Sons following their fathers into a career in motorsports isn’t an unnatural occurrence in NASCAR. There is always an intense likelihood that the children of drivers get bit by the racing bug, particularly, when they spend a large part of their childhood around race tracks and shops. Here’s a brief ranking of the such father-son duos who’ve dominated the sport.
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5. Ned Jarrett – Dale Jarrett: Known as “Gentleman Ned Jarrett” for his calm and composed demeanor, the elder Jarrett was the National Grand Series champion in 1961 and 1965. His 50 career wins are the 12th highest of all time, a record tied with Junior Johnson. He was also one of the first winners of the Southern 500 (1965). His son, Dale, built greatly on his legacy.
Dale went on to become the 1999 Winston Cup Series champion, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, a two-time Brickyard 400 winner, and a Coca-Cola 600 winner. He won 32 races at the top level before retiring in 2008.
4. Bobby Allison – Davey Allison: Bobby was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in the Heart of Dixie. He won the 1983 Winston Cup Series championship and is fourth on the all-time wins list with 84 victory lane visits. He is also a three-time Daytona 500 winner, a four-time Southern 500 winner, and a three-time Winston 500 winner.
Davey won the 1992 Daytona 500 along with 18 other premier-tier wins. He died in 1993 at the age of 32 in a helicopter crash.
3. Richard Petty – Kyle Petty: The Petty name is one of the most well-known and respected ones in motorsports. Richard, known as “The King”, was arguably the greatest driver to ever race in NASCAR and holds a record seven Cup Series championships. Also, his 200 career wins are unmatched by any driver to date. Meanwhile, his son, Kyle, made 829 starts and was only able to win eight races in total.
2. Bill Elliott – Chase Elliott: The Elliott duo boasts records that no one else on this list could. Million Dollar Bill was a 16-time Most Popular Driver award winner. He also won the 1988 Cup Series championship and a total of 44 races throughout his career. His son, Chase picked up the baton after him and is now a six-time Most Popular Driver award winner. Driving for Hendrick Motorsports, the younger Elliott is one of the best in the field currently.
1. Dale Earnhardt – Dale Earnhardt Jr.: The Earnhardts are practically royalty in NASCAR. Earnhardt Sr. is tied with Richard Petty for seven Cup Series championships. He won 76 races in his time and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame courtesy of the same. Later, when his son, Dale Jr. came into the fray, he won 26 races including two Daytona 500s. Junior was also the Xfinity Series champion in 1998 and 1999. However, a championship in the top division always eluded him.
Even though his numbers waned in comparison to that of his iconic father, he balanced the scale through the immense popularity and fame he brought to his family and NASCAR.
