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Who are the most famous NASCAR drivers of all time? That’s a high-octane question that has been a topic of NASCAR fans since the racing series hit the sand beaches in Daytona, Florida. Now, decades later, there have been more drivers than you may think. According to the NASCAR database, almost four thousand different people have raced in NASCAR.
Only a handful of these athletes, like other sports, have left their mark on the record books. That’s where our list of the most famous NASCAR drivers of all time will come in handy. Or, at least get the conversation started.
#1 Dale Earnhardt
One of the most famous NASCAR drivers of all time has to be Dale Earnhardt! The legendary driver known as the “The Intimidator” won seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships. That number ties him with Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson for the most Championship titles. He had 76 wins in the Cup Series, including the Daytona 500. He also won 21 times in what is now the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Earnhardt is most commonly associated with the No. 3 car that he piloted for Richard Childress Racing until he died in 2001. Earnhardt was killed following injuries he sustained during a wreck at the season- opening Daytona 500 race in 2001.
#2 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the son of Dale Earnhardt and was voted the most popular driver consistently during his NASCAR Cup Series career. Dale Jr., as he’s often called, now serves as co-owner with his sister for a NASCAR Xfinity Series race team. He retired from full-time racing following his issue with concussion syndrome. While he never won a Cup Series Championship he did win 26 times in a Cup car and 24 times in an Xfinity Series Car. The son of the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr. is now a popular member of the NBC sports family and a racing history buff and media personality.
#3 Richard Petty
Richard Petty is a legend among NASCAR fans while also being a beloved voice in a popular movie. Petty, known as “The King” to his fans, won seven NASCAR Cup Series Championships. He won 200 times in the Cup Series and finished inside the top ten 712 times. He will always be associated with the No. 43 and the light blue and red paint scheme used on his cars. The Blue is now known as Petty Blue by fans. The famed driver played the voice role of Strip Weathers in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars and Cars 3, which introduced him and his Petty Blue color scheme to a younger group of fans.
#4 Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon entered the NASCAR scene in 1993 with a full-season ride at Hendrick Motorsports. This came after a few seasons of running a limited schedule in the Xfinity Series and Cup Series. That season, as a rookie, he finished 14th in points! He won his first Cup Series Championship a few seasons later in 1995. It was his first of four which often saw him battling Dale Earnhardt Sr. for the title. Gordon was adept at using the media to connect to fans and became an iconic name behind the wheel of his No. 24 Chevrolet.
#5 Bobby Allison
Bobby Allison won his first race in 1966 with his last Cup Series win coming in 1988 when he won the Daytona 500. The NASCAR Hall of Fame driver was born in Florida and quickly became a name in regional motorsports. He became known as the founder of the Alabama Gang which was a group of drivers based out of the Hueytown, Alabama area. Allison helped explode NASCAR onto the national TV scene when he and Cale Yarborough got into a televised fight on TV during the 1979 Daytona 500. It was a nationally televised race – one of the first in NASCAR history. Allison also raced in other Series including IndyCar. Allison retired after a wreck at Pocono nearly claimed his life.
#6 Chase Elliott
William Clyde “Chase” Elliott has taken on the title of being one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR from Dale Earnhardt Jr. The driver has won the fan favorite vote several times in addition to him becoming a NASCAR Cup Series Champion. Elliott is the son of Bill Elliott who is known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville. The younger Elliott gained much of his dad’s fanbase including the tradition of the Siren at the Dawsonville Poolroom blasting every time he wins a race. Elliott started his Cup Series career behind the wheel of the No. 25 car for a handful of races before taking over the No. 24 Chevy following the retirement of Jeff Gordon. Elliott moved to the seat of the No. 9 car, which was the number his father ran for much of his Cup career, in 2018.
#7 Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott has two of the most famous nicknames in NASCAR! He is known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville due to his family’s roots in Dawsonville, Georgia. And he also carried the nickname of “Million Dollar Bill” following his win of three of the four major NASCAR races in the 1985 season. The promotion was sponsored by the Winston Company and Elliott won eleven times that season with the Million dollar win coming at Darlington. Elliott is known as being one of the most fan-friendly drivers in the sport and had a natural media personality that came through during interviews. He won the Cup Series Championship in 1988 and captured the Daytona 500 title twice.
#8 Cale Yarborough
Cale Yarborough tried to race in the Southern 500 as a teenager by lying about his age! NASCAR figured out his real age and disqualified him! That’s how bad the youngster from South Carolina wanted to race. He made his first start a season later in 1957 at the same race. Before his career ended he had racked up three consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championships in 1976, 1977 and 1978. He also logged 83 wins and 319 finishes of 10th or better. He won the Daytona 500 four times and the Southern 500 five times. Yarborough scored his last victory at the Miller High Life 500 at Charlotte in 1985. He raced the Indianapolis 500 four times with his best finish coming in 1977 when he crossed the line in the 10th spot.
#9 Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson is possibly the most successful driver in the NASCAR Cup Series in the modern era. During his time behind the wheel as a full-time Cup driver, he won 83 races, finished inside the top-ten 374 times and won seven Cup Series Championships. He’s tied on the records list for most Cup Championships with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr., with Johnson winning five titles straight from 2006 to 2010. He added two more in 2013 and 2016. Johnson retired full-time from NASCAR and the No. 48 car at Hedrick Motorsports in 2020 and moved to an IndyCar schedule for several seasons. Johnson made his return to NASCAR as an owner and sometimes a driver when he purchased partial ownership in the Petty/GMS Motorsports which he renamed Legacy Motor Club.
#10 Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch has a reputation for being outspoken and tough to deal with on the track. Even if you don’t like him there’s still a good chance you would hire him as a driver if you owned a NASCAR team! The longtime driver of the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing won two NASCAR Cup Series Championship while with that team. Since then he has moved over to Richard Childress Racing and Chevrolet. When compiled together, Busch is one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR history. He has so far amassed over 60 wins in both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He was won over 100 times behind the wheel of a NASCAR Xfinity Series car. He won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship in 2015 and 2019.
#11 Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick was the driver that took over for Dale Earnhardt Sr. following Earnhardt’s passing. Harvick climbed the NASCAR ranks by starting in regional racing in his home state of California. Soon he was competing in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He made his Cup Series debut in 2001 in Rockingham. In his first race driving for Earnhardt’s team, in the No. 29 car, not No. 3, he finished in first place at Atlanta. Harvick won a Cup Series Championship Title and an Xfinity Series Title.
#12 Fireball Roberts
Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts had one of the most memorable nicknames in motorsports, but it had nothing to do with racing. The legendary racer and NASCAR innovator gained the nickname because of his baseball pitching skills and his fastball! Roberts became a known name in the stock car racing world and won the 1962 Daytona 500. Roberts died following a fiery wreck at the 1964 World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He won 33 races in his short professional career and was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2014.
#13 Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip is known for his racing career, broadcasting career and his infamous barrel role wreck in 1991 at the Pepsi 400. Waltrip won the NASCAR Cup Series Championship three times. He recorded a record 26 top-five finishes during the 1983 NASCAR Cup Series and 25 in both the 1981 and 1986 seasons. He won the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500 once, but he won the World 600, now the Coke 600, a total of five times. Waltrip is the elder brother of Michael Waltrip who is a two-time Daytona 500 winner.
#14 Rusty Wallace
Rusty Wallace is mostly known for his time behind the wheel of the No. 2 car for Penske Racing. During his Cup Series career, he won nine races at Bristol Motor Speedway, a Cup Series Championship and 55 checkered flags. He logged 349 top-ten finishes and grabbed the pole position 36 times. Wallace was known as a gentleman racer with a tough side. Aside from having a Hall of Fame career, Wallace had the ill fortune of becoming part of NASCAR’s most-watched videos found on YouTube. He barrel rolled during several wrecks with most coming at restrictor plate tracks.
#15 David Pearson
David Pearson was a legendary NASCAR racer during the heyday of the sport. He raced from the 1960s through the 1980s while winning races in all three decades. His first win came in the 1961 World 600 at Charlotte and his last was in 1980 in Darlington at the Rebel 400. Pearson won three NASCAR Championships, a total of 105 races and the 1976 Daytona 500. He won the Southern 500, World 600, and Winston 500 three times each.
This list of the most famous NASCAR drivers of all time touches on some of the greats in the sport! There are plenty of other drivers with wonderful stories and backgrounds. If you ever get a chance, be sure to stop by the NASCAR Hall of Fame if you visit Charlotte, North Carolina. Many states and cities have museums and halls of fame dedicated to racing or motorsports as well. Nothing beats taking in some history of one of the most popular racing series on the globe.
