# Who is the greatest Daytona 500 winner of all time?

> The 500 has gone to dynasty drivers, one-hit journeymen and an open-wheel outsider who never came back.

*By YPB Team · Published August 19, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-daytona-500-winner-of-all-time*

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## Current results (5 votes)

1. **Richard Petty** — 60% (3 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Won the Daytona 500 a record seven times between 1964 and 1981.
2. **Dale Earnhardt** — 20% (1 votes · score 666/1000)
   Lost the 500 in every cruel way imaginable before finally winning it in 1998.
3. **Mario Andretti** — 20% (1 votes · score 666/1000)
   Won the 1967 Daytona 500 in a Holman-Moody Ford, his only NASCAR Cup victory.
4. **Sterling Marlin** — 0% (0 votes · score 516/1000)
   Won back-to-back 500s in 1994 and 1995 after 278 races without a win.
5. **Lee Petty** — 0% (0 votes · score 461/1000)
   Won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 after a three-day photo-finish review.
6. **Bobby Allison** — 0% (0 votes · score 400/1000)
   Won three times, the last in 1988 ahead of his son Davey.
7. **Darrell Waltrip** — 0% (0 votes · score 400/1000)
   Took 17 attempts to win the 500, then wept in victory lane in 1989.
8. **Dale Jarrett** — 0% (0 votes · score 400/1000)
   Won three 500s, twice beating Earnhardt to the line.
9. **Denny Hamlin** — 0% (0 votes · score 400/1000)
   Three wins including the closest finish in the race's history in 2016.
10. **A.J. Foyt** — 0% (0 votes · score 400/1000)
   Added the 1972 Daytona 500 to his Indianapolis and Le Mans wins.
11. **Bill Elliott** — 0% (0 votes · score 329/1000)
   Won in 1985 and 1987 and still holds the qualifying record at 210 mph.
12. **Michael Waltrip** — 0% (0 votes · score 329/1000)
   Won his first race in 463 starts at the 2001 Daytona 500.
13. **Jimmie Johnson** — 0% (0 votes · score 248/1000)
   Won in 2006 and 2013 on the way to seven championships.
14. **Kevin Harvick** — 0% (0 votes · score 248/1000)
   Won the 2007 500 by 0.02 seconds as cars crashed behind him.
15. **Cale Yarborough** — 0% (0 votes · score 154/1000)
   Four Daytona 500 victories and three straight NASCAR titles.
16. **Jeff Gordon** — 0% (0 votes · score 154/1000)
   Three Daytona 500 wins, the first at 25 years old.

Tags: usa, drivers, nascar, motorsport