Scott Wheeler / USA TODAY NETWORK
In NASCAR tradition, families have always passed on the racing tradition from one generation to another. These dynasties have brought life to the sport, making icons and moments that would never fade into history. Here are the 10 longest-ruling NASCAR families that shaped the sport.
Jeff Burton, a great racer with 21 Cup Series victories, and his brother Ward Burton, winner of five races, including the 2002 Daytona 500, gave the Burton family its roots in NASCAR.
Today, Harrison Burton, Jeff’s son, is following in his father’s footsteps, becoming one of Cup Series’s young driving talents. Another NASCAR driver from the Burton family is Jeb, Ward’s son, who also competes in NASCAR races.
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The Keselowski family is among those who have embraced NASCAR across generations. Bob Keselowski, the head of the family raced in the Truck Series in the 1980s. His son, Brad Keselowski, is now one of the best NASCAR drivers. Brad is the 2012 Cup Series championship winner and achieved many wins in all three NASCAR national series. Brian Keselowski, his brother, has also driven in various NASCAR races as well.
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Ned Jarrett is among the most celebrated drivers in NASCAR in the 1960s, having claimed the Grand National Series titles twice, and has over fifty victories. His son, Dale Jarrett, followed his footsteps and went on to win the 1999 Cup Series champion and holds three Daytona 500 victories to his name. Dale’s son, Jason also tried his hand at racing though he was not as successful as his father and grandfather.
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Bill Elliott, nicknamed the ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,’ is the 1988 Cup Series champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner. His son, Chase Elliott, is the 2020 Cup Series champion and one of the fans’ favorites. He’s still successful on the grid and provides the family with even more wins, and pole positions.
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Kurt and Kyle Busch are some of the most popular drivers in this generation of NASCAR drivers. Kurt is the Cup Series champion of 2004 and the winner of 34 races, among them the 2017 Daytona 500. Kyle, his younger brother, is a two-time Cup Series champion (2015, 2019). With a race-win tally currently exceeding 60 and rising, making him one of the most successful NASCAR drivers of this era.
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The Allison family came into focus in NASCAR initially with brothers Bobby Allison and Donnie Allison. Bobby secured the 1983 Winston Cup Series championship, three Daytona 500s, and many other races. Donnie was a great driver, although less successful than his brother. Bobby’s son, Davey Allison, also raced and even won a promising 19 races and the 1992 Daytona 500, before he died in a helicopter crash in 1993.
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Darrell Waltrip is an important personality in NASCAR history. He’s a three-time Cup Series champion and has 84 race wins. Michael Waltrip, his brother, followed up with two Daytona 500 wins and thus the family tradition was complete. Both have continued to be relevant in the sport with Darrell moving into coaching and broadcasting and Michael is now a team owner and a TV analyst.
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Two Labonte brothers, Terry and Bobby, both raced in NASCAR and achieved a lot in the sport. Terry Labonte secured the 1984 and 1996 Cup Series championships and 22 wins. Bobby, his brother, clinched the 2000 Cup Series championship and 21 race wins. Both brothers are celebrated in the sport and are members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Ralph Earnhardt started it all for the family, but Dale Earnhardt Sr. took his father’s legacy to become one of the most recognized NASCAR drivers. Often referred to as ‘The Intimidator, Dale Sr. secured seven Cup Series championships and 76 races. His terrible fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500 was the end of an era. Dale Earnhardt Jr, his son, continued from where his father left off. The youngster went on to win 26 Cup Series races, not to mention becoming the two-time Xfinity Series champion, before retiring in 2017.
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The Petty family is the epitome of NASCAR dynasties. Lee Petty, the head of the Petty family, won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and three successive NASCAR titles. Richard Petty, his son, nicknamed ‘The King,’ is a NASCAR legend and race-winning machine, winning races 200 times and was Cup Series Champion a record seven times. The tradition was carried on by his son Kyle Petty, who achieved eight race wins and now works as a NASCAR analyst.