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Winning the Championship is undoubtedly the highest point of success in NASCAR. But, there are some iconic drivers who have had many wins under their belt but failed to win the big prize at the end of the season.
Here are six drivers who have the most wins but have not won the NASCAR Championship.
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
26 wins.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is arguably one of the most famous names to be included in this list. Despite 26 wins in his career, his championship race was filled with challenges, like the death of his father after a crash in 2001, or on-track accidents.
The most notorious one was in 2004 when Earnhardt Jr. had a good chance of being crowned champion until his crash in Atlanta. He finished fifth that season with six wins.
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While he did not win the Championship, his talent and personality made him a NASCAR fan favorite. The two-time Daytona 500 winner won the Most Popular Driver award consecutively from 2003 to 2017.
It's important to mention that Fred Lorenzen also has 26 wins without winning a NASCAR Championship.
5. Carl Edwards
28 wins
The NASCAR career of Carl Edwards lasted only 13 years, but he was regarded as a worthy competitor for a major chunk of that time. He won 28 races and finished second in the Championship on two occasions throughout his career until he abruptly retired from the sport at the age of 37 after the 2016 season.
Edwards notably came close to winning the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title but lost to Tony Stewarts on a tiebreaker. Even though Edwards was seen in Cup races twice in 2023, he does not see himself returning to competition any time soon.
4. Fireball Roberts
33 wins.
Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts Jr left a permanent mark on NASCAR with his impressive record of 33 wins from only 206 starts, despite being a part-time driver.
Unfortunately, in the World 600 in 1964, Roberts crashed and his car went up in flames. He suffered second and third-degree burns and succumbed to the injuries a couple of weeks later. He was named among NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.
3. Mark Martin
40 wins.
Mark Martin is considered one of the greatest drivers without having won a championship. He has won 40 races and has 453 top-ten finishes. His consistency and five second-place finishes in the Championship made him a Hall of Famer.
Those achievements have made an indelible impact on NASCAR history. Martin is the last driver born in the 1950s to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, and he was described by ESPN as "The best driver to never win a championship". That shows that championship titles don’t define greatness in its entirety.
2. Junior Johnson
50 wins.
Junior Johnson is a NASCAR pioneer. He retired at 35 with a record of 50 wins from 313 races run over a 14-year career. He showed his exceptional talent with 148 top-ten finishes and 46 poles.
In that era, most drivers didn't follow a full-time schedule. Despite his 50 wins, sixth position (1955, 1961) was his best-ever finish in a Cup Series season and Johnson’s decision to not participate in a full-time schedule would be a major reason behind that. Besides becoming a successful driver, he became one of the most successful team owners in NASCAR history with six championship wins.
1. Denny Hamlin
51 wins.
Joe Gibbs Racing's driver Denny Hamlin is the driver with the most wins to never win a Cup Series title. With 51 victories, and being a consistent driver, Hamlin has only ever been a challenger.
However, at 43, the three-time Daytona winner is still competing and could put an end to this regrettable record. In 2024 he will be driving the No. 11 Toyota Camry XSE and it could be the year Hamlin clinches the title.
3 NASCAR drivers ready for a comeback on top in the 2024 season
Some well-known drivers who didn't have a great 2023 season are expected to return in full force in the 2024 NASCAR season. Here are three drivers who could make a strong comeback this season:
1. Kyle Busch
Bush ended the season in 14th place in the standings, but he still won three races in 2023 in his first year with Richard Childress Racing. With a full season of experience with RCR, Busch and the team should be looking to build on last year’s experience.
2. Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. started the 2023 season strongly by winning the regular-season Championship, but he was struggling by the second half which prevented what could have been a championship-winning season. He ultimately finished 11th in the standings.
3. Joey Logano
The 2022 Champion was consistent in 2023 with his top-five and top-ten finishes but the number of wins dropped. Capable of more wins and a playoff run, Logano, who placed 12th in the standings last year, is expected to bounce back and re-establish himself as a force to be reckoned with.
Fans will be watching these drivers closely to see how they will capitalize on their 2023 experience.
