For every NASCAR driver in history and even today, the Daytona 500 holds immense importance. This race, which is often referred to as the Superbowl of NASCAR, is one of the oldest and one of the most iconic races that has seen legendary drivers like Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough drive to the victory lane. However, there were times when this race was aced by the most unexpected drivers. Here are the names of 12 such Daytona 500 surprise winners.
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Austin Cindric
Nobody expects a rookie to just go and win this prestigious race. However, it did happen a few years back. In just his eighth start in the Cup Series for Team Penske, the Columbus native grabbed the victory at the 2022 edition of the event.
Marvin Panch
Marvin Panch, also called “Pancho” was merely a last-minute addition to Smokey Yunick’s team in 1961 where Fireball Roberts was the primary driver. Therefore, Panch was left with nothing but a year-old Pontiac, which was not the best on the field aerodynamic-wise. However, after Roberts’ day ended owing to an unfortunate engine failure and Panch grabbed the opportunity, leading the remaining 13 laps of the race.
Tiny Lund
Lund entered the 1963 Daytona 500 as a late substitute for Panch’s No. 21, after the latter suffered a fiery sports car crash just 10 days prior. Once the race began, Lund managed to beat Hall of Famers Fred Lorenzen and Ned Jarrett to win his first-ever premier series race.
Mario Andretti
Considering Andretti’s fame in the world of motorsports, it’s perhaps not surprising for him to win “The Great American Race”. But back in 1967, Andretti was almost an outsider to the arena of NASCAR with only 14 starts to his credit. However, even then, he demonstrated his driving prowess by leading 112 of the 200 laps and finishing first ahead of teammate Fred Lorenzen.
Pete Hamilton
In just his 21st start, the Dedham native won his first Cup Series victory, driving a winged Petty Enterprises Plymouth Superbird. Hamilton was the first driver from New England to win the big event and would have been so until Joey Logano did it again in 2015.
Derrike Cope
The element of unpredictability has always been prevalent in the sport of NASCAR. And in 1990, that element aided Cope to seize the checkered flag for the first time, when for the fans, it had seemed like Dale Earnhardt would take the victory away. But the intimidator got ousted from the race with a punctured tire and Cope capitalized on it.
Michael Waltrip
Winning the Daytona 500 in 2001 perhaps wasn’t as delightful as expected for Michael Waltrip. It was his first year driving the #15 Chevy for Dale Earnhardt Inc. and also the last race for Earnhardt. For Waltrip, the veteran racer’s gruesome death remains a haunting memory from that day.
Trevor Bayne
Bayne did it when it was the least expected of him. In just his second Cup Series start, the Knoxville native shocked the entire NASCAR world by fighting through a couple of late-race restarts and driving his #21 Ford to the victory lane at the 2011 Daytona 500.
Austin Dillon
Dale Earnhardt’s iconic No. 3 car again visited the victory lane in 2018. But that was through the able hands of Austin Dillon. The RCR driver held off Aric Almirola in overtime and led just one lap. But that lap was the most decisive of all, as his dominance throughout the lap ultimately got him the win.
Michael McDowell
Known as NASCAR’s underdog, Michael McDowell was winless in his Cup Series career until 2021. But, the Daytona 500 race that year changed everything for the Front Row Motorsports driver as he led the last lap, escaped from a crash, and bagged the win.
Austin Cindric
In 2022, Cindric was left with the responsibility of filling up the gap made by Brad Keselowski, leaving Roger Penske’s #2 Ford team. And he did his job. In just his first full-time season with Team Penske, Cindric held off Ryan Blaney and brought home a valorous victory, and that too, on his boss’s birthday.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Another shocking win at the Daytona 500 arrived just last year, when Stenhouse Jr. won his first Daytona 500 race. He managed to capitalise on the chaos happening ahead of him during the dying stages of the race and crossed the line in first place. The 65th Daytona 500 witnessed the JTG Daugherty Racing driver park his Chevy Camaro ZL1 in the victory lane when literally nobody expected it.
