Going winless for an extended period in the NASCAR Cup Series always raises big questions about a driver’s credibility. But such droughts are almost always unavoidable, regardless of how great and skillful someone is behind the wheel. From Bill Elliott to Erik Jones, here’s a brief look at some of the worst winless streaks that drivers have overcome in their careers.
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The longest winless streak in NASCAR history that was eventually snapped belongs to the iconic Bill Elliott. The 2015 Hall of Famer once went 226 races without a win before breaking the curse at Homestead-Miami in 2001. Furthermore, he only had three more visits to Victory Lane after that triumph.
The second-longest streak on this list belongs to RFK Racing driver Chris Buescher. He drove for Front Row Motorsports and JTG Daugherty Racing before joining Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. His drought of 222 races was broken at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2022, driving the No. 17 Ford Mustang for his current team. Since then, he has reached Victory Lane four more times, the most recent being at Watkins Glen in 2024.
Longest winless streaks ever snapped:
Bill Elliott – Homestead ‘01 (226)
Chris Buescher – Bristol ‘22 (222)
Martin Truex Jr – Sonoma ‘13 (218)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr – Daytona ‘23 (199)
Clint Bowyer – Martinsville ‘18 (190)— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) July 29, 2025
Martin Truex Jr. went 218 races without a victory before breaking the streak at Sonoma Raceway in 2013. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. went winless for 199 consecutive races before taking the checkered flag in the 2023 Daytona 500. The fifth-longest losing streak belongs to Clint Bowyer. His victory at Martinsville in 2018 came after weathering 190 races without a win.
The most recent 100+ race winless streaks to be snapped
Bubba Wallace’s victory in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday meant a lot in different ways. One of the most impressive facts was that it broke his 100-race winless streak. He would be relieved that it did not drag any further.
Before him, Brad Keselowski broke a 110-race losing streak at Darlington Raceway last season. It helped the former Cup Series champion save face and live up to fan expectations. However, his performances since then have been alarmingly poor.
Most recent 100+ race winless streaks to be snapped:
Bubba Wallace – Indianapolis ‘25 (100)
Brad Keselowski – Darlington ‘24 (110)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr – Daytona ‘23 (199)
Chris Buescher – Bristol ‘22 (222)
Erik Jones – Darlington ‘22 (109) https://t.co/3rmjt8S8rm— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) July 29, 2025
Another recent streak-breaker is Erik Jones. The Legacy Motor Club driver won at Darlington in 2022 to end a 109-race barren run.
