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Second best: Drivers with most runner-up finishes before first win
By Staff report | Published: July 5, 2022 16
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Winner! No. 8 Richard Childress Racing driver Tyler Reddick broke through at Road America for his first NASCAR Cup Series win after five runner-up finishes to start his career. Scroll through to see others in NASCAR history who logged several second-place finishes before getting that elusive first victory.
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Darrell Waltrip, 4: The three-time champion was a bridesmaid on four occasions before finally breaking into Victory Lane in the 1975 Music City USA 420 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
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Kyle Larson, 4: 'Yung Money' racked up more than a few second-place results before his first career victory in the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway in August of 2016. Coincidentally, Chase Elliott finished second in the race.
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Tyler Reddick, 5: The third-year driver had to hold off one of the best -- and another driver on this list -- in a 2022 battle at Road America, with Reddick overtaking Chase Elliott late in the race to cruise to win No. 1. It came after near-misses at Texas (2020), Homestead-Miami and Charlotte's Roval (2021) and a pair at Bristol dirt and Darlington in '22.
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Ryan Newman, 5: Newman finished second to Jeff Gordon in the inaugural Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2001 and four times in 2002. The former Cup star started from the pole and earned his first win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September 2002.
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Ricky Rudd, 5: The 23-time Cup Series winner had his fair share of runner-up finishes before scoring his first victory in the 1983 Budweiser 400 at Riverside Speedway.
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Marvin Panch, 6: Starting from the pole, Panch earned his first career victory at Montgomery Speedway in 1956.
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Mark Martin, 6: Five of Martin's six second-place finishes came in 1989 before he earned his first win at Rockingham Speedway in the third-to-last race of the season.
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Kasey Kahne, 6: Kahne finished second five times during his rookie season in 2004 and one more time in 2005 before starting from the pole to win at Richmond in May of that year.
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Glen Wood, 6: Wood earned his fair share of runner-ups before going on a tear in 1960, winning his first race from the pole at Bowman Gray Stadium and two more races later that season.
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Lennie Pond, 7: Pond finished runner-up seven times, including thrice at Richmond, before notching his first (and only) premier series win, at Talladega in 1978.
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Chase Elliott, 8: The Hendrick Motorsports driver appeared on the cusp of breaking through in eight instances before notching his first win at the ripe ole age of 22.
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Bill Elliott, 8: Four of Elliott's eight second-place finishes came in 1983 -- including the season-opening Daytona 500 -- before earning his first win in the final race of the season at Riverside Speedway.
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Sterling Marlin, 9: Marlin's nine runner-up finishes were well worth the wait considering he earned his first victory by winning the 1994 Daytona 500.
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Harry Gant, 10: It was almost the norm for Gant to finish second until his first win at Martinsville Speedway in 1982. He went on to win 21 races total in NASCAR's premier series.
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James Hylton, 12: Hylton has the most second-place finishes in NASCAR history before his first win, which came at Richmond Raceway in 1970.