When Once Wasn’t Enough
It’s tough to get to the top of NASCAR. Just winning a first race is a major career milestone. There are plenty of great drivers that have never even won once. Others have risen to the top again and again. William Byron’s recent win at the Daytona 500 was his second in a row, only the fifth time the feat has been done in over 65 years! We’ve looked at NASCAR’s greatest firsts; now let’s look at the great repeat performances of NASCAR history.
1957: Buck Baker Repeats As Champ
One of the early NASCAR era’s greatest drivers, Buck Baker was the first to win the Cup (then called the Grand National Series) a second straight year. Baker took three of the season’s last eight races, finishing with an impressive 10 wins on the year.
Buck Baker Hall of Fame induction, NASCAR
1959: Lee Petty Repeats
Lee Petty took his second straight Cup in 1959 to cap an exceptional year for him that started with his win by inches in the first-ever Daytona 500. Petty finished the season with a solid 11 wins.
NASCAR Past Champions: Lee Petty, HODIUSDUDE
1963: Joe Weatherly Again
One of NASCAR’s most outgoing and unpredictable characters, Joe Weatherly was all business behind the wheel, winning his second straight Grand National title in 1963 driving for Bud Moore. He was all set to try for a third, but tragically lost his life in an accident at Riverside early the following year.
1967: Richard Petty Takes 10 Straight Races
There are breakout years, and then there’s Richard Petty’s breakout year: 1967. This season saw Petty win 10 straight races, a remarkable accomplishment on the way to his insane season total of 27 victories. It was in 1967 that Petty became known as “King”!
State Archives, Wikimedia Commons
1969: David Pearson Takes Two Straight
David Pearson was recognized by Richard Petty as the greatest driver in NASCAR. Check out Pearson’s 1969 season to find out why. Pearson took 11 wins and an amazing 42 top-fives in capturing his second straight Grand National championship.
Freewheeling Daredevil, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1972: Petty Wins Second Straight Winston Cup
A drastic reduction in the number of races in the season and the removal of dirt tracks from the schedule didn’t change the outcome, as Richard Petty won the championship (now called the Winston Cup) for the second straight year.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1974: Petty Repeats At Daytona
Richard Petty became the first competitor to take the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row. A blown engine by driver Bob Burcham caused hard-luck driver Donnie Allison to blow a tire and the lead with 11 laps remaining. Petty took over the lead from there for the incredible victory.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1978: Yarborough Wins Three Straight Winston Cups
Cale Yarborough wasn’t satisfied with repeating as champion in 1977, carrying over into 1978 with 10 wins and a comfortable lead over second-place Bobby Allison. Yarborough’s three straight Winston Cups remains one of the greatest achievements in NASCAR annals.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1982: Darrell Waltrip Repeats
From also-ran to a repeat Winston Cup winner, Darrell Waltrip’s move from DiGard Racing to Junior Johnson was a huge success, bringing him double-digit win totals in 1981 and 82. 1982 saw Waltrip hold off a strong charge by his rival, Bobby Allison.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1984: Cale Yarborough Wins The Daytona 500 Two Years In A Row
Yarborough passed Darrell Waltrip on the last lap to take the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row, and third time in his career. Waltrip would finally end his Daytona frustrations with a win in 1989.
Robert Alexander, Getty Images
1985: Richie Evans: Eight Straight Championships In Modified
Evans took his eighth consecutive National Modified Championship, continuing his dominance of this NASCAR division beginning back in the late 70s. He likely would’ve won more, but for a tragic crash that claimed his life in October 1985. Evans’s streak remains one of the greatest, not just in NASCAR, but in all of racing.
1987: Dale Earnhardt Takes Two Cups In A Row
The late 80s and early 90s were the heyday of Dale Earnhardt. He had one of the best seasons of his career with 11 wins, including an incredible streak of four consecutive wins and another of three in a row later in the year.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1990: Ken Schrader Takes Third Pole In A Row At Daytona
Ken Schrader took the pole position at Daytona for the third year in a row, with a qualifying run of 196.5 miles per hour. The feat equalled Bill Elliott’s record Daytona pole three-peat, set back in 1987.
TaurusEmerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1991: Harry Gant Wins Four Races In A Row
In one of NASCAR’s greatest exploits, Harry Gant won all of September’s races, four in a row, one of only a handful to ever do it. At age 51, Gant remains the oldest driver to accomplish the incredible mark.
Ted Van Pelt, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1991: Earnhardt Repeats Again
Earnhardt followed up his 1990 championship with a repeat win in 1991. The fifth Winston Cup of his career, he held off strong season showings by Ricky Rudd and Davey Allison. He would accomplish the feat again in 1993-1994.
Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1992: Bill Elliott Wins Four Straight Races
In Bill Elliott’s first season driving for Junior Johnson, he took four straight races to put him in contention for the rest of one of NASCAR’s most memorable and hard-fought seasons. Darlington’s Goodyear 400 on March 29 was the site of win number four, topping off the streak.
Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1993: Mark Martin Wins Four Races In A Row
The “Four Wins In A Row Club” was getting a little more crowded as the 90s rolled on. Mark Martin pulled away from the pack in the last 10 laps to take victory in that year’s Southern 500, marking an amazing fourth straight win for him.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
1995: Sterling Marlin Repeats At Daytona
Sterling Marlin led for 105 of 200 laps to take first place at Daytona for the second straight year. Marlin became only the third driver to do so, joining Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough.
Ed McDonald, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
1998: Jeff Gordon Repeats
The late 90s were the days of wine and roses for Jeff Gordon as he drove one of the most dominant seasons in NASCAR history in 1998 for a second straight Winston Cup win. He reeled off an incredible 13 wins, including a streak of four in a row.
Darryl Moran, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2000: Bill Elliott Is Most Popular Driver For 10 Straight Years
Not only was Bill Elliott one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, he was also its most popular. Elliott was voted by fans the Most Popular Driver award 10 years in a row. In 2001, he finally withdrew himself from voting just so someone else would have a chance to win!
Zach Catanzareti, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2010: Jimmie Johnson: Five Straight Championships
Jimmie Johnson had already surpassed Cale Yarborough’s record of three championships in a row, but he added to the mark in 2010 with his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup victory. Johnson’s dominance included six wins and 17 top-five finishes. This is one record that should remain secure for many years to come.
Raniel Diaz, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2014: Matt Crafton: Back-To-Back Craftsman Truck Series Wins
Crafton became the first (and so far the only) driver to win the Craftsman Truck Series two years in a row. Crafton’s consistent driving over the year allowed him to breeze to the championship as he pulled up ninth in that year’s finale, the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
ScottBonin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
2017: Dale Earnhardt, Jr: 15 Straight Most Popular Driver Wins
Dale Earnhardt, Jr was named on 68% of the ballots cast by fans as he returned to the winner’s circle as most popular driver on the circuit for the 15th consecutive year. Earnhardt stressed the award’s importance as an indicator of not just driver popularity, but accessibility to the sport’s fans.
Morrison_2001, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2020: Denny Hamlin Claims Second Straight Daytona
A rain delay, a hotly contested overtime, a spectacular crash by Ryan Newman, and the second-closest finish in Daytona 500 history were the biggest events of the day that saw Denny Hamlin emerge with his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2025: Byron Again
A seven-car wreck on the final lap with no caution flag is a rare occurrence in NASCAR, and a driver winning a second consecutive Daytona 500 is just as unusual. But that’s exactly what took place just three weeks ago to ring in this year’s NASCAR Cup season.
Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
NASCAR Is Full Of Surprises
NASCAR is as unpredictable as it is competitive, with new drivers rising up to challenge the established stars and set new records. While a lot of the old records seem unbeatable, recent events show that we should expect the unexpected amid the roar of the engines. It’s only a matter of time before another NASCAR driver goes on a roll!
Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
