Qualifying to start a NASCAR race from the pole is in itself a remarkable achievement. To win a race after starting it from the pole is even more impressive. But what of those who’ve won races from the pole in all three nationwide series? A feat achievable only by an elite and exclusive breed of drivers. As one can imagine, not many have done it.
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- Clint Bowyer – This semi-retired icon who is now an announcer for FOX Sports was quite the race car driver in his day. He won the pole in the Cup Series during the 2007 Sylvania 300 in New Hampshire and went on to win the event. Bowyer also has won the pole nine times in the Xfinity Series and won eight races. He also has two pole starts and three wins in the Truck Series.
- Joey Logano – The Team Penske superstar is a two-time Cup Series champion. He has 34 wins and 31 pole starts in the top tier. Notably, he has won seven of the races that he started from pole in the Cup Series. He has 30 wins and 36 poles in the second tier. In the Truck Series, he holds two wins starting from the front of the field.
Retweet to congratulate Joey Logano on his NASCAR Xfinity POLE at Chicagoland Speedway! Think he'll win from the P.1 starting spot today? pic.twitter.com/taeBxGJ23i
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) June 29, 2019
- Kevin Harvick – Recently retired, Harvick is the 2014 Cup Series champion. He is also the 2001 and 2006 Busch Series champion. He holds 31 pole starts in the Cup Series of which eight were converted to wins. Harvick also has 47 wins in Xfinity and 17 in trucks. He is a proper legend of the sport but the one thing missing in his resume is a Truck Series championship.
- Kurt Busch – A major portion of the elder Busch brother’s achievements was in the Cup Series. 34 wins, 28 pole starts (1 win), and the 2004 championship helped craft his legacy. He has won five races and three poles in the Xfinity Series but in his defense, he never ran a full-time season. He did do that in the Craftsman Truck Series (2000) and finished runner-up.
- Kyle Busch – No driver has mastered all three national series as well as Rowdy has. He has 63 wins in the Cup Series and he is the all-time wins leader in both Xfinity (102) and Truck Series (66). He won pole position 34 times in the premier tier and converted nine of those into wins. He has won pole position 70 times in Xfinity and 23 times in Trucks.
Retweet to congratulate Kyle Busch on his NASCAR Truck Series WIN in Las Vegas. He's up to 53 total in the series. pic.twitter.com/agjdk3mc5N
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) March 2, 2019
- Mark Martin – He is often referred to as the “best driver to never win a championship.” Martin has started 56 Cup Series races from pole position and won eight of them. The closest he came to the title was finishing runner-up. He did that not once but five times (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, and 2009). He also has 30 poles in Xfinity and three in Trucks.
- Terry Labonte – A two-time Cup Series champion in 1984 and 1996, Labonte has 22 wins and 27 poles in the premier tier. He won four of the Cup races that he started from pole position. And although he has won races from pole in both Xfinity and Truck Series, he hasn’t won a championship in them.
These seven icons are the only ones to have started from the pole in all three series and won during the same race. While there are plenty of other achievements that tell their tale, this feat will be yet another medal that they can proudly claim.
