Who is the only recurring winner of the last 15 Daytona 500s? Everything you need to know

The Daytona 500 is one of the most prestigious Crown Jewel events, often referred to as the “Great American Race.” It was first held in 1959 and was the first point pay race of the season since February 1982. The race will take place at Daytona International Speedway in Florida.

There have been several drivers who have won 500 lap tiles since their introduction, but in the modern Nextgen era, only one driver controlled the truck. Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has shown off his Mettle in a 200-mile race, winning three titles in the past 15 years.

Hamlin made his debut in the Cup Series in 2005 with Joe Gibbs races and secured a full-time seat in 2006, replacing Jason Leffler. He finished 20 seasons in the Cup Series with his team, securing 54 wins with 685 starts, 358 top-10 finishes and 44 poles. Additionally, his three Daytona 500 victories took place in 2016, 2019 and 2020.

The NextGen car was introduced in NASCAR in 2021 and ever since, the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver has had a lot of luck to secure a victory in this event. His best Daytona 500 finish at NextGen Car came in 2023, when he finished 17th on the leaderboard, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the race.

Denny Hamlin will drive the iconic Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota vehicle along with his new crew chief Chris Gale for the 2025 season. Previously he played in a collision at Bowman Gray Stadium, finishing third behind Ryan Branny.

Daytona 500 finish for the top three goals scorer in the 2024 Cup Series

#1 Joey Rogano

Team Pensuke driver Joey Rogano won his third title in the 2024 Cup Series season. However, he never succeeded in his early seasons. Logano concluded his 2024 Daytona 500 run with 32nd place on the leaderboard.

The Cup Series driver took pole position with a best time of 49.465 seconds, leading the laps the most last season, but failed to win his second 500-lap race title. His first 200-mile event victory took place in 2015.

#2. Ryan Branny

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney has also finished his 2024 Daytona 500 run, just like his teammate Joey Logano. Blaney qualified in 32nd place and finished the race in 30th place after taking part in the crash.

In his 11-year career in the Cup Series, Team Pensuke Driver has not secured a title in the 500-mile race. His best finish at the most famous Crown Jewel event took place in 2020, where he finished as runner-up behind Denny Hamlin.

#3. William Byron

Hendrick Motorsport driver William Byron finished third in the 2024 season. He secured three wins with 36 starts, 21 top ten and 13 top five finishes. He also scored the 2024 Daytona 500 in 18th place qualifying, leading only four laps before crossing the finish line.

Additionally, Byron secured pole position in the 2019 race, finishing 21st, while Denny Hamlin took home his second title.