The greatest NASCAR drivers to never win the Daytona 500

The 68th edition of the Daytona 500 takes place today, with 41 NASCAR Cup Series drivers looking to take a famous victory and cement their legacies in the sport.

The Great American Race remains the jewel in NASCAR's crown, but also one of the hardest to win, with superspeedway racing requiring not only speed and nous, but plenty of luck along the way.

Over the years, drivers such as Richard Petty (7), Cale Yarborough (4), Bobby Allison (3), Dale Jarrett (3), Jeff Gordon (3) and Denny Hamlin (3) have all tasted victory on multiple occasions, but other greats have not even won the event once.

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Greatest NASCAR drivers to never win the Daytona 500

Kyle Busch

When you are talking about great NASCAR drivers to never win the Daytona 500, it's impossible to overlook Kyle Busch.

Not only is the 40-year-old a two-time Cup Series champion, but he also sits ninth on the all-time win list in the sport's top division with 63 victories. However, those 63 wins do not include a Daytona 500 victory, despite 20 attempts so far.

Busch has come close on multiple occasions, though, with three finishes in the top five over the years, the best of which was a second-place behind Denny Hamlin in 2019.

The Richard Childress driver has put his No. 8 Chevrolet on pole for the 2026 edition of the race, however, so he could well strike himself off this list come the black and white checkered flag.

Rusty Wallace

While Busch still has time to get his first Daytona 500 victory, some drivers have long hung up their racing boots, such as Rusty Wallace.

The 1989 Cup Series champion is undoubtedly a NASCAR great, but he too fell short of a victory at The Great American Race despite taking 55 Cup wins.

Wallace made 24 attempts to do so, however, finishing inside the top five three times, with his best finish being a third-place in 2001.

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Tony Stewart

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart has an incredible CV. Three-time Cup Series champion, IndyCar champion, USAC Triple Crown champion, the achievements go on and on.

One thing missing, though, is a Daytona 500 victory, which he never managed to achieve despite his 17 attempts and his wider 49 Cup Series wins.

Stewart's best finish came in 2004, finishing second that year to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Mark Martin

Although he never managed to win a Cup Series championship, Mark Martin still forged a great career at the top of the sport.

40 Cup Series wins and a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame are incredible achievements, but he too missed out on the feeling of winning the Daytona 500.

It certainly wasn't for the want of trying, though, with Martin having raced in the event 29 times over the years.

During those attempts, he finished in the top five six times, won pole in 2010, but never tasted victory.

Kyle Larson

There are several other great NASCAR drivers who have not won the Daytona 500, but we'll finish up this article with the reigning Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson.

Larson now has two Cup Series titles and 32 victories in the sport's top division, but like all of the other greats on this list, he is without a Daytona 500 victory on his CV.

Although technically his finishes suggest he came closest to winning it in 2016 and 2019 (7th), it was actually in 2017.

Larson ended up finishing 12th that year, but started the final lap of the race in the lead, only to run out of fuel and tumble down the order. Heartbreaking.

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