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NASCAR: The Five Greatest Drivers To Never Win The Daytona 500

By Christopher Olmstead

Feb 16, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Daytona 500 trophy during media day for the 2016 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 16, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of the Daytona 500 trophy during media day for the 2016 NASCAR season at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 6, 2015; Darlington, SC, USA; NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett addresses the media before the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 6, 2015; Darlington, SC, USA; NASCAR Hall of Famer Ned Jarrett addresses the media before the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Ned Jarrett

While this legend of the sport was unable to achieve victory in the Great American Race, he may have a more prouder moment both he and NASCAR fans everywhere will never forget. In the 1993 Daytona 500, Ned Jarrett was able to call the victory of his son and fellow NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett win the greatest race of them all. This race was forever cemented in Daytona 500 lore when CBS coverage allowed Ned to call his son to victory in the final laps.

On the final lap, Ned was coaching his son to victory in a rare display of emotion for the winner of 50 Cup Series races. Watch what Ned himself coined the “Dale and Dale Show,” one of the most popular and emotional Daytona 500 finishes:

For Ned himself, his career was a prestigious one that saw him earn 50 wins and two Cup Series championships. Because of the timing of his career, he was not able to race in many Daytona 500’s but did have the chance at victory in a few of them. Particularly, in the 1963 running of the 500 Ned Jarrett was just a few laps from victory when he ran out of fuel, relinquishing the lead with seven laps to go, in the race that Tiny Lund would go on to win. He retired at the young age of 34 because of Ford leaving NASCAR in 1966, so who knows if Jarrett would have won the 500 if he had raced longer.

I am sure that this race does not nearly eat away at Ned Jarrett for not winning as for others, especially with the unprecedented ability to call his son to victory in not one Daytona 500, but two, as just 3 years later Dale would win again with Ned bringing the “Dale and Dale Show” to CBS once again.

Next: The Reigning Cup Champ

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