Since its inception in 1959, the Daytona 500 has become the most prestigious race in NASCAR. It’s a bucket list win for every driver that starts it, and its list of winners reads like a list of the greats: Pearson, Petty, Gordon, Earnhardt, Johnson, Allison, Yarborough.
Yet, there are a few NASCAR legends who were never able – or are still trying – to capture a victory in the ‘Great American Race.’ Here are four of the greatest drivers to never win the Daytona 500.
Tony Stewart
Stewart won three Cup Series championships and 49 Cup Series races – including two wins in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis – but was never able to win the 500 in 17 starts. From 1999 to 2015, the greatest prize in NASCAR eluded him. In 2001, Stewart flipped upside down on the backstretch in one of the most harrowing crashes in NASCAR history. In 2007, Stewart and Kurt Busch had the two fastest cars in Daytona Beach – until they tangled with each other on lap 152 and were forced out of contention. A year later, it seemed as if Stewart was going to get his Daytona redemption, as he led at the white flag. However, his old pal in Busch pushed eventual winner Ryan Newman past Stewart in a heartbreaking finish. Stewart never came close to a Daytona 500 triumph following 2008, and wasn’t even able to partake in the race during his farewell season. A back injury kept him out of the 2016 iteration of the race, and served as a final blow to Stewart from a track that never befriended him.
Kyle Busch (Still Active)
Busch could come off this list by Feb. 16, as he is still a full-time Cup Series driver with multiple Daytona 500 starts presumably left in his career. As it stands now, however, he could be the most accomplished driver in NASCAR history to never hoist the Harley J. Earl trophy. In just his second Daytona 500 start in 2007, Busch had one of the cars to beat, but his race ended on the exit of turn 4 on the final lap, as he and the rest of the field flew apart in a crash. His most heartbreaking defeat so far in the ‘Great American Race’ came in 2023, when Busch, in his first race with Richard Childress Racing, led at the 500-mile mark. He lost the race in NASCAR overtime to Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and will make his 20th Daytona 500 start in 2025.
Mark Martin
Martin is known as one of the best drivers to never win a championship. In the same vein, he’s also one of the best drivers to never win the Daytona 500. The aforementioned 2007 running will forever be one of the greatest ‘what-if’ moments in NASCAR history. With the rest of the pack crashing, Martin and Kevin Harvick barrelled towards the finish line. Harvick beat Mattin by .02 seconds in one of the greatest finishes in NASCAR history. 2007 was the closest Martin ever got to a Daytona 500 victory, and the official ledger has him at 0-29 in Daytona 500 starts.
Ned Jarrett
Jarrett’s career as a whole is one big ‘what-if.’ In just six full-time seasons, the Newton, North Carolina native won two championships and 48 races. While he ended his career with 50 Cup Series victories – including a crown jewel win at the Southern 500 – he never won a Daytona 500 in seven tries. Had he continued his full-time career, it’s hard to imagine Jarrett not winning more championships and snagging at least one Daytona 500 victory.
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