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NASCAR: Top 10 drivers at Daytona of all-time

By Tyler Callaway

DAYTONA, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2007 in Daytona, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR)
DAYTONA, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 DuPont Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the Gatorade Duel at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2007 in Daytona, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR) /
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15 Feb 2000: Dale Jarrett #88 is in action during the Daytona Speedweeks of the Winston Cup Series at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport
15 Feb 2000: Dale Jarrett #88 is in action during the Daytona Speedweeks of the Winston Cup Series at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Squire /Allsport /

10. Dale Jarrett

  • Races: 42
  • Wins: 4
  • Top 5 finishes: 9
  • Top 10 finishes: 17
  • Average finish: 16.43

I struggled the most with this spot because there were a lot of potential names that could’ve gone here, but Dale Jarrett’s total of three Daytona 500 wins was the deciding factor.

While he could find Victory Lane, his inconsistency is what kept him from climbing higher on the list. He did not have as many top 5 and top 10 finishes as you’d like to see, and he had too many mediocre finishes.

Putting so much emphasis on the number of Daytona 500 victories won’t be a trend on this list but it would’ve been blasphemous to not have a 3-time champion of the race not on the top 10 list of greatest Daytona drivers.

9. Darel Dieringer

  • Races: 22
  • Wins: 1
  • Top 5 finishes: 9
  • Top 10 finishes: 16
  • Average finish: 8.55

Darel Dieringer is not a well-known driver, but he may be one of the more underrated drivers in NASCAR history with a late starting age of 31. Plus, he never competed full-time, but he still managed seven wins and 79 top 10 finishes in 181 races.

In 22 races at Daytona, Dieringer only finished outside of the top 10 six times and he only finished outside the top 10 in one of those races. He currently holds the best average finish of all-time at Daytona and his only win at the track was in the 1965 Daytona 500.

Only having one win is what keeps him from being ranked higher on this list, but his prowess at Daytona should be noted.

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