5 underdog wins in NASCAR that surprised the racing world ft. Harrison Burton at Daytona

Over 200 drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series since it began. Almost every year, the sport finds a new driver in the victory lane, and while sometimes it is a long-awaited win for a favorite, it can also be a surprising victory from an "underdog".

Many names have come out of the blue to win a race in Cup Series history. The recent edition of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway witnessed something similar, with Harrison Burton emerging victorious. This marked his first victory in the Cup Series.

Let us take a look at some other "underdogs" who have surprised the grid with a race win.

#1 Ward Burton: 2002 NASCAR Daytona 500

Ward Burton won five races in his Cup Series career. Although his victory at the opening race of the 2002 season was not his first, it was considered to be a major triumph. The race saw many unpredictable incidents, making it a tough feat. However, Burton was able to make his way up starting from P19 to win the race. This was an important milestone for his team Bill Davis Racing as they were not in a competitive phase at the time.

#2 Trevor Bayne: 2011 Daytona 500

The 2011 Daytona 500 set made history for Trevor Bayne. Entering only his second Cup Series race, Bayne was able to make it to the top on the final lap. The race was extremely chaotic with 16 cautions and 74 changes in the lead.

Aged just 20 years and 1 day, Bayne also became the youngest NASCAR driver to win the Daytona 500. The record stands to date. However, that was also his only victory in the Cup Series.

#3 David Ragan: 2013 Aaron's 499 at Talladega

David Ragan's Cup Series career was not one with a lot of triumphs, but his performance at Talladega in 2013 was a highlight for him. Starting the race in P34, it was expected to be yet another race outside the top 20 for Front Row Motorsports. However, he managed to avoid multiple cautions and raced through a soaking track.

The race was stopped after a rainfall, and after continuing in the dark, another crash at the back of the grid brought out the fifth caution on lap 182. Because of the delay, NASCAR canceled the three green-white-checker rule. The race finished with Ragan clocking his second and final Cup Series win. His teammate, David Gilliland made it a 1-2 finish for FRM.

David Ragan won a chaotic race in 2013 (IMAGE: Imagn)

#4 Chris Buescher: 2016 Pennsylvania 400

Chris Buescher raced with Front Row Motorsports in his rookie season. The team in itself was not considered to be very successful, and Buescher's consistent results out of the top 20 did not paint an optimistic picture ahead of Pocono. He started the race back in 34th position. However, Buescher was in the lead after multiple drivers pitted in the second half of the race. With cautions flying around and rain disrupting, NASCAR brought in all the cars to pit road and canceled the continuation of the race with 22 laps to go. As a result, Buescher was declared the winner.

#5 Harrison Burton: 2024 NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

Despite starting the race in P20 and battling within the range in the first two stages, Burton got into the top six by the final laps of an incident-filled race at Daytona International Speedway. A final caution sent the race into overtime, enabling him to start in P2. He fought a hard battle with Kyle Busch to win by a narrow margin. It marked his first Cup Series victory as well as Wood Brothers Racing's 100th overall triumph. He has now locked himself up in the 2024 NASCAR playoffs.