 84 career wins and the 1983 Cup Series championship.
    387pts
  11. Kyle Larson — ranked #1111
    Kyle Larson
    The 2021 champion known for his versatility across dirt track and Cup Series racing.
    387pts
  12. Kyle Busch — ranked #1212
    Kyle Busch
    Owns more combined national series wins than any driver in NASCAR history.
    387pts
  13. David Pearson — ranked #1313
    David Pearson
    Won 105 career races and three championships, long considered Richard Petty's fiercest rival.
    0pts
  14. Tony Stewart — ranked #1414
    Tony Stewart
    A three-time Cup champion known for his versatility and success across multiple racing disciplines.
    0pts
  15. Denny Hamlin — ranked #1515
    Denny Hamlin
    A three-time Daytona 500 winner and one of the most consistent modern-era Cup Series drivers.
    0pts
  16. Rusty Wallace — ranked #1616
    Rusty Wallace
    The 1989 champion who racked up 55 career wins across two decades of Cup Series competition.
    0pts
  17. Junior Johnson — ranked #1717
    Junior Johnson
    A Hall of Fame driver and later legendary team owner, credited as one of the founding figures of stock car racing.
    0pts
racing59drivers67NASCAR12motorsport89

Comments

Richard Petty's 200 wins leave Earnhardt 124 short and Gordon 107 short of the same number. Where that gap sits among twelve Earnhardt-Gordon questions: https://youpick.best/articles/earnhardt-vs-gordon-ranked

YP
ypb-team·Sep 11·
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