Despite His Tragic Fate, Dale Earnhardt’s Daytona 500 Stats Stand Untouched, Even Years After His Demise

The Daytona International Speedway holds bittersweet memories for the Earnhardt family. When the 7-time Cup Series champion, Dale Earnhardt, lost his life to a T-bone wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500, the NASCAR community was devastated. Losing a driver of his caliber was an unprecedented loss for the sport and triggered much-needed changes in driver safety. However, despite losing his life to the Great American Race, the Intimidator has been the best driver to grace the event.

A recent post on X by Trey Ryan which specializes in the sport’s statistics, revealed the drivers with the highest percentage of top-15 finishes at the Daytona 500 throughout their careers. While there are some surprising mentions on the list, Dale Earnhardt stood head and shoulders above his nearest competition. It is pretty typical of Earnhardt Sr, indeed!

The Intimidator continues to lead, ahead of Bill Elliott and Kevin Harvick

Trey Ryan’s list had only one criterion of eligibility: drivers had to start in more than 10 Daytona 500 races to make the list. Dale Earnhardt is the list leader, with 78.3% of his Daytona 500 outings ending in a top-15 finish. In simpler words, ‘The Intimidator’ finished among the first 15 drivers three times in every four races.

2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell occupied second place on the list with 66.7%. McDowell opened his winning record in the Cup Series with a triumphant win in the 2021 season opener. Bill Elliott is close behind McDowell, with 65.5% of his Daytona 500 finishes in the top 15. McDowell is the best-performing driver on the current Cup Series roster, with Joey Logano behind him at 60%.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, however, has won the Daytona 500 twice, one more than his late father. However, apart from his wins, he has proved to be a consistently formidable opponent at the event, with 61.1% of his Daytona 500 races having a top-15 finish. A surprising exclusion from the list is three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.

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Hamlin is quite easily the favorite for the 2024 Daytona 500 as well. Following a thrilling win at the Coliseum, the 43-year-old is well prepared to go for a fourth Daytona 500 win. Despite nearing Dale Earnhardt’s record of six Clash victories with four of his own, Hamlin cannot eclipse the former RCR driver’s 34 victories at the Daytona International Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Sr’s biggest and sole victory in the Daytona 500

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During Dale Earnhardt’s racing days, the Daytona International Speedway hosted multiple NASCAR races throughout the year, including the Clash, on top of the two annual races. Earnhardt had dominated the race track year after year and was the most successful driver at the venue by a long distance. However, a Daytona 500 win eluded him until a much-awaited moment in 1998.

On February 15, 1998, Dale Earnhardt qualified for the Daytona 500 in a P4 and displayed his tenacity and persistence to lead 107 laps of the race. More surprisingly, there were no retirements or notable wrecks in the race. Some people might feel that the reason for it was Earnhardt occupying his position near the front row. A wreck would have seemed inevitable if Earnhardt started in the middle of the pack.

Dale Earnhardt faced a tough challenge from former champion Bobby Labonte and Jeremy Mayfield throughout the race. Dale Sr hoped to enjoy a big lead in the 140th lap, but the pair of opponents clawed their way back to contention. The situation changed in the 198th lap when the trio chanced upon Rick Mast’s lapped car. Being ahead of his rivals, Earnhardt had a clear vision of the vehicle and avoided him easily.

Labonte lost his drafting speed, and Mayfield took the inside approach. This cleared the way for Dale Earnhardt’s only Daytona 500 win and what many consider the most celebrated win in NASCAR history.

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