Ranking the greatest Daytona 500s, 61-1

By Staff Reports | Published: 11 Feb, 2022 62

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Every Daytona 500 has a unique story, and we're ranking them -- excluding the 2001 and 2020 Daytona 500s -- using one overarching piece of criteria: Greatness. Scroll through to see where we rank the classics, from the initial photo finish to Michael McDowell's first Cup win in 2021.

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61. 1965

NASCAR Hall of Famer Fred Lorenzen wins his lone Daytona 500 in a race shortened to 333 miles due to rain. Lorenzen leads 25 total laps, including the final 15.

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60. 2009

The third-shortest Daytona 500 ever (380 miles), Matt Kenseth sneaks his way to victory by steering his car past a strong Elliott Sadler before the rain hits. It's the first Daytona 500 win for Kenseth.

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59. 1973

Get used to seeing Richard Petty on this list, because he won seven of these. The 1973 race is his fourth Daytona 500 win, and also the biggest margin of victory in race history -- Petty beats runner-up Bobby Isaac by two laps.

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58. 1964

Richard Petty's first Daytona 500 win sets the tone for his Daytona dominance. He leads 184 of 200 laps and puts the entire field a lap down in this one.

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57. 1972

This isn't a super-competitive race, but it is historic -- legendary A.J. Foyt wins by leading 167 of 188 laps. Only two other drivers (Richard Petty, Bobby Allison) lead laps.

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56. 1966

Much like his first Daytona 500 win, Richard Petty laps the full field to win. This is his second win in the 'Great American Race.'

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55. 2000

Dale Jarrett joins Bobby Allison as drivers with three Daytona 500 wins (Jeff Gordon would later join the club), this one coming from the pole. This race ends under caution following a Jimmy Spencer wreck.

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54. 2003

This is the shortest-ever Daytona 500 at 109 laps (272.5) miles, but Michael Waltrip celebrating this win two years after the 2001 race remains an endearing moment in his career.

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53. 2015

Joey Logano wins his first Daytona 500, and team owner Roger Penske wins his second in a race that ends under caution.

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52. 2006

Again ending under caution -- you'll notice a theme with several of these -- Jimmie Johnson wins his first Daytona 500. He goes on to win his first championship later in the year.

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51. 1991

Under caution, Ernie Irvan wins by scooting around Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps. He beat Sterling Marlin to the line.

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50. 1975

This one wasn't close, but the crowd roars for the popular Benny Parsons, who wins his lone Daytona 500 and laps the field in the process.

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49. 1982

Bobby Allison wins his second Daytona 500, this one driving the No. 88. Allison leads 147 laps, including the final 38, to top runner-up Cale Yarborough.

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48. 2021

A big wreck on Lap 15 took out several would-be contenders but the real drama came in last-lap wreck involving Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano battling for the lead. That allowed Michael McDowell to nab the victory for the first time in his Cup career -- a stretch that covered 367 races.

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47. 1974

Richard Petty extends his record of most career Daytona 500 wins in 1974 with his fifth victory. He wasn't finished yet, either. In this version, 'The King' won by 47 seconds.

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46. 1961

Marvin Panch wins the third running of the Daytona 500, with a powerful Pontiac provided by team owner Smokey Yunick. This goes down as a big upset, setting the tone for future winners.

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45. 1971

It was a family affair for Richard Petty and crew. And the top five? Petty bests Buddy Baker, A.J. Foyt, David Pearson and Fred Lorenzen. Wow.

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44. 1984

Cale Yarborough joins Richard Petty as drivers winning consecutive Daytona 500s. This 1984 victory comes from the pole, as you can see by the photo.

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43. 1985

Bill Elliott wins his first Daytona 500, but needs to hold off Lake Speed at the end— the margin of victory is 0.94 seconds.

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42. 1978

Welcome, Bobby! Bobby Allison joins the exclusive Daytona 500 winners club in 1978 with his first of three eventual wins. The win comes on Allison's 18th attempt.

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41. 1995

Make it two, Sterling Marlin. Marlin joins Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough as drivers to win consecutive Daytona 500s when he wins it in 1995.

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40. 1996

It's the 'Dale and Dale Show,' part two. Dale Jarrett holds off a furious charge from Dale Earnhardt in the closing laps to again best the 'Intimidator.' As for that original 'Dale and Dale Show?' Stay tuned ...

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39. 2002

This isn't in the 'biggest upset of all-time' discussion, but it's not too far off, either. Ward Burton drives a Dodge to Victory Lane in 2002, shortly after the manufacturer returned to the sport. The Victory Lane image with Jeb Burton is an instant classic.

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38. 1968

Cale Yarborough gives the legendary Wood Brothers team another Daytona 500 victory, and nabs the first of his career, too. He held off LeeRoy Yarbrough, no relation, late after the two swapped the lead throughout the race.

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37. 1977

Nearly a decade after his first Daytona 500 win, Cale Yarborough wins his second 'Great American Race.'

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36. 2017

Kurt Busch shakes the 'Best superspeedway driver to never win the Daytona 500' moniker by leading a single lap -- the last one -- in a frenetic ending. Crew chief Tony Gibson's reaction from the pit box was an all-timer.

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35. 1986

Is that ... young Rick Hendrick in the right of this photo? It sure is. Geoffrey Bodine gives the babyfaced Hendrick his first career Daytona 500 victory.

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34. 2013

So many story lines in this one. Rookie Danica Patrick starts from the pole (and is running third at the white flag), Dale Earnhardt Jr. lurks late ... but ultimately, Jimmie Johnson holds on for his second Daytona 500 win.

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33. 2005

This green-white-checkered finish sees Jeff Gordon hold off Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to claim his third and final Daytona 500 trophy.

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32. 1983

It's a generational battle as upcoming star Bill Elliott gives Cale Yarborough all he can handle, with the wily veteran going on to win his third Daytona 500.

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31. 1960

Legendary NASCAR figure Junior Johnson wins the second-ever Daytona 500. He was ahead of the game when it came to drafting, giving him the upper hand late. He passed Bobby Johns and led the final nine laps.

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30. 1994

Sterling Marlin breaks a 279-race winless streak to start his career, beating Ernie Irvan to the line by 0.19 seconds, one of the closest-ever finishes in the Daytona 500.

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29. 1981

The crafty Petty, in his mid-40s at this point, gambles on late-race pit strategy by taking fuel only to win his seventh career Daytona 500. Bobby Allison leads 117 laps and finishes second, after running out of fuel late and coasting around the track for a late pit stop.

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28. 2010

This race signals the start of Jamie McMurray's 'big-game hunter' reputation. He wins an exciting Daytona 500, setting up his later 2010 win at Indianapolis.

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27. 1967

In just his seventh start at NASCAR's top level, Mario Andretti shows why he's one of the best drivers in the world. And he makes history in becoming the first foreign-born driver to win the race.

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26. 1970

A huge upset, Pete Hamilton benefits from the guidance of crew chief Maurice Petty and beats David Pearson for his first career victory.

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25. 1962

This one is great because Fireball Roberts was great. He wins his qualifying race, then wins the race itself ... and returns to win in the summer, for good measure.

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24. 2008

The 50-year anniversary produces a classic, with Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch drafting off each other down the stretch. Busch pushes Newman to victory, the first in the Daytona 500 for legendary team owner Roger Penske. It's the fourth-closest margin of victory all-time in the Daytona 500.

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23. 1980

Buddy Baker wins the fastest Daytona 500 ever, driving the now-iconic 'Gray Ghost' paint scheme that would inspire Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s future throwback scheme at Darlington.

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22. 1987

Bill Elliott's legendary speed is on full display in the final Daytona 500 without restrictor plates. 'Awesome Bill' holds off Benny Parsons to win his second 500 in three years.

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21. 2012

Where to start? Rain delays the race a day, and the Daytona 500 kicks off under the lights Monday night. Weather persists, and in a now-infamous moment, Juan Pablo Montoya inadvertently drills a jet dryer, which goes up in flames. Eventually, the race restarts and Matt Kenseth wins his second Daytona 500 ... which ends on a Tuesday morning.

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20. 2018

Austin Dillon pushes past Aric Almirola in Turn 3 of the final lap to put the No. 3 in Victory Lane at Daytona for the first time since Dale Earnhardt's only win in the Great American Race in 1998.

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19. 1999

Dale Earnhardt nearly goes back-to-back, but 'Wonder Boy' Jeff Gordon holds off his buddy by 0.128 seconds to win his second Daytona 500.

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18. 1997

Prior to his duel with Earnhardt, Gordon leads a 1-2-3 parade of Hendrick Motorsports drivers in 1997. The moment with Terry Labonte and Ricky Craven is a classic for Rick Hendrick and his team.

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17. 2014

Neither rain, nor ... more rain ... nor gloom of night stops Dale Earnhardt Jr. A race delayed six hours by rain ends in the wee hours of the night with Earnhardt Jr. owning the draft and holding off the field in an instant classic.

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16. 1992

After finishing second to his father Bobby in 1988, Davey Allison scores an enormously popular victory for Robert Yates Racing. No one smiled more widely than his father.

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15. 1969

LeeRoy Yarbrough comes from behind and scoots past Charlie Glotzbach on the backstretch in the final lap to win a thriller. Team owner Junior Johnson was most pleased.

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14. 1989

Darrell Waltrip ends 17 years of bad luck in the Daytona 500, driving the No. 17 to Victory Lane ... and dancing a little, too.

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13. 2019

The racing was thrilling from start to finish, with underdogs and favorites swapping the lead throughout the race. The "Big One" comes late and wipes out top contenders -- more than once -- setting the scene for one of the best Daytona racers of his generation, Denny Hamlin, to power past teammate Kyle Busch on a late restart and deftly hold off the field for his second career Daytona 500 win. The emotional victory came mere weeks after the passing of Joe Gibbs Racing co-founder, J.D. Gibbs.

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12. 2004

Dale Earnhardt Jr. announces his arrival with a memorable victory in the famous race. Earnhardt Nation has reason to smile as Junior leaps into the arms of his jubilant team members.

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11. 2011

Perhaps the greatest upset in the history of the sport. Trevor Bayne wins on his 20th birthday weekend for the Wood Brothers, who return to Victory Lane for the first time since 2001.

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10. 1993

It was 'The Dale and Dale Show' as Dale Jarrett famously outduels Dale Earnhardt down the stretch, winning his first 500 with his father Ned Jarrett in the broadcast booth.

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9. 1990

Simultaneously one of the biggest upsets and biggest heartbreaks. Dominant Dale Earnhardt cuts a tire on the final lap, putting Derrike Cope in position to etch his name into the NASCAR history books.

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8. 1988

Bobby Allison becomes the oldest Daytona 500 winner at age 50. He bests son Davey Allison for the victory, making it the first and only time a father and son finished 1-2 in the Daytona 500.

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7. 1963

Dubbed the 'Miracle in Daytona,' replacement driver Tiny Lund wins the first 500 for the Wood Brothers. He subs for ailing Marvin Panch, whom Lund pulled out of a fiery wreck weeks prior.

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6. 2007

Kevin Harvick thunders down the stretch on the final lap, edging Mark Martin by 0.020 seconds in what was the closest Daytona 500 finish at the time. For Harvick, jubilation. For Martin, agony.

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5. 1959

Bill France's dream becomes reality in the inaugural Daytona 500. Lee Petty (42) wins in a photo finish over Johnny Beauchamp (73) in a decision not announced until days later after studying all available angles of the finish.

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4. 2016

Perhaps the best-ever finish to the 'Great American Race,' and certainly the closest. Denny Hamlin beats Martin Truex Jr. by .010 seconds in an instant classic.

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3. 1976

It was Richard Petty vs. David Pearson, the sport's top two all-time winners at the peak of their respective careers, battling to the finish. They wreck on the last lap, and Pearson was able to refire his car and limp across the start/finish line as crews sprinted out to help push both cars. In a word, unforgettable.

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2. 1979

The first Daytona 500 shown live from start to finish, Richard Petty wins for the sixth time and 'The Fight' between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers sends the sport's national awareness skyrocketing. An iconic race captured with an iconic photo.

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1. 1998

Close your eyes and think of the Daytona 500. What do you see? We see a black No. 3 Chevrolet rolling down pit road with every crew member in the garage lined up to shake his hand. Dale Earnhardt ends 20 years of frustration in this one, then soaks it in with a historic drive to Victory Lane. Then came that famous Earnhardt grin. Simply put, it's everything the Daytona 500 can be.

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Ranking the greatest Daytona 500s, 61-1

61. 1965

60. 2009

59. 1973

58. 1964

57. 1972

56. 1966

55. 2000

54. 2003

53. 2015

52. 2006

51. 1991

50. 1975

49. 1982

48. 2021

47. 1974

46. 1961

45. 1971

44. 1984

43. 1985

42. 1978

41. 1995

40. 1996

39. 2002

38. 1968

37. 1977

36. 2017

35. 1986

34. 2013

33. 2005

32. 1983

31. 1960

30. 1994

29. 1981

28. 2010

27. 1967

26. 1970

25. 1962

24. 2008

23. 1980

22. 1987

21. 2012

20. 2018

19. 1999

18. 1997

17. 2014

16. 1992

15. 1969

14. 1989

13. 2019

12. 2004

11. 2011

10. 1993

9. 1990

8. 1988

7. 1963

6. 2007

5. 1959

4. 2016

3. 1976

2. 1979

1. 1998