Most all-time career NASCAR Cup Series starts

By Staff Report | Published: September 19, 2026 36

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Denny Hamlin became the 15th NASCAR Cup Series driver to log 750 career starts in the sport's premier circuit, doing so at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2026. See where Hamlin ranks among the all-time greats in terms of starts.

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35. James Hylton

602 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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34. Tony Stewart

618 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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33. Brad Keselowski

622 career NASCAR Cup Series starts
*As of September 2026

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32. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

631 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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31. Buck Baker

635 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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30. Joey Logano

644 career NASCAR Cup Series starts
*As of September 2026

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29. J.D. McDuffie

653 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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28. Dale Jarrett

668 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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27. Joe Nemechek

674 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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26. Dale Earnhardt

676 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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25. Martin Truex Jr.

694 career NASCAR Cup Series starts
*As of March 2026

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24. Jeff Burton

695 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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23. Matt Kenseth

697 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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22. Buddy Baker

700 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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21. Jimmie Johnson

702 career NASCAR Cup Series starts
*As of September 2026

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20. Rusty Wallace

706 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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19. Bobby Allison

718 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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18. Bobby Labonte

729 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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17. Ryan Newman

733 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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16. Sterling Marlin

748 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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15. Denny Hamlin

750 career NASCAR Cup Series starts
*As of September 2026

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14. Kyle Busch

762 career NASCAR Cup Series start

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13. Ken Schrader

763 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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12. Kurt Busch

776 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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11. Michael Waltrip

784 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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10. Jeff Gordon

805 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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9. Darrell Waltrip

809 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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8. Kevin Harvick

826 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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7. Bill Elliott

828 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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6. Kyle Petty

829 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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5. Mark Martin

882 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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4. Dave Marcis

883 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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3. Terry Labonte

890 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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2. Ricky Rudd

906 career NASCAR Cup Series starts

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1. Richard Petty

1,184 career NASCAR Cup Series starts. Petty is the only driver to win his 600th start.