NASCAR’s Daytona 500 is one of the biggest racing events of the entire year behind the Indianapolis 500. Originating in 1959, the Daytona 500 has been labeled “The Great American Race” due to how the race used to have all American manufacturers and drivers.
The drivers start off the year trying to win their version of the “Super Bowl.” It’s the most important race of the year and has the most hype surrounding it. A driver adding their name to the list as a Daytona 500 winner solidifies their name in racing history.
Here’s a complete list of Daytona 500 winners since the event began in 1959.
Lee Petty won the inaugural Daytona 500 three days after the event due to a photo finish at the line. Petty drove the No. 42 Oldsmobile with Petty Enterprises and led 38 out of 200 laps, defeating Johnny Beauchamp.
Junior Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 27 Chevrolet for John Masoni. Johnson led the 67 laps, which was the most of the 200-lap event, and beat the likes of Lee Petty and Richard Petty.
Marvin Panch won the third annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 20 Pontiac for Smokey Yunick. Panch led 13 laps and came away victorious, despite Fireball Roberts leading 170 laps and an engine issue that ended his day.
Fireball Roberts won the fourth annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 22 Pontiac for Smokey Yunick. Roberts dominated the race for a second straight year, but this time came home victorious after leading 144 out of 200 laps.
Tiny Lund won the fifth annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. Lund had replaced Marvin Panch, the team’s original driver after he saved him from a burning sports car earlier in the month. Lund led 17 out of 200 laps and beat Fred Lorenzen, who led a race-high 77 laps.
Richard Petty won the sixth annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises. Petty dominated the race by leading 184 out of 200 laps en route to his first of many victories in the event.
Fred Lorenzen won the seventh annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 28 Ford for Holman-Moody. Lorenzen led 25 of the 133 laps, which was the first Daytona 500 shortened by rain in the event’s history.
Richard Petty won the eighth annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises. Petty led the field with 108 out of 200 laps led and beat Cale Yarborough, who led 33 laps during the race.
Mario Andretti won the ninth annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 11 Ford for Holman-Moody. Andretti led 112 out of 200 laps in his only recorded victory in NASCAR’s top series.
Cale Yarborough won the 10th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 21 Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. Yarborough led a race-high 76 laps and beat LeeRoy Yarbrough, who led 62 laps.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won the 11th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 98 Ford for Junior Johnson & Associates. Yarbrough only led 18 laps but beat Charlie Glotzbach and Donnie Allison, who combined to lead 138 laps.
Pete Hamilton won the 12th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 40 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises. Hamilton led 13 laps and beat David Pearson, who led a race-high 82 laps.
Richard Petty won the 13th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Plymouth for Petty Enterprises. Petty led 69 out of 200 laps and beat teammate Buddy Baker to win a third time in the race’s history.
A.J. Foyt won the 14th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 21 Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. Foyt dominated the event by leading 167 laps in his final NASCAR victory and only victory in the Great American Race.
Richard Petty won the 15th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Dodge for Petty Enterprises. Petty only led 17 laps during the race and ended up as the beneficiary to Buddy Baker having an engine issue, who led 156 laps.
Richard Petty won the 16th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Dodge for Petty Enterprises. Petty led a race-high 74 laps en route to his fifth career victory in the 500.
Benny Parsons won the 17th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 72 Chevrolet for L.G. DeWitt. Parsons only led four laps during the race and beat David Pearson, who led a race-high 74 laps.
David Pearson won the 18th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 21 Mercury for Wood Brothers Racing. Pearson led 37 laps during the race and beat out Richard Petty who finished in second place.
Cale Yarborough won the 19th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 11 Chevrolet for Junior Johnson & Associates. Yarborough led 137 of the 200 laps and beat Benny Parsons who finished in second place.
Bobby Allison won the 20th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 15 Ford for Bud Moore Engineering. Allison led 28 laps and beat out Buddy Baker who led a race-high 76 laps before suffering another engine issue.
Richard Petty won the 21st annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Oldsmobile for Petty Enterprises. Petty only led 12 laps while passing both Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough with one lap to go. This is the year of the famous brawl on the backstretch between Allison and Yarborough.
Buddy Baker won the 22nd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 28 Oldsmobile for Rainer-Lundy. Baker led a race-high 143 laps en route to his first and only Daytona 500 victory after countless heartbreaks in previous years.
Richard Petty won the 23rd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 43 Buick for Petty Enterprises. Petty led 27 laps and beat Benny Parsons, who led a race-high 117 laps. This was Petty’s seventh and final Daytona 500 victory of his illustrious career.
Bobby Allison won the 24th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 88 Buick for DiGard Motorsports. Allison dominated by leading 147 out of 200 laps and beat out Cale Yarborough for his second victory in the race’s history.
Cale Yarborough won the 25th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 28 Pontiac for Rainer-Lundy. Yarborough led 23 laps during the race and beat out Bill Elliott for his third victory at the Great American Race.
Cale Yarborough won the 26th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 28 Chevrolet for Rainer-Lundy. Yarborough led 89 laps and beat out Dale Earnhardt, Sr. for his fourth and final Daytona 500 victory of his career.
Bill Elliott won the 27th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 9 Ford for Melling Racing. Elliott led a race-high 136 laps and beat out Lake Speed for his first career Daytona 500 win.
Geoffrey Bodine won the 28th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Bodine led 101 laps and gave Hendrick Motorsports its first win in the Daytona 500 by beating Terry Labonte.
Bill Elliott won the 29th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 9 Ford for Melling Racing. Elliott led 102 laps en route to his second and final Daytona 500 victory by beating Benny Parsons.
Bobby Allison won the 30th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 12 Buick for Stavola Brothers Racing. Allison led a race-high 70 laps and beat his son Davey Allison for his final victory in NASCAR’s top series.
Darrell Waltrip won the 31st annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 17 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Waltrip led 25 laps and defeated Hendrick Motorsports teammate Ken Schrader, who led 114 laps.
Derrike Cope won the 32nd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 10 Chevrolet for Whitcomb Racing. Cope only led five laps and beat out Dale Earnhardt, Sr., who led a total of 155 laps during the race.
Ernie Irvan won the 33rd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 4 Chevrolet for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Irvan led 29 laps and beat Kyle Petty, who led a race-high 51 laps before crashing.
Davey Allison won the 34th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 28 Ford for Robert Yates Racing. Allison led 127 laps en route to his only Daytona 500 victory by beating Morgan Shepard.
Dale Jarrett won the 35th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 18 Chevrolet for Joe Gibbs Racing. Jarrett only led eight laps during the race and beat Dale Earnhardt Sr., who led a race-high 107 laps.
Sterling Marlin won the 36th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 4 for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Marlin led 30 laps and won his first career race in his 279th career start at NASCAR’s top level.
Sterling Marlin won the 37th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 4 for Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Marlin led a race-high 105 laps and won his second career race, plus his second-straight victory in the event.
Dale Jarrett won the 38th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 88 Ford for Robert Yates Racing. Jarrett led 40 laps during the race and beat Dale Earnhardt Sr. who finished second and led 32 laps.
Jeff Gordon won the 39th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon led 40 laps and finished ahead of his teammates for a 1-2-3 Hendrick Motorsports finish.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. won the 40th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Earnhardt led 107 laps and won his career Daytona 500 by beating Bobby Labonte. This was one of the most famous wins in NASCAR history.
Jeff Gordon won the 41st annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon only led 17 laps and beat Rusty Wallace, who led a race-high 104 laps.
Dale Jarrett won the 42nd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 88 Ford for Robert Yates Racing. Jarrett led 89 laps and beat out Jeff Burton en route to his final victory in the Great American Race.
Michael Waltrip won the 43rd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 15 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Waltrip led 27 laps and beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his career win in his 463rd start. Dale Earnhardt Sr. passed away on the final lap of the race while keeping Waltrip and his son in the front of the field.
Ward Burton won the 44th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 22 Dodge for Bill Davis Racing. Burton led only five laps during the race and beat out Elliott Sadler for his first Daytona 500 victory.
Michael Waltrip won the 45th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 15 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Waltrip led 68 out of 109 laps and won his second Daytona 500 in a rain-shortened race.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 46th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Earnhardt led 58 laps and beat Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 98 laps. It was the most emotional win since the 2001 Pepsi 400, which was the first race at Daytona since his father’s death.
Jeff Gordon won the 47th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon led 29 laps and beat out Tony Stewart, who led a race-high 107 laps, for his third and final Daytona 500 victory.
Jimmie Johnson won the 48th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson led 24 laps and beat out Casey Mears for his first Daytona 500 victory. Darian Grubb was Johnson’s crew chief due to Chad Knaus’ suspension.
Kevin Harvick won the 49th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 29 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Harvick only led four laps and beat out Mark Martin, who led 26 laps, in one of the best finishes in the race’s history.
Ryan Newman won the 50th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske. Newman led eight laps and won on a push by his teammate Kurt Busch for his first career Daytona 500 win.
Matt Kenseth won the 51st annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 17 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Kenseth led seven laps and beat out Kevin Harvick for his first career Daytona 500 victory.
Jamie McMurray won the 52nd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 1 Chevrolet for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. McMurray led only two laps and beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his only win in the Great American Race.
Trevor Bayne won the 53rd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 21 Chevrolet for Wood Brothers Racing. Bayne led six laps and beat out Carl Edwards for his only career win in NASCAR and Wood Brothers Racing’s first Daytona 500 since 1976 with David Pearson.
Matt Kenseth won the 54th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 17 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Kenseth led 50 laps and beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his final Daytona 500 victory.
Jimmie Johnson won the 55th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson led 17 laps and beat out teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. for his final Daytona 500 victory.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 56th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt led 54 laps and beat Denny Hamlin for his final victory in the Great American Race.
Joey Logano won the 57th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 22 Ford for Team Penske. Logano led 31 laps and beat out Kevin Harvick for his first victory in the Daytona 500.
Denny Hamlin won the 58th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin led a race-high 95 laps and beat out Martin Truex Jr. in the closest finish in the race’s history.
Kurt Busch won the 59th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 41 Ford for Stewart-Haas Racing. Busch only led one lap and passed Kyle Larson when he ran out of fuel for his first victory in the Great American Race.
Austin Dillon won the 60th annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Dillon only led one lap and beat Bubba Wallace after Aric Almirola crashed on the backstretch.
Denny Hamlin won the 61st annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin led 30 laps and beat out teammate Kyle Busch, who led 37 laps, for his second victory in the event.
Denny Hamlin won the 62nd annual Daytona 500 driving the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin led 79 laps, which is the most by a winner in the race since Dale Jarrett in 2000, and beat Ryan Blaney after a scary crash involving Ryan Newman on the final lap.
Michael McDowell won the 63rd annual Daytona 500 in 2021 after a crash on the final lap of the race. Joey Logano was leading and teammate Brad Keselowski tried to pass him on the backstretch. While attempting the pass, Logano came down and the two of them crashed.
Austin Cindric won the 64th annual Daytona 500 in 2022 after holding off Bubba Wallace at the line on the final lap. Cindric led 21 laps out of the 201-lap race and started NASCAR overtime in the lead spot. The 23-year-old blocked Ryan Blaney and almost let Wallace win in a photo finish.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the 65th annual Daytona 500 in 2023 after holding off Joey Logano as the caution flew on the final lap. Cindric led 10 laps out of the 212-lap race and started NASCAR overtime in the lead spot. The 35-year-old received a great push from Christopher Bell and pulled ahead.
Stenhouse is in his fourth season with JTG Daugherty Racing in the No. 47 Kroger Chevrolet as a noted superspeedway ace. This also marks Cindric’s third career Cup Series victory.
William Byron won the 66th annual Daytona 500 under a caution flag after Ross Chastain and Austin Cindric crashed behind him. The field was thinned immensely because of a 22-car crash with less than nine laps to go. It started when Byron tagged Brad Keselowski as both drivers were in the top five. The crash took out a bunch of contenders.
The next Daytona 500 is scheduled to take place on February 16, 2025. The duels will take place on Thursday of NASCAR’s illustrious speedweeks.
Who has the most Daytona 500 victories? – Richard Petty won the event on seven different occasions.
How many laps is the Daytona 500? – 200 laps around the 2.5-mile oval.
How long is the Daytona 500? – The race takes around 3.5 hours to complete each year.
What is the longest Daytona 500? – The race in 2023 lasted 213 laps, which equals 530 miles.