The 25 Greatest Daytona 500 Drivers Of All-Time by Ron Thornton
The countdown continues as we near the 49th edition of the Great American Race. With the anticipation building, combined with my (moparornocar) love for history, statistics, and possibly for causing trouble, I thought I would take a crack at coming up with a list to honor the 25 greatest Daytona 500 drivers of all-time.
How successful was I in coming up with a method of making such a determination that most, though understandably not all, might agree with? Well, the 25 best I came up with represent 38 Daytona 500 victories and include 20 of the 50 best drivers as decided during NASCAR's 50th anniversary celebrations nine years ago. As for the five not on that 1998 chart, they managed to combine for six wins and 38 Top Ten finishes when it came to competing in the February spectacle.
David Pearson
10. DAVID PEARSON - 110 Points 1 Win (1976) 3 Top Threes (1966, 70, 76) 6 Top Fives (1966, 68, 70-71, 75-76) 10 Top Tens (1962, 66, 68-71, 75-76, 83-84)
9. JEFF GORDON - 113 Points 3 Wins (1997, 99, 2005) 5 Top Fives (1993-94, 97, 99, 2005) 7 Top Tens (1993-94, 97, 99, 2002, 04-05)
8. TERRY LABONTE - 118 Points 4 Top Threes (1986, 90, 94, 97) 6 Top Fives (1982, 86, 88, 90, 94, 97) 12 Top Tens (1980, 82-83, 86, 88-90, 92, 94-95, 97, 2000)
7. BENNY PARSONS - 130 Points 1 Win (1975) 5 Top Threes (1975-78, 87) 8 Top Fives (1972, 75-78, 80, 86-87) 9 Top Tens (1969, 72, 75-78, 80, 86-87)
i find it odd how a person with a .500 top-10 percentage and a .214 winning percentage in 14 starts is behind people with no wins...no discredit to any other drivers...
Certainly one of the best statistics reports on the drivers winning at Daytona. This did take some time to research. I applaud your effort.
On many of Petty's wins, I think it was in the heyday of the Mopar 426 Hemi engine which no other manufacturer could come close to in power.However, one or two of his later wins came from the smaller engines NASCAR went to in the mid 70s I think with the Pontiac marque.
Wish I had written it. But note that I credit moparornocar on sterlingmarlinfans.com as writing it. I understand he found it somewhere else on the web.
Wow Falcon, I love your blogs, they are great!! Glad to see old names up there, esp Cale Yarborough! I can't remember If I've seen him race or not, but he was My Dad's man, then along came Dale Earnhardt!!!!!
"But all this must be suffered by those who profess the stern order of chivalry" Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 and six other occasions. Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
David Pearson
Bill Elliott
