7 NASCAR drivers who finished their careers just shy of a 'crown jewel'

Only four NASCAR Cup Series drivers have ever won all four crown jewel races: the Daytona 500, the Coca‑Cola 600, the Brickyard 400, and the Southern 500.

Many drivers, despite long careers and many wins, never landed even one of these crown jewels. Here are seven such drivers whose careers ended just short of a major win.

#1. Clint Bowyer

Clint Bowyer raced full-time in the Cup series from 2005 to 2020 and collected 10 wins. He did collect two back-to-back wins at Talladega Superspeedway (2010, 2011) but never managed to win the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Brickyard 400, or Southern 500. His speed gave him strong runs at Daytona, and he reached the top 5 twice, but he never finished above 4th at the track.

#2. Alan Kulwicki

Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 Cup Series championship as an owner-driver and earned five career wins. Yet, he never captured any of the four crown-jewel races.

Kulwicki's career and life were tragically cut short in 1993 when he passed away in a light aircraft accident. He was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers in 1998 and inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019.

#3. Dave Marcis

Dave Marcis competed for 35 years after debuting in 1968 and made 883 Cup starts. He recorded five wins, 92 top-5s, and 222 top-10s.

The Wisconsin native also ended his career at the 2002 Daytona 500 with a record for most runs (33) at "The Great American Race." But never won a crown jewel.

#4. Bobby Isaac

Bobby Isaac was among the successful drivers with 37 NASCAR Cup wins in his career. Yet even with that tally, he never claimed one of the big four crown-jewel races.

#5. Ricky Rudd

Ricky Rudd collected 23 Cup wins in 788 consecutive starts between 1981 and 2005. However, he never won the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, or Southern 500. He did win the Brickyard 400 in 1997, but many refuse to consider it a part of the crown jewel races.

#6. Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart won three Cup championships and enjoyed 49 Cup wins. He came close to winning the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 many times, but never captured any wins there or at the Southern 500. He won the Brickyard 400 twice in 2005 and 2007, but retired from NASCAR in 2016 before he could add a true crown jewel win.

#7. Ken Schrader

Ken Schrader raced nearly 30 years in the Cup series and scored four career wins. He earned three straight Daytona 500 poles (1988, 1989, 1990) and 184 top-10 finishes. Still, he never claimed any of the four crown-jewel races and retired from NASCAR after 2013.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam