The Daytona 500, widely known as “The Great American Race,” is the most prestigious and celebrated event in NASCAR and one of the most iconic races in all of motorsports, held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. First run in 1959, the Daytona 500 serves as the season-opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series and is considered the ultimate test of speed, strategy, teamwork, and endurance. The race covers 500 miles over 200 laps on a 2.5-mile tri-oval superspeedway, famous for its steep 31-degree banking, which allows cars to race at extremely high speeds while remaining tightly packed together. Unlike most major motorsport series where championship races conclude the season, NASCAR begins with its biggest event, making a Daytona 500 victory more valuable to many drivers than even a season championship. Winning the Daytona 500 instantly elevates a driver’s legacy, placing them among legends of the sport such as Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and more recently, modern-era stars who have mastered superspeedway racing. The event is known for its dramatic unpredictability, largely due to drafting, a technique where cars race inches apart to reduce air resistance, leading to massive packs and frequent lead changes, as well as the ever-present threat of multi-car accidents known as “The Big One.” The Daytona 500 is the centerpiece of Speedweeks, a multi-day festival that includes qualifying sessions, the Duel at Daytona races, and support series events from NASCAR’s Truck and Xfinity Series, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans to the track and millions more worldwide through television and digital broadcasts. Traditionally aired live on FOX in the United States and covered on radio by the Motor Racing Network (MRN), the race consistently ranks among the most-watched sporting events of the year. Beyond the competition itself, the Daytona 500 is also a major cultural spectacle, featuring celebrity appearances, military flyovers, pre-race concerts, and elaborate opening ceremonies that emphasize its national significance. Over the decades, the race has delivered unforgettable moments—photo finishes, last-lap passes, shocking underdog victories, and emotional triumphs—that have helped define NASCAR’s identity and popularity. More than just a race, the Daytona 500 represents tradition, innovation, and the spirit of American motorsports, symbolizing the start of a new NASCAR season and offering fans the promise of excitement, drama, and history every time the green flag drops.
List of Daytona 500 Winners (1959–Present)
The Daytona 500, first held in 1959, is NASCAR’s most prestigious race and has crowned legends of stock car racing for more than six decades. Winning the Daytona 500 is considered a career-defining achievement, often elevating drivers to iconic status regardless of championship totals. Below is a comprehensive table highlighting Daytona 500 winners by year, including drivers and teams, followed by historical insights.
Daytona 500 Winners Table
| Year | Winner | Team / Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Lee Petty | Petty Enterprises (Oldsmobile) |
| 1960 | Junior Johnson | Ray Fox (Chevrolet) |
| 1961 | Marvin Panch | Smokey Yunick (Pontiac) |
| 1962 | Glenn “Fireball” Roberts | Smokey Yunick (Pontiac) |
| 1963 | Tiny Lund | Wood Brothers Racing (Ford) |
| 1964 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Plymouth) |
| 1965 | Fred Lorenzen | Holman-Moody (Ford) |
| 1966 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Plymouth) |
| 1967 | Mario Andretti | Holman-Moody (Ford) |
| 1968 | Cale Yarborough | Wood Brothers Racing (Mercury) |
| 1969 | LeeRoy Yarbrough | Junior Johnson (Ford) |
| 1970 | Pete Hamilton | Petty Enterprises (Plymouth) |
| 1971 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Plymouth) |
| 1972 | A.J. Foyt | Wood Brothers Racing (Mercury) |
| 1973 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Dodge) |
| 1974 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Dodge) |
| 1975 | Benny Parsons | L.G. DeWitt (Chevrolet) |
| 1976 | David Pearson | Wood Brothers Racing (Mercury) |
| 1977 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson (Chevrolet) |
| 1978 | Cale Yarborough | Junior Johnson (Chevrolet) |
| 1979 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Oldsmobile) |
| 1980 | Buddy Baker | Ranier-Lundy (Oldsmobile) |
| 1981 | Richard Petty | Petty Enterprises (Buick) |
| 1982 | Bobby Allison | DiGard Motorsports (Buick) |
| 1983 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy (Chevrolet) |
| 1984 | Cale Yarborough | Ranier-Lundy (Chevrolet) |
| 1985 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing (Ford) |
| 1986 | Geoff Bodine | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 1987 | Bill Elliott | Melling Racing (Ford) |
| 1988 | Bobby Allison | Stavola Brothers (Ford) |
| 1989 | Darrell Waltrip | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 1990 | Derrike Cope | Whitcomb Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 1991 | Ernie Irvan | Morgan-McClure (Chevrolet) |
| 1992 | Davey Allison | Robert Yates Racing (Ford) |
| 1993 | Dale Jarrett | Joe Gibbs Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 1994 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan-McClure (Chevrolet) |
| 1995 | Sterling Marlin | Morgan-McClure (Chevrolet) |
| 1996 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing (Ford) |
| 1997 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 1998 | Dale Earnhardt | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 1999 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2000 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing (Ford) |
| 2001 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Chevrolet) |
| 2002 | Ward Burton | Bill Davis Racing (Dodge) |
| 2003 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Chevrolet) |
| 2004 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt Inc. (Chevrolet) |
| 2005 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2006 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2007 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 2008 | Ryan Newman | Penske Racing (Dodge) |
| 2009 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) |
| 2010 | Jamie McMurray | Earnhardt Ganassi (Chevrolet) |
| 2011 | Trevor Bayne | Wood Brothers Racing (Ford) |
| 2012 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Fenway Racing (Ford) |
| 2013 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2014 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2015 | Joey Logano | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 2016 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 2017 | Kurt Busch | Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford) |
| 2018 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 2019 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 2020 | Denny Hamlin | Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota) |
| 2021 | Michael McDowell | Front Row Motorsports (Ford) |
| 2022 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske (Ford) |
| 2023 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | JTG Daugherty Racing (Chevrolet) |
| 2024 | William Byron | Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet) |
| 2025 | TBD | TBD |
Notable Daytona 500 Records
- Most Wins: Richard Petty (7)
- Back-to-Back Winners: Sterling Marlin (1994–95), Denny Hamlin (2019–20)
- Youngest Winner: Trevor Bayne (20 years old, 2011)
- Longest Wait for Win: Dale Earnhardt (20 attempts before winning in 1998)
- Most Wins by Team: Hendrick Motorsports
- Most Wins by Manufacturer: Chevrolet
