Most Wins in NASCAR History

Richard Petty holds the record for the most wins in NASCAR Cup Series history, with 200. That total is nearly double the 105 wins of second-place David Pearson, a gap so large it helps explain why Petty is known simply as “The King.”

Win totals are the clearest measure of greatness in stock-car racing, and NASCAR’s all-time list is topped by a small group of legends from the sport’s earlier decades. Here is the full leaderboard, the eras behind the numbers, and why the top of this list has barely moved in a generation. All figures are as of the 2025 season.

The record holder: Richard Petty and 200 wins

Richard Petty raced in an era of long seasons and short tracks, and he dominated it like no one before or since. His 200 victories came over 35 years, and his 1967 season alone produced 27 wins in 48 starts, including 10 in a row, both of which are still records.

Petty won seven Cup Series championships and seven Daytona 500s, but it is the round number of 200 wins that defines his legacy. Because modern seasons feature fewer races and deeper fields, the figure is almost universally regarded as unbreakable.

The full leaderboard of NASCAR Cup Series wins

The table below ranks drivers by career NASCAR Cup Series victories. Active drivers are noted.

Rank	Wins	Driver	Career span
1	200	Richard Petty	1958-1992
2	105	David Pearson	1960-1986
3	93	Jeff Gordon	1992-2016
4	84	Bobby Allison	1961-1988
4	84	Darrell Waltrip	1972-2000
6	83	Cale Yarborough	1957-1988
6	83	Jimmie Johnson	2001-2020
8	76	Dale Earnhardt	1975-2001
9	63	Kyle Busch*	2004-present
10	60	Kevin Harvick	2001-2023

*Kyle Busch is active; his total may still climb.

The list is a roll call of NASCAR royalty, from Petty and Pearson’s 1960s and 1970s duels through the Waltrip and Earnhardt era to modern greats Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Pearson, Gordon and the chasers

David Pearson’s 105 wins came in fewer starts than most of the drivers below him, giving him one of the best win rates in history despite rarely running full seasons. Jeff Gordon, third with 93, was the face of NASCAR’s 1990s and 2000s boom and the last driver to seriously threaten the 100-win mark. Behind them, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip are tied at 84, with Cale Yarborough and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson at 83.

The active chase: Kyle Busch

Among current drivers, Kyle Busch leads with more than 60 Cup Series wins, enough to place him inside the all-time top 10. Even so, he sits roughly 140 victories behind Petty, which underlines just how far out of reach the record is. For a look at how modern title races unfold, see our guide to how the NASCAR playoffs work and our explainer on what NASCAR’s flags mean.

Why the record matters

The 200-win record captures an era when a dominant driver could win a quarter of the schedule, something the modern, parity-driven Cup Series makes impossible. That context is why Petty’s total endures as a benchmark of stock-car greatness. For more motorsport records, compare the open-wheel side of American racing in our leaderboard of the most Indy 500 wins and our look at the best female NASCAR drivers.

The short version: Richard Petty holds the NASCAR record with 200 career wins, ahead of David Pearson (105) and Jeff Gordon (93). As of the 2025 season, Kyle Busch leads active drivers but remains far behind The King.