Darrell Waltrip was inducted in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2012 and for good reason. The three-time NASCAR Cup series champion had 84 wins throughout his career. A Kentucky native who started his career in go-carts at age 12, not much could stop him. He’s ranked fourth by NASCAR on the all-time wins list in the Cup Series.
Despite having retired in 2000, he still holds many records. After retiring from the sport, Waltrip became an analyst for NASCAR and race commentator. In 2001, he started his career with Fox and has become known as one of the most popular NASCAR analysts. Owing to his popularity over the years is the fact that he’s considered by many to be the total package driver.
Ned Jarrett- Three Cup Championships
Ned Jarrett, otherwise known as “Gentlemen Ned Jarrett,” was known for his calm personality. During his 13-year period racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, he raced in 352 races, winning 50 of them and finishing in the top ten in 239 races. He was in pole position 25 times. He at 34, and became the only driver to retire as the current NASCAR champion.
The greatest moment of Jarrett’s career and one of the craziest in NASCAR history was at Darlington Raceway in 1965. He passed other drivers by miles, literally. He was farther by the next closest racer by 14 laps which is around 19.2 miles. This is the biggest margin in NASCAR history. In 2011 he was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Fireball Roberts- 32 Pole Positions
Edward Glen Roberts Jr. or better known as “Fireball Roberts” was a big name in the racing world during his 15-year stunt. He started 206 races and was in the pole position in 32 of them. When he retired, he had 33 races with 93 top-five finishes under his belt. He also started 16 races in the Convertible Series.
Roberts earned his nickname Fireball while playing baseball for the American Legion. When he was pitching for the Zellwood Mud Hens, his teammates were amazed by his fastball and started calling him Fireball. The nickname stuck. He died prematurely at the age of 35 after a crash in a race left him with second and third-degree burns over 80% of his body.
Brad Keselowski- 67 Wins
Brad Keselowski may not have been racing for over twenty years like some other big racers, but he already has a Cup Series championship and an Xfinity Series championship under his belt. Brad, a Michigan native who has been racing since 2004, currently is a full-time contender in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, where he drives the number 2 Ford Mustang for Team Penske.
He is also a part-time racer in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where he drives the No. 12 Mustang for Team Penski. Growing up in a family of racers, it was only natural that Brad would join the ranks. While he ultimately placed 12th in the Daytona 500, the racer already has much to be proud of; an impressive 67 race wins.
Jeff Gordon- 93 Wins
Jeff Gordon is consistently ranked as one of the best stock car drivers. Gordon started racing at the ripe age of five in quarter midgets. By age 6, he had already won 36 races, setting 5 records along the way. Known as the “Kid” at the start of his NASCAR career, he started professionally racing at age 16.
By age 20, he became the youngest person ever to win the USAC Silver Crown. Not only does he have a hunky, Tom Cruise look, but he has also brought a much-needed freshness to the sport. By the time he retired in 2015, he had 93 wins to his name, the third-most in the history of NASCAR.