# What is the best NASCAR race of all time?

> Heartbreaking crashes on the last lap and the most emotional victories in stock car history — these races each have their own unforgettable chapter. Which one takes the flag?

*By YPB Team · Published May 26, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-nascar-race-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **1979 Daytona 500**
   The first 500-mile race broadcast live on national TV, forever putting NASCAR on the map — capped by a post-race brawl between the Allison brothers and Cale Yarborough.
2. **2001 NAPA Auto Parts 500 at Atlanta**
   Three weeks after Dale Earnhardt's death, Kevin Harvick won in just his third Cup start by 0.006 seconds — one of the most emotional victories in sports history.
3. **2010 Aaron's 499 at Talladega**
   A NASCAR record 88 lead changes among 29 different drivers, three overtimes, and a last-lap pass — the most chaotic and thrilling superspeedway race ever run.
4. **1976 Daytona 500**
   Richard Petty and David Pearson crashed in Turn 4 on the final lap — Pearson limped his battered car across the line while Petty's sat stalled in the infield.
5. **1988 Daytona 500**
   Bobby Allison won while his son Davey finished second — the only father-son 1-2 in Daytona 500 history, in a race watched by an emotional NASCAR nation.
6. **2023 Daytona 500**
   Kyle Larson won by one thousandth of a second — the closest finish in Daytona 500 history — in a chaotic overtime finish that left fans stunned.
7. **1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta**
   Richard Petty's emotional farewell race coincided with one of the most dramatic championship battles ever, decided in the final laps between five drivers.
8. **2016 Daytona 500**
   Denny Hamlin edged Martin Truex Jr. by 0.010 seconds in a photo finish — the closest 1-2 in Daytona 500 history — at nearly 200 miles per hour.
9. **1998 Daytona 500**
   Jeff Gordon's second Daytona 500 win was overshadowed by the unforgettable image of every NASCAR crew member lining pit road to congratulate him.
10. **2011 AdvoCare 500 at Talladega**
   A massive last-lap crash triggered by an incredible 25-car pileup that produced one of the most spectacular finishes in superspeedway history.
11. **2021 Daytona 500**
   Long-shot Michael McDowell won in one of the biggest upsets in Daytona 500 history when a last-lap crash between the two Penske cars cleared the path.

Tags: usa, sports, racing, motorsports