N-J's list of top 75 Cup drivers of all time; from Blaney, Bowyer to Dale Earnhardt, Petty
As NASCAR continues the 75th season with its top-tier Cup Series, the Daytona Beach News-Journal put together a list of its top 75 Cup racers of all time.
NASCAR has been releasing its own top-75 list, which adds 25 new racers to the original top-50 NASCAR announced 25 years ago for its 50th-anniversary celebrations. The News-Journal list differs in two ways: It ranks the drivers, 1 through 75, and also limits it strictly to Cup Series drivers, while the NASCAR list includes racers from lower divisions.
The News-Journal rankings were based on various factors, including wins, championships, and weighing short bursts of brilliance against long periods of success.
Here's the list:
75-61: Modern star Ryan Blaney and the original champ, Red Byron, in this group of NASCAR racers
75 THRU 61 Daytona experts count down NASCAR's all-time Top 75 drivers: 61 through 75 list
75. Red Byron
74. Ryan Blaney
73. Marshall Teague
72. Cotton Owens
71. Jim Reed
70. Bob Welborn
69. Paul Goldsmith
68. Kyle Petty
67. Clint Bowyer
66. Jamie McMurray
65. Darel Dieringer
64. Alan Kulwicki
63. Sterling Marlin
62. Ryan Newman
61. Greg Biffle
60-46: A.J. Foyt, Tim Richmond highlight this group
60 TO 46: Speedy Thompson to Ernie Irvan Daytona experts count down NASCAR's all-time top 75 drivers; list of 46 through 60
60. Speedy Thompson
59. Neil Bonnett
58. A.J. Foyt
57. Jeff Burton
56. Donnie Allison
55. Marvin Panch
54. Geoff Bodine
53. LeeRoy Yarbrough
52. Jack Smith
51. Jim Paschal
50. Kasey Kahne
49. Buddy Baker
48. Tim Richmond
47. Dick Rathman
46. Ernie Irvan
45-31: Current NASCAR superstars Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson joined here by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
45 THRU 31 From Curtis Turner to Brad Keselowski
45. Curtis Turner
44. Harry Gant
43. Chase Elliott
42. Kyle Larson
41. Carl Edwards
40. Dick Hutcherson
39. Ricky Rudd
38. Fonty Flock
37. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
36. Bobby Labonte
35. Davey Allison
34. Benny Parsons
33. Martin Truex Jr.
32. Dale Jarrett
31. Brad Keselowski
30-16: Joey Logano, Fireball Roberts fall in line
30 THRU 16 From Kurt Busch to Junior Johnson
30. Kurt Busch
29. Bobby Isaac
28. Matt Kenseth
27. Mark Martin
26. Denny Hamlin
25. Terry Labonte
24. Tim Flock
23. Rex White
22. Fred Lorenzen
21. Joey Logano
20. Bill Elliott
19. Fireball Roberts
18. Joe Weatherly
17. Buck Baker
16. Junior Johnson
15-1: Richard Petty-David Pearson, or David Pearson-Richard Petty? What about Dale Earnhardt?
15 THRU 1 From Rusty Wallace to the Intimidator, Silver Fox, and King
15. Rusty Wallace
14. Kevin Harvick
13. Kyle Busch
12. Herb Thomas
11. Ned Jarrett
10. Tony Stewart
9. Lee Petty
8. Bobby Allison
7. Darrell Waltrip
6. Cale Yarborough
5. Jeff Gordon
4. Jimmie Johnson
3. Dale Earnhardt
2. David Pearson
1. Richard Petty
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Blaney to Petty, our top 75 NASCAR 'Cup Series' racers of all time
