Like Martinsville last week, Darlington is one of NASCAR’s O. G. tracks that still remain on the schedule. Dubbed “Too Tough to Tame”, Darlington Raceway is one of those tracks that really separates the contenders from the pretenders. Opened in 1950, Darlington Raceway is an egg-shaped intermediate oval that has long been considered one of the measuring sticks for NASCAR driver talent. It is the host of the crown jewel Southern 500. Many have come and gone, struggling at the facility. A few have nabbed wins at the track and went on to become NASCAR legends in their own right. But there is a select group of drivers who found a knack at the track. These drivers are often considered the best of the best in NASCAR history.
So, with no further ado, here are the top 6 winningest drivers at Darlington Raceway. And there is a consistent theme: none of these drivers are active. Check it out.
This is a list showcasing the top 6 winningest drivers to win at Darlington because we’ve got a three-way tie. Starting things off is none other than the legendary Cale Yarborough. During his career, Yarborough won at the historic Darlington Raceway a total of 5 times. He earned his first win at the track in 1968, driving for the famous and longest-tenured NASCAR team, Wood Brothers Racing. He won again in 1973, 1974, 1978, and 1982. All five wins came in the crown jewel of the Southern 500.
His overall statistics at Darlington Raceway are as follows: 5 wins, 11 top 5s, and 17 top 10s over 49 races. He has led a total of 1,370 laps at the track.
Next up, also with 5 wins at the facility, is none other than Jaws himself, Darrell Waltrip. The elder Waltrip had a knack for Darlington early on in his career as the wall-riding groove resembled that of his home track, the Nashville Fairgrounds, which was a high-banked short track at the time. In only his second start at the track, he somehow managed to finish 8th with Bud Moore Engineering, diving the team’s number 15 Ford. He got his first win at the track came in the spring of 1977, driving the 88 Gatorade car for DiGard. He then went on to finish runner-up in the two races there in 1978.
His subsequent wins at the track came in the spring races of 1979, 1981, and 1984. His final win at the track also was his final career win and his one and only Southern 500 victory. That came on September 6, 1992, driving for his own DarWal Inc. His career stats are: 5 wins, 18 top 5 finishes, and 23 top 10s over 55 starts. He led a total of 1,723 laps.
Finally, also with 5 wins at Darlington Raceway is Awesome Bill from Dawsonville (or “Million Dollar Bill”, if you prefer), Bill Elliott. One of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, the elder Elliott had a special talent for the track Too Tough to Tame. His first two wins at the track came in a sweep in 1985, driving the iconic number 9 for Melling Racing. Coincidentally, he sat on the pole for both of these races. He later won the Southern 500 in 1988, the spring race in 1992 in the number 11 for Junior Johnson & Associates, and again the Southern 500 in 1994.
His career stats at the track are this: 5 wins, 20 top 5s, 35 top 10s, and led a total of 980 laps.
Next up, with 7 wins at the track Too Tough to Tame is one of the G.O.A.T.s, Jeff Gordon. The iconic driver of the number 24 scored his first win at the track in the 1995 Southern 500. With that, he went on to win three in a row, sweeping both races at the track in 1996. He again won the Southern 500 in 1997 and 1998. His final Southern 500 win came on September 1, 2002 and his final win at the track came in the spring of 2007.
In regard to his career statistics, they are as follows: 7 wins, 19 top 5s, and 23 top 10s over 36 starts. He also has led 1,774 laps at the track. His final start at Darlington came in 2016, filling in for an injured Dale Jr. in the number 88 Chevy. He finished 14th.
What’s a ‘Most Winningest Drivers at any given track’ list without the intimidator, Dale Earnhardt? Incomplete, that’s what. While yes, Dale Sr. had a special talent for superspeedway racing, Darlington was his best track of the intermediates. I mean, we won there 9 times, just one away from the most all-time (more on him in a minute), two of them being Southern 500 victories. He got his first win at the track in 1982. He subsequently won in 1986, he swept the races in 1987, he won three in a row between 1989 and 1990, and his final two victory came in 1994 and 1994.
Dale won at the track 9 times, finished in the top 5 19 times, finished in the top 10 24 times, and led a total of 2,648 laps.
The king of Darlington Raceway is none other than the Silver Fox, David Pearson. He won at the track a mind-boggling ten times. And only 3 of those victories are the crown jewel of the Southern 500. He was just so good at this track! He ran for a plethora of teams during his career. Most notably, he was a Wood Brothers Racing driver and 6 of those wins came with the team. But, being a journeyman driver, he also won with Holman Moody, Osterlund Motorsports (while filling in for Dale Earnhardt), and Ellington Racing.
The Silver Fox’s stats are Darlington are as follows: 10 wins, 24 top 5s, and 30 top 10s.
That does it for us, Daily Downforce readers! What did you think of our list? Do you think these NASCAR greats will ever be dethroned? Let us know what you’re thinking! And be sure to keep it here all weekend long as we gear up for one of the most exciting race weekends of the season: NASCAR Throwback Weekend!
