"The REAL Top 50 NASCAR Drivers (2007 Update)"

Elliott is driver #1. I've never understood why Elliott's 1985 dominance overshadows some of the other dominant seasons by other drivers. This is especially baffling when you find out that, although his cars were legal for that day, they wouldn't be legal in today's racing. Maybe it's because so many liked his aw-shucks demeanor. I never thought it was genuine, but since I'm in the minority, I suspect I just read him wrong.

Dale Jr has never dominated Daytona like that, not even when he won the 500 in 2004. Tony led the most laps that day. Jeff Gordon has had some dominant runs, most notably the spring '05 Talladega race, but he hasn't put it together at all 4 races like driver #2 did. Or maybe I should say driver #3.

In one of the most dominating seasons on the restrictor plates, Dale Earnhardt led a staggering 71% of the laps at Daytona and Talladega in 1990. If it weren't for the flat tire on the last lap of the 500, he likely would have won all 4 restrictor plate races. That flat tire likely also cost him the Winston Million, as he won the spring Talladega race and the Southern 500 in 1990. Plus, we never would have heard of the name Derrike Dope, I mean Derrike Cope.

I know, I know. 17 years ago. Someday, I might get over it.

 

Yeah, I know how disappointing those losses can be. On the tape I watched the other day they showed the end of the 1976 Daytona 500. I STILL cringe when I see that finish!

On trivia, prior to the Winston Million, NASCAR had a triple crown which was made up of the Daytona 500 (the richest race), the World 600 (the longest race) and the Southern 500 (the oldest race). What two drivers accomplished this feat?

 

I can only find where David Pearson did it in 1976.

 

LeeRoy Yarbrough won all three in 1969. He won at Daytona in a daring last lap pass of Charlie Glotzbach, won the World 600 by two laps, and passed David Pearson on the last lap to win the Southern 500.