20 NASCAR drivers who won consistently
It’s hard to win any race in the NASCAR Premier Series. But to do it year in and year out demands both speed and consistency, something few can achieve.
Here are the 20 NASCAR drivers who set the mark for most consecutive years with at least one race victory.
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T-19. Fireball Roberts, 9 years
NASCAR’s first true superstar won at least one Premier Series race from 1956 until his untimely death in 1964. Had Roberts not perished due to burns he suffered in the 1964 World 600, his streak likely would have continued well into the following years.
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T-19. Bobby Labonte, 9
The younger of two Texas brothers who won a total of three Premier Series championships between them, Labonte won a race every year from 1995-2003, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. And he won the championship in 2000.
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T-15. Buck Baker, 10
The NASCAR Hall of Fame driver won every year from 1952-61, which included his two championship seasons of 1956-57. Baker was the first repeat NASCAR Premier Series champion and from 1955-58, he never finished lower than second in points.
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T-15. Bobby Allison, 10
Allison, a NASCAR Hall of Fame member, is tied with Darrell Waltrip with 84 Premier Series wins, fourth-most overall. The leader of the Alabama Gang won at least one race annually from 1966-75, a period in which he drove at least one race for some 15 or so car owners, including Smokey Yunick, Holman-Moody, Mario Rossi, Bud Moore, Cotton Owens, and Roger Penske.
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T-15. Bill Elliott, 10
Another NASCAR Hall of Famer — sensing a theme here? — “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” won at least once every year from 1983-92. In 1985, Elliott won the Winston Million $1 million bonus for winning the Daytona 500, Winston 500 at Talladega and the Southern 500.
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T-15. Kurt Busch, 10
The Stewart-Haas Racing driver won his first Premier Series race in 2002 with Jack Roush, starting a streak that ran through 2011 when Busch drove for Roger Penske. Busch won the 2004 Premier Series title while driving for Roush.
T-13. Denny Hamlin, 11
From his rookie season of 2006 through the just-concluded 2016 season, Hamlin has won at least one race in every year of his career, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin has demonstrated consistency throughout his career.
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T-13. Dale Jarrett, 11
The 1999 Premier Series champion was at his best in big races, winning the Daytona 500 three times and the Brickyard 400 twice. He won every year from 1993-2003 and is a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame with his father Ned.
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12. Kyle Busch, 12
The younger of the racing Busch brothers won in his first full season in the NASCAR Premier Series back in 2005 and has won every year since. In 2015, he won the championship and he is the two-time defending winner of the Brickyard 400.
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T-10. Lee Petty, 13
The patriarch of the Petty clan, Lee was the first driver to win three Premier Series championships (1954, 58, 59) and won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959, one of the most famous NASCAR races ever. He won every year from 1949-61, earning himself a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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T-10. Cale Yarborough, 13
No one was tougher behind the wheel than NASCAR Hall of Famer Yarborough, the first driver to win three consecutive Premier Series championships and one of only two drivers to win more than two in a row. In terms of races, Yarborough won every year from 1973-85.
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9. Jeff Gordon, 14
During his career, Gordon posted stellar numbers including 93 race victories, which ranks him behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson. The California native also won four championships, and he holds NASCAR records with nine road-course victories and five Brickyard 400 wins. He won every year from 1994-2007.
T-5. Darrell Waltrip, 15
No one was better on short tracks than Waltrip, who posted double-digit win totals at Bristol, Martinsville, and North Wilkesboro. En route to a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Waltrip won a total of 84 races and three championships. From 1975-89, he won at least one race a year.
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T-5. Dale Earnhardt, 15
One of only three drivers with seven Premier Series championships, Earnhardt earned the nicknames: “The Intimidator” and “The Man in Black” for his aggressive driving on the track. Earnhardt won a record 34 races at Daytona, including the 1998 Daytona 500 and was voted into the inaugural class at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Earnhardt won every year from 1982-86.
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T-5. Tony Stewart, 15
The hard-driving Stewart, who retired at the end of the 2016 season, has been called the A.J. Foyt of his generation, winning 49 Premier Series races as well as an IndyCar title and a USAC Triple Crown championship. He is the only driver in history to win Winston Cup, Nextel Cup, and Sprint Cup championships. From 1999-2013, Stewart won a NASCAR race every year.
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T-5. Jimmie Johnson, 15
Johnson came out of the box strong, winning three times in his rookie season of 2002, and winning at least two races every year since. And there are those seven Premier Series championships, which ties Johnson with Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt. Winning 80 races isn’t too shabby, either.
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T-3. Ricky Rudd, 16
The Virginia native didn’t post huge victory totals, winning 23 Premier Series races in his career, but he was tough and he was consistent year in and year out. Rudd never won more than two races in a single season, but from 1983 to 1998, he found Victory Lane at least once every season.
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T-3. Rusty Wallace, 16
Like Darrell Waltrip, Wallace is a NASCAR Hall of Fame member who excelled at racing on short tracks, where he was always one of the drivers to beat. Wallace won the 1989 NASCAR championship and for his career posted 55 victories, including at least one every year from 1986-2001.
2. David Pearson, 17
Given the fact that Pearson ranks second all-time with 105 Premier Series race wins, it’s no surprise that the three-time champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame member ranks second here, too, with a streak that stretched from 1964-80. Pearson’s most amazing stat: In 1968-69, he won 27 races and finished second 30 times.
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1. Richard Petty, 18
Yet another reason that Petty is known as “The King” is a streak of winning at least once in every season from 1960-77. That’s on top of the other records he holds, including most career wins (200), most wins in a season (27), most consecutive wins (10), most Daytona 500 wins (seven) and most poles (123). Needless to say, the seven-time NASCAR champion was part of the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
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