NASCAR
Which Drivers Have Come the Closest to Daytona 500 Immortality?
In less than a month’s time, the 66th Running of the Daytona 500 will be underway. While the champions of The Great American Race are steeped in its lore, equally as impressive are the drivers who have not won NASCAR’s biggest race. Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin are just a few of the legends who struck out on Daytona 500 victory lane. Here’s a list of the most successful active drivers still going for their first Harley J. Earl Trophy.
Martin Truex Jr
Can a 20th start in The Great American Race be the lucky one for Martin Truex Jr? The 2017 Cup champion is already forever linked to an important moment in Daytona 500 history. He was on the losing end of the closest finish ever in 2016, just falling 0.01 seconds behind Denny Hamlin. This bridesmaid performance is now eight years old however, and was his most recent Daytona 500 top-10.
Truex does have laps led in five-straight Daytona races though, including each of the last two February dates. The driver with more Daytona 500 experience than anyone else in the field will try to end his own “twenty years of frustration” in 2024.
Kyle Busch
Only one Daytona 500 start behind Truex is Kyle Busch, entering attempt 19 on the high banks. Busch also has a runner-up in the season-opener, coming in 2019. Year one in the Richard Childress Racing number 8 twelve months ago nearly saw Rowdy fill this glaring blank space in his trophy case. Thanks to a push from teammate Austin Dillon, Busch held the top spot inside the final five laps. An overtime restart ended Busch’s dreams though, relegating him to a dismal midpack result.
A year removed from this heartbreaker, can Busch be in the right spot again for Daytona 500 glory? Both RCR cars played it perfectly last year, successfully able to find each other late and work together. It remains to be seen if this achievement can be replicated.
Brad Keselowski
Much like Busch, Brad Keselowski has seen just about every NASCAR victory possible except one–the Daytona 500. Keselowski’s No. 6 Ford was dueling against Busch’s 8 in the closing laps last year, only to come up short. Keselowski was wrecked from second on the last lap in 2021, and led the most laps in 2022. Nobody has been more lights out in recent 500s than Keselowski, with solid winning chances available in each of the last three runnings.
RFK Racing in particular has extra reason to be confident heading south next month. At Daytona in August, Keselowski and Chris Buescher hooked up in overtime and remained in lockstep all the way to a 1-2 result. Heading to Speedweeks with an extra car this time (David Ragan in the Project60), RFK has their eyes set on a Harley J. Earl Trophy. It’s just a matter of luck falling on the 6 car that’s kept Keselowski from this career-defining triumph.
Kyle Larson
As hard as it may be to believe, Kyle Larson enters his 11th Daytona 500. While not particularly known as a superspeedway ace, driver 5 does boast a best finish of seventh in The Great American Race. It should also be noted that Larson was dicing for the victory last year, before being involved in a last lap crash.
Since joining Hendrick, Larson has seemed a bit more comfortable and confident with each superspeedway race. He is coming off perhaps his best executed Daytona 500 yet, where he started second and was in the mix on the last lap. After conquering Darlington last fall, Larson said Daytona is next on his bucket list. The 2021 champion may be facing down his best chance yet at NASCAR’s biggest trophy.
Ryan Blaney
Entering Daytona as the reigning Cup Series champion, Ryan Blaney seemingly has the wind at his back for another career milestone. The Penske No. 12 Ford has been painstakingly close to several 500 victories. Blaney has a pair of runner-up results from 2017 and 2020.
One of the best superspeedway racers on track today, Blaney picked up a third Talladega triumph in October. Can this be foreshadowing for February? Out of all drivers who have not won a Daytona 500, Blaney should have the shortest odds for taking the checkers. Laps led in all but one Daytona 500 since 2017 show Blaney’s ability to find the front of the pack.
Chase Elliott
NASCAR’s most popular driver is still 0-8 in the Daytona 500. Chase Elliott has a best finish of second in the 2021 Great American Race. Elliott is one of the more stout superspeedway drivers, with two Talladega victories and an Atlanta win on his résumé.
Hendrick Chevrolets are historically lights-out quick in 500 qualifying, but the behemoth team has not seen victory lane in a decade. The No. 9 Camaro has also not grabbed a checkered flag since October 2022, a span of 34 starts for the second-generation star. Can Elliott end the dry spell for HMS, as well as his own losing drought? Should Chase find the Daytona 500 winner’s circle, he and Bill Elliott would become the fourth father-son duo on the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
The last three years have seen a new driver pull into Daytona 500 victory lane. Only seven past winners are going for another triumph in 2024. Likewise, the odds are high for a new nameplate being engraved on the prestigious trophy. The final countdown is on for the 66th Running of The Great American Race. The 2024 Daytona 500 will go green Sunday, February 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).
Written by Peter Stratta
Be sure to follow us on Twitter
Be sure to follow the writer on Twitter and YouTube
Photo Credit to Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
