It’s common knowledge that Richard Petty has the most Cup Series wins (200) and Kyle Busch has the most consecutive seasons with at least one win (19). What about some of the more unique statistics?
The NASCAR season quickly approaches, so it’s time to examine the statistics that may have been pushed aside as time has passed. Some highlight domination on the race track. Others show that time continues to march on as a new generation of drivers take center stage.
Fascinating NASCAR stats
Jimmie Johnson won 83 Cup races in his career but never won at Chicagoland in 18 attempts. Johnson’s only Xfinity win was at Chicagoland in 2001.
Hendrick Motorsports has not won the Daytona 500 since the 2014 season. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the last driver to win the crown jewel race for NASCAR’s winningest organization. HMS drivers have won the pole for eight of the nine Daytona 500s since Earnhardt’s win.
Eight of the current Cup drivers were born after Dale Earnhardt won his lone Daytona 500 in February 1998. They are Carson Hocevar (born in 2003), Ty Gibbs (2002), Harrison Burton (2000). Todd Gilliland (2000), Justin Haley (1999), Zane Smith (1999), Austin Cindric (1998) and Noah Gragson (1998).
Multiple active car numbers have not visited victory lane in the past 40 years. The No. 51 last won in 1954 with Gober Sosebee. The No. 71 last won in Cup in 1982 with Dave Marcis. The No. 54 last won in 1978 with Lennie Pond. The No. 60 last won in 1950 with Bill Rexford.
Jeff Gordon competed at 25 tracks during his Cup career. He only failed to win at one — Kentucky.
Jeff Gordon won at least one pole in all 23 of his full-time Cup campaigns. This is a NASCAR record.
The All-Star Race has been going since 1985. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000) and Ryan Newman (2002) are the only Cup drivers to win the All-Star Race as rookies.
MORE: More Cup races added to Jimmie Johnson’s 2024 schedule
Kyle Busch started 26 Xfinity Series races during the 2014 season. He only finished worse than fourth place once (17th at Daytona in the summer) while winning seven times.
Kevin Harvick won the 2006 Xfinity Series championship by a margin of 824 points. This is the largest margin between first and second place in series history.
Richard Petty won 27 of 48 races during the 1967 Cup season. He won the championship after ending the season 6,028 points ahead of James Hylton in second place.
The No. 11 is the only car number with more than 1,000 top-10 finishes. Denny Hamlin has the most with 340, followed by Ned Jarrett with 232, Cale Yarborough with 172 and Darrell Waltrip with 133. A total of 31 drivers scored at least one top-10 finish in the No. 11.
