When it comes to the racing industry, we really have seen some of the most talented drivers. From Lee Petty’s three day late Daytona 500 win to Tony Stewards 2011 Championship, we have certainly seen some action. But what makes a driver the best of the best? Well, in this article, we are going to take a look at the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time. Let’s get started.

Richard Petty

Known as “The King” of NASCAR racing, Petty was the first individual to hold the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series titles (7). Born in July 1937, Petty raced from 1958-1992, taking in an incredible 200 wins during his career. When speaking statistically, he is known as the greatest driver in history, followed closely by some of the other individuals on this list. After retiring in 1992, he moved on to become an owner of Petty Enterprises and continued to change lives with various achievements such as his summer camp for ill children, Victory Junction. 

Mario Andretti

Mario Andretti is mostly known for his achievement of winning races in Formula One, IndyCar World Sportscar Championship, and NACAR. He only shares this with one other person, Dan Gurney, and has a total of 109 major circuit wins. After retiring in 1994, he still continues to stay active by being a spokesman and test driving cars. 

When taking a look at this week’s DFS Rankings from experts at Awesemo, Kevin Harvick sits in the high tier after finishing 1st several times in the NASCAR Cup Series. As a winner of 57 previous races, it a wonder if he too will make it on the list one day.

David Pearson

Born in 1934, during his racing career, David Pearson stacked up a whopping 105 victories, all on different tracks. He won three championships running the full NASCAR schedule and holds the second position on the all-time win list. Even Petty was said to notice his greatness, noting that it didn’t feel as bad to lose to him because he knew how good he was. He retired in 1989 after an injury and sadly passed in 2018 at the age of 83.

Jimmie Johnson

Alongside Petty, 44-year-old Jimmie Johnson also holds the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series titles (7). He holds 84 NASCAR wins, alongside hundreds of top fives and tens. Because of his youth and successes, many place him as one of the top races. He has, however, announced that 2020 will be his last full-time racing season. Alongside his racing efforts, he’s an advocate for many charities and launched the Jimmie Johnson Foundation with his wife in 2006. 

Dale Earnhardt 

Dale Earnhardt is the third and final co-owner of the most NASCAR Cup Series titles (7) and is known as the “ironhead” due to his aggressive driving style. During his career from 1975-2000, he had a total of 76 wins before tragically passing away in the Daytona 500 crash 2001. His legacy still lives on, and he is known as one of the best drivers of all time.