Throughout history, the NASCAR Cup Series has seen several drivers come and go. 206 of them have won at least one points-paying race. But only 144 of these 206 have found it in them to win a race a second time. The other 62 drivers have wavered off into irrelevance after enjoying their single moment of glory.
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Certain names in this 62-driver list are more noteworthy than the others for different reasons.
5. Wendell Scott
Scott is a NASCAR Hall of Famer who won a race at Jacksonville in 1964, a moment that reshaped the sport’s history. That victory was monumental, as he became the first African American driver to win a race at NASCAR’s highest level, a barrier that would not be broken again for decades until Bubba Wallace did so in the modern era.
What often goes unnoticed amid the significance of that achievement is the hardship Scott endured as an owner-driver. He didn’t have a full crew or the resources his competitors relied on. In many races, he served as his own pit crew, climbing out of the car during pit stops to refuel, change tires, and make repairs himself.
Despite those obstacles, Scott still found a way to win, cementing his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
4. Trevor Bayne
Bayne was a 20-year-old just making his second-ever Cup Series start during the 2011 Daytona 500. He was one of the fastest drivers throughout the race and found himself in the lead mix towards the end. After David Ragan was penalized for a late restart, he found himself as the leader of the pack on the final lap.
The world watched stunned as he held his position and ended up winning the event. He immediately became a sensation and was seen as the next big star in NASCAR. But fate has a cruel way of reacting to such promises. Bayne started 187 more Cup Series races and never won again.
3. Casey Mears
Mears was a full-time driver in the Cup Series for 14 seasons. He had 494 starts in this stretch and finished in the top-15 in points twice. But as far as wins went, he only won once. This sole victory came in the 2007 Coca-Cola 600. He was a part of the leader group for much of the race and conserved fuel intelligently during the final 59-lap run to prevail.
2. Justin Haley
Haley can easily lay claim to the luckiest win in NASCAR history. He was racing near the back of the field during the 2019 Daytona 500 when an accident happened in front of him. The race went under caution with rain approaching fast. Most of the drivers who escaped the crash chose to pit. But he remained on the track, hoping for the impossible.
Just as he inherited the lead, NASCAR chose to conclude the race early because of the thunderstorm that was coming, and he was declared the winner. He has started 177 races since and hasn’t won again yet.
1. Mario Andretti
Several drivers from the world of open-wheel racing have tried their hand at stock car competition. Legends such as A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones not only made the leap but found real success, winning multiple NASCAR races. Still, the most famous name to cross over from IndyCar to NASCAR was Andretti.
Mario Andretti competed in just 14 NASCAR Cup Series races during his career, yet he made one of them count in historic fashion by winning the 1967 Daytona 500. For most drivers, a Daytona 500 victory would define an entire career. For Andretti, it stands as a footnote in one of the most accomplished résumés in motorsports history.
