Over the 76-year history of NASCAR, thousands of drivers have cranked up their engines. However, only a select few have risen to the top and been given the distinction of being an all-time great. These are the five greatest drivers in NASCAR history, listed in no particular order.
David Pearson
Cup Series stats: 105 wins, three championships, 1976 Daytona 500 winner
How good was David Pearson? In the four years he was a full-time driver, he won the championship three times. However, Pearson found his most notable moments as a part-time driver, opting to run at big tracks where money and prestige were king. The ‘Silver Fox’ became the most iconic driver in the history of the Wood Brothers, who still compete in the Cup Series today.
Richard Petty
Cup Series stats: 200 wins, seven championships, seven Daytona 500 wins
There has been perhaps no greater rivalry in the history of NASCAR than that of Pearson and Richard Petty. The two drivers found themselves finishing 1-2 63 times, with Pearson holding a 33-30 edge in those races. When Petty wasn’t battling Pearson for the win, he was usually busy decimating his other competitors. Petty’s record marks of 200 wins and seven Daytona 500 victories will likely never be approached, and his legacy is one that persists today due to his involvement with Legacy Motor Club.
Jeff Gordon
Cup Series stats: 93 wins, four championships, three Daytona 500 wins
You’d be hard pressed to find a better athlete in the years of 1995 through 1998 than Jeff Gordon. In four years, Gordon won three Winston Cup championships, his first Daytona 500, the World 600, the inaugural Brickyard 400 and 40 races. By 2000, he’d won 50 Cup Series races in less than seven full-time seasons. While he didn’t win another championship after 2001, he remained one of the top drivers in the sport until his retirement from full-time competition in 2015. Today, Gordon serves in an executive role at Hendrick Motorsports.
Jimmie Johnson
Cup Series stats: 83 wins, seven championships, two Daytona 500 wins
In Jimmie Johnson’s rookie season in 2002, the future Hall of Fame inductee became the first ever Winston Cup rookie to lead the points. That would be a precursor to a legendary career that spanned 19 seasons and a record-tying seven titles. From 2006 to 2010, Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus terrorized the NASCAR world, winning 35 races and a record-setting five consecutive championships. In 2013, Johnson won both the Daytona 500 and his sixth title, and became just the third driver in history to win seven championships in 2016. Today, Johnson races occasionally for the team he co-owns in Legacy Motor Club.
Dale Earnhardt
Cup Series stats: 76 wins, seven championships, 1998 Daytona 500 winner
Had Earnhardt’s life not been tragically cut short in a fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500, he may have become the first driver in history to win eight Cup Series championships. Still, ‘The Intimidator’ put together one of the greatest careers in NASCAR history. From 1986 to 1994, Earnhardt and Richard Childress Racing won 48 races and six championships in one of the greatest driver-team partnerships in NASCAR history. There was never a driver like Earnhardt before, and there likely never will be another like him again.
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Top 5 NASCAR Drivers Of All Time