NASCAR Record: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski Only Active Drivers in Historic List

NASCAR’s book of statistics is filled with records that will be hard to match for many generations to come. Among its pages are the list of drivers who’ve led the highest percentage of races in their long careers. The list not only portrays consistency across multiple years but also the domination that an elite few managed to pull up amongst stars much like themselves.

The list is filled with legends from the yesteryear are three active drivers. The first of them is Richard Childress Racing superstar Kyle Busch. The 2X Cup Series champion has started 691 races over his career thus far and led 56.9% of them. 2008 and 2018 were two of his strongest seasons with eight wins in each. He is placed in sixth place on the list.

Highest percentage of races led in career

Ex: Cale Yarborough led 60.6% of the races he started, the best in history. pic.twitter.com/19NKcpBCGQ

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Next to him, in seventh place, is Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. Though his resume lacks a Cup Series championship, he has led 56% of the 663 races that he has started thus far in the premier tier. He won eight races in 2008 and seven in 2020, his best records yet. Notably, he is only a few steps behind Busch in the all-time wins list as well.

The third and final active driver on the list is RFK Racing co-owner and driver Brad Keselowski. The 2012 Cup Series champion sits in eighth place having led 53% of the 534 races that he has started. He was on the front pages most recently for breaking a 110-race winless streak by grabbing the victory flag in Darlington. Along with these three drivers on the list are seven other stars.

Other drivers with the highest percentage of races led in their careers

Three-time Cup Series winner Cale Yarborough is at the helm of this list with a peak 60.6% of races led in 563 starts. Next to him is the Hendrick Motorsports icon Jeff Gordon with 60.5% of races led in 805 starts. Regarded as the best ever to grace stock car racing, no list is complete without Dale Earnhardt Sr. The Intimidator led 59.9% of the 676 races that he started and stands in third place.

Coming in fourth is the Alabama Gang founder Bobby Allison. He led 57.9% of the 718 races that he ran in and is followed by David Pearson. A Daytona 500 winner and a multiple time Grand National Series winner, Pearson led 57.4% of the 575 races that he started. Rounding off the list with less than 200 starts are Fred Lorenzen and Dick Hutcherson.