NASCAR: Top 25 drivers on the all-time wins list

Kurt Busch shot himself into the top 25 on the all-time NASCAR Cup Series wins list with his most recent victory, and Denny Hamlin also moved up.

With a late pass on former Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway three Sundays ago, 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch made the 2022 season his ninth straight winning season and secured the 34th victory of his career.

The win allowed him to break a tie with Fireball Roberts for 25th place on the all-time Cup Series list. The 23-year veteran of the series is now one of five active drivers, including his younger brother Kyle, who rank inside the top 25 on this list.

Then this past Sunday, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin won a chaotic race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The win was the 48th of his career, which tied Herb Thomas for 16th place on the all-time wins list.

Take a look at the top 25 drivers on the all-time wins list following Busch’s first victory and Hamlin’s second of 2022.

NOTE: Active drivers are listed in bold print. List accurate as of Sunday, May 29, 2022.

1. Richard Petty – 200
2. David Pearson – 105
3. Jeff Gordon – 93
4. Darrell Waltrip – 84
5. Bobby Allison – 84
6. Jimmie Johnson – 83
7. Cale Yarborough – 83
8. Dale Earnhardt – 76
9. Kyle Busch – 60
10. Kevin Harvick – 58
11. Rusty Wallace – 55
12. Lee Petty – 54
13. Ned Jarrett – 50
14. Junior Johnson – 50
15. Tony Stewart – 49
16. Denny Hamlin – 48
17. Herb Thomas – 48
18. Buck Baker – 46
19. Bill Elliott – 44
20. Mark Martin – 40
21. Tim Flock – 39
22. Matt Kenseth – 39
23. Bobby Isaac – 37
24. Brad Keselowski – 35
25. Kurt Busch – 34

Kurt Busch became the 22nd former champion in the top 25; the top 25 had contained 21 former champions when Roberts was in it. The three non-champions on the list include Hamlin, Junior Johnson, and Mark Martin.

As the sport’s all-time winningest driver without a title, Johnson never competed full-time. Martin, the winningest non-champion among full-time drivers before Hamlin surpassed him in 2020, retired without a title in 2013. Hamlin still competes full-time and continues to chase his first title, and he could very well surpass Johnson whether he wins a title or not.

There are a number of other active drivers who have a chance to break into this list in the near future. Martin Truex Jr. ranks 28th with 31 wins, while Joey Logano sits right behind him in a 29th place tie with 28.

Kyle Larson sits in a 52nd place tie with 17, ahead of Chase Elliott in a 56th place tie with 14. No other active drivers have reached double-digit wins, but two, Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman, are close. They have each won seven races and are tied for 68th.