Best NASCAR Cup Series drivers of all time, Nos. 75-51: Alex Bowman to Curtis Turner (2024)

Who are the greatest drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history?

With NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season upon us, we decided to put together a panel of stock car racing experts to help us answer that question.

Unlike the most famous edition of this list — NASCAR’s own “50 Greatest Drivers” from the 50th anniversary season in 1998 — we decided to limit it to only the Cup Series.

That made it both more of a challenge and more fascinating to see the results, since some names that you might not expect made the list.

A quick word about our methodology before we jump into Part 1 of our list: We sought to gather a sampling of a variety of voices throughout the NASCAR industry. That included drivers (both current and former), team owners, crew chiefs, spotters, track executives and media members. We also wanted to have a variety of ages on the panel to represent knowledge of different eras.

Below, our panelists are listed in alphabetical order:

— Jordan Bianchi, The Athletic motorsports journalist

— Holly Cain, longtime motorsports journalist

— Landon Cassill, current NASCAR driver

— Tim Fedewa, former NASCAR driver and current spotter for Kevin Harvick

— Chris Gabehart, crew chief for Denny Hamlin

— Jeff Gluck,The Athletic motorsports journalist

— Eddie Gossage, former Texas Motor Speedway track president

— Alan Gustafson, crew chief for Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Chase Elliott

— Jeff Hammond, crew chief for Darrell Waltrip

— Mike Hembree, longtime NASCAR journalist

— Tom Jensen, NASCAR Hall of Fame curatorial affairs manager

— Mike Joy, longtime Fox Sports broadcaster

— Parker Kligerman, current NASCAR driver

— Corey LaJoie, current NASCAR driver

— Dustin Long, NBC Sports journalist

— Ben May, Pocono Raceway track president

— Larry McReynolds, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Sr., Davey Allison and Ernie Irvan

— @nascarman_rr, racing historian on Twitter

— Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR chief operating officer

— Jay Pennell, author of “Start Your Engines: Famous Firsts in the History of NASCAR”

— Roger Penske, legendary race team owner

— Nate Ryan, NBC Sports journalist

— Reed Sorenson, former NASCAR driver and current spotter

— Steve Waid, longtime motorsports journalist

— Kenny Wallace, former NASCAR driver

— Jon Wood, Wood Brothers Racing executive and former NASCAR driver

As you can see, we refrained from asking any drivers eligible for the list to participate in the voting due to potential conflicts of interest. However, we recognize those conflicts could exist from other members of the panel based on the nature of their roles.

We plan to separate our list into several parts. The first starts now, with Nos. 75-51. Part II, Nos. 50-26, is here. Part III, with Nos. 25-6, is here. The final piece, revealing Nos. 5-1, is here.

75. Alex Bowman

Years active: 2014-present

Cup Series wins: 7

Top points finish: Sixth (2020)

Highest panel ranking: 68

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Bowman’s seven career Cup victories have come at seven different racetracks (and six different lengths). He has qualified for the playoffs in all five of his seasons at Hendrick Motorsports.

74. Ward Burton

Years active: 1994-2007

Cup Series wins: Five

Top points finish: Ninth (1999)

Highest panel ranking: 68

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Burton won five times at the Cup level, with two of those victories coming in crown jewel races — the 2001 Southern 500 and the 2002 Daytona 500.

73. Marshall Teague

Years active: 1949-1952

Cup Series wins: 7

Top points finish: N/A (never ran for championship)

Highest panel ranking: 50

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Driver of the “Fabulous Hudson Hornet,” Teague won 30 percent of his 23 career NASCAR starts (including twice on the Daytona Beach course). He died while testing a car at the brand-new Daytona International Speedway in 1959, 11 days before the inaugural Daytona 500.

72. Kyle Petty

Years active: 1979-2008

Cup Series wins: Eight

Top points finish: Fifth (1992, 1993)

Highest panel ranking: 51

Lowest panel ranking: NR

The grandson of three-time champion Lee Petty and the son of seven-time champion Richard Petty, Kyle Petty made a name for himself by winning eight Cup races and twice finishing fifth in the point standings. Petty won the crown-jewel Coca-Cola 600 in 1987 while driving for the famed Wood Brothers team.

71. Bob Welborn

Years active: 1952-1964

Cup Series wins: 9

Top points finish: Fourth (1955)

Highest panel ranking: 63

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Welborn was mostly known for being the king of NASCAR’s short-lived Convertible Division, in which he won three straight championships. The convertibles occasionally raced against the Grand National (Cup) cars, and Welborn won the pole position for the first-ever Daytona 500 after winning his qualifying race.

70. Jamie McMurray

Years active: 2002-2021

Cup Series wins: Seven

Top points finish: 11th (2004)

Highest panel ranking: 33

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Along with Dale Jarrett and Jimmie Johnson, McMurray is one of only three drivers to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same season (2010). McMurray excelled on superspeedways, with four of his seven career wins coming at Daytona or Talladega.

69. Paul Goldsmith

Years active: 1956-1969

Cup Series wins: 9

Top points finish: Fifth (1966)

Highest panel ranking: 54

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Goldsmith won the final race on the original Daytona Beach course in 1958 while driving for Smokey Yunick. He was also a famed motorcycle racer during his era.

68. Ryan Blaney

Years active: 2014-present

Cup Series wins: 7

Top points finish: Seventh (2019, 2021)

Highest panel ranking: 17

Lowest panel ranking: NR

The driver known as “YRB” has three superspeedway wins plus victories at big tracks (Pocono and Michigan), an intermediate (Atlanta) and a road course (Charlotte Roval). He is still just 29 years old.

67. Cotton Owens

Years active: 1950-1964

Cup Series wins: Nine

Top points finish: Second (1959)

Highest panel ranking: 59

Lowest panel ranking: 75

Many may remember Owens as one of the great team owners and crew chiefs of his generation, which included him owning and building the car David Pearson drove to the 1966 championship, but Owens was also a talent behind the wheel. He won nine premier series races with his most notable triumph coming when he won the penultimate race on the Daytona Beach course.

66. Clint Bowyer

Years active: 2005-2020

Cup Series wins: 10

Top points finish: Second (2012)

Highest panel ranking: 58

Lowest panel ranking: NR

One of the more charismatic and colorful drivers of his era, Bowyer won 10 races with his best season coming in 2012 when he scored three victories and finished runner-up to Brad Keselowski in the championship. Upon retiring, Bowyer shifted to the Fox Sports television booth to become an analyst.

65. Dan Gurney

Years active: 1962-1980

Cup Series wins: 5

Top points finish: N/A (never ran more than four races in a season)

Highest panel ranking: 26

Lowest panel ranking: NR

All five of Gurney’s NASCAR wins came at Riverside (he won the race in five of six years in the 1960s), but he’s known much more for his other racing success — namely, becoming the first driver in history to win races in the four major motorsports categories (F1, IndyCar, NASCAR and sports cars). Gurney also began the tradition of spraying champagne after race wins, which he did at Le Mans in 1967.

64. Dick Rathman

Years active: 1951-1955

Cup Series wins: 13

Top points finish: Third (1953)

Highest panel ranking: 56

Lowest panel ranking: NR

One of the first drivers to cross over from the IndyCar ranks to compete in NASCAR, Rathman won 13 races in just 129 career starts. In the three years he ran for the premier series championship, he finished no worse than fifth in the final standings. He made nine Indy 500 starts and was the polesitter for the 1958 edition.

63. Sterling Marlin

Years active: 1976-2009

Cup Series wins: 10

Top points finish: Third (1995, 2001)

Highest panel ranking: 49

Lowest panel ranking: NR

A two-time Daytona 500 winner (1994-95), Marlin led the point standings for 25 weeks in the 2002 season and remained in contention until he broke a vertebra in his neck with seven races left, ending his title bid.

62. Donnie Allison

Years active: 1966-1988

Cup Series wins: 10

Top points finish: N/A (never ran full seasons)

Highest panel ranking: 23

Lowest panel ranking: 74

A founding member of the “Alabama Gang” who won the 1970 World 600, Allison is perhaps most known for being involved in the famed 1979 Daytona 500 fight with brother Bobby and Cale Yarborough. Donnie was racing Yarborough for the lead on the final lap when they collided and became part of a moment that helped launch NASCAR into the national consciousness.

61. Dick Hutcherson

Years active: 1964-1967

Cup Series wins: 14

Top points finish: Second (1965)

Highest panel ranking: 55

Lowest panel ranking: NR

With 14 wins in 103 starts, Hutcherson amassed the 10th-best winning percentage in history. He also twice finished third or better in the championship standings despite running just four years. After retiring, he became a famed chassis builder.

60. LeeRoy Yarbrough

Years active: 1960-1973

Cup Series wins: 14

Top points finish: N/A (never ran full seasons)

Highest panel ranking: 49

Lowest panel ranking: 72

In only 198 starts at NASCAR’s top level — and never a full season — Yarbrough created quite a legacy. Often at his best in the biggest races on the most challenging tracks, he registered wins at Daytona, Charlotte, Darlington, Rockingham and Atlanta. In 1969, he swept all three crown-jewel races — the Daytona 500, World 600 and Southern 500 and was named American Driver of the Year. He also made three Indy 500 starts, with a best finish of 19th.

59. Marvin Panch

Years active: 1951-1966

Cup Series wins: 17

Top points finish: Second (1957)

Highest panel ranking: 52

Lowest panel ranking: 64

Panch won the 1961 Daytona 500 in Smokey Yunick’s year-old backup car when teammate Fireball Roberts had an engine failure and he inherited the lead. He also was credited with winning the 1966 World 600 after being relieved in the final laps by car owner Richard Petty.

58. Ernie Irvan

Years active: 1987-1999

Cup Series wins: 15

Top points finish: Fifth (1991)

Highest panel ranking: 34

Lowest panel ranking: 70

Despite a starcrossed career that saw him endure multiple serious injuries, Irvan won 15 races and, for a brief period, was considered one of NASCAR’s top stars. The closest he came to a championship was 1994, when he was in a tight battle with eventual champion Dale Earnhardt before his season was cut short after sustaining a head injury that sidelined him until the following fall.

57. A.J. Foyt

Years active: 1963-1997

Cup Series wins: 7

Top points finish: N/A (never ran more than seven races in a season)

Highest panel ranking: 7

Lowest panel ranking: 73

One of the greatest racing drivers in history, Foyt’s NASCAR accomplishments include winning the 1972 Daytona 500. Aside from NASCAR, he won four Indy 500s, the 24 Hours of Le Mans (1967), seven IndyCar championships and was named “Driver of the Century” along with Mario Andretti in 1999.

56. Ryan Newman

Years active: 2000-2021

Cup Series wins: 18

Top points finish: Second (2014)

Highest panel ranking: 45

Lowest panel ranking: 69

Nicknamed “Rocket Man” for his proficiency in qualifying, Newman’s 51 career poles rank ninth on the all-time list. He amassed 18 wins across 20 full seasons, including triumphs in two crown-jewel races — the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. He beat Jimmie Johnson for Rookie of the Year honors in 2002.

55. Kasey Kahne

Years active: 2004-2018

Cup Series wins: 18

Top points finish: Fourth (2012)

Highest panel ranking: 41

Lowest panel ranking: 65

Kahne won three Coca-Cola 600s and the Brickyard 400 and had a series-high six victories in 2006. Forced into premature retirement at age 38 due to a health issue that caused severe dehydration during long Cup races, Kahne is currently full-time on the World of Outlaws sprint car tour.

54. Fonty Flock

Years active: 1949-1957

Cup Series wins: 19

Top points finish: Second (1951)

Highest panel ranking: 45

Lowest panel ranking: 71

Like many drivers who competed during NASCAR’s early years, Flock’s career evolved from being a moonshine runner. And when he wasn’t hauling booze, he found time to become a star on the track. His accomplishments include winning the 1949 modified championship and the 1952 Southern 500. Both of Fonty’s brothers, Bob and Tim, also won multiple premier series races.

53. Neil Bonnett

Years active: 1973-1994

Cup Series wins: 18

Top points finish: Fourth (1985)

Highest panel ranking: 45

Lowest panel ranking: 62

A member of the “Alabama Gang,” Bonnett won back-to-back World 600s (1982-83). He was also well known for his TV work after being sidelined by a head injury sustained in a 1990 crash. Bonnett was killed during practice for the 1994 Daytona 500.

52. Alan Kulwicki

Years active: 1985-1993

Cup Series wins: Five

Top points finish: Champion (1992)

Highest panel ranking: 24

Lowest panel ranking: NR

Kulwicki’s run to the championship in 1992 is regarded as one of the great underdog stories in NASCAR history, with the underfunded owner/driver improbably topping better-resourced teams. Tragically, he lost his life the following spring in a plane crash.

51. Curtis Turner

Years active: 1949-1968

Cup Series wins: 17

Top points finish: Fifth (1950)

Highest panel ranking: 15

Lowest panel ranking: 65

NASCAR’s first superstar and an attendee of the original NASCAR formation meeting at the Streamline Hotel, Turner was known as the “Babe Ruth of stock car racing.” Though banned “for life” by Bill France in 1961 for attempting to start a drivers’ union, Turner later returned and became the first NASCAR driver to be placed on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1968. He is also credited with building Charlotte Motor Speedway with business partner Bruton Smith.

(Top illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos: James Gilbert, Bettmann, Todd Warshaw, Racing One / Getty Images)