Which Driver and Team Have Won the Most Daytona 500 Races?

The Daytona 500 is a special race for NASCAR drivers. It is considered the ‘Super Bowl’ of NASCAR, and that says something about the race. Every race car driver hopes to win at the prestigious event that kick-starts the Cup Series season every year. However, a very handful of them have been able to conquer the highest peak there is to summit in the history of the sport.

The winners of the Daytona 500 are etched into the history books of NASCAR. Over the years, a lot of the teams and drivers have left their mark on the marquee event. The likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, Bill Elliot, and Denny Hamlin have all won the ‘The Great American’ race multiple times. While the drivers and team on their own have gathered multiple wins, which driver and team pairing has the most number of wins at this iconic race?

Who is second after the King and team at the Daytona 500?

Reigning supreme at the top of these standings, we have ‘The King’ Richard Petty leading the charge with 4 Daytona 500 wins. These wins came under his very own team banner, Petty Enterprises. It was back-to-back wins for him in 1973 and 1974. Which were then followed up by two more wins in 1979 and 1981.

The second best to Richard Petty is our very own villain of NASCAR, Denny Hamlin. JGR’s No. 11 has 3 Daytona 500 wins to his name. 2016 was the first year when Hamlin clinched this iconic win and soon followed it up with consecutive wins in the 2019 and 2020 Cup Series seasons. Despite this massive achievement, he is the only driver on the list to have not won the Cup Series.

Equaling Hamlin’s record, Jeff Gordon also has 3 Daytona 500 wins with Hendrick Motorsports. Driving the No. 24 Chevy, Gordon brought home the famous win for his team in the years 1997, 1999, and 2005. Jeff Gordon also has a total of 4 Cup Series championships to his name. Making him one of the most decorated NASCAR drivers of all time.

Concluding this list, we have multiple drivers who won the Daytona 500 twice each with their teams. We have Cale Yarborough’s 2 Daytona 500 wins with Ranier Lundy Racing; next, we have Dale Jarrett with his 2 wins under the Robert Yates Racing banner. Adding to the list, we also have Bill Elliot winning the Daytona 500 twice with Melling Racing, and Michael Waltrip rounding off this list with his double Daytona 500 triumph with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

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However, there are a few greats of the current era who are still looking for their first Daytona 500 win.

The best among the rest without the Daytona 500

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While the names mentioned above are in a league of their own. There are a few notable names from the current generation who, despite being massively successful, are looking for their first Daytona 500 win. The first name that pops up is the 2-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch. With a total of 18 starts, his best-ever finish was a close P2 in the year 2019.

Moving ahead, we have Hendrick Motorsports star driver Kyle Larson. With 23 Cup wins, 331 races, and the 2021 championship, the Daytona 500 is the price that has long eluded him. In 10 starts, he has only managed a P7 in the years 2016 and 2019. Joining this list is his teammate, Chase Elliot, who is also looking for his Daytona 500 win after starting the race eight times. The No. 9 from HMS did come tantalizingly close to winning the race with a P2 finish in 2021.

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Concluding this list, we have Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. The veteran drivers do have a championship to their name, but they are still in search of their Daytona 500 win. Both the drivers are not growing young and are well past their prime years. Therefore, 2024 could potentially be their last shot at winning the prestigious race.