Top 5 drivers with the most crown jewel wins in NASCAR 

The crown jewel races in NASCAR—Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and the Brickyard 400—are the most prestigious events in the sport. A win in any one of these races is career-defining. Here's a clear breakdown of who's won the most race wins in crown jewel events.

#5 Dale Earnhardt

Earnhardt had just one Daytona 500 win in 1998, but he more than made up for it elsewhere. He got three wins each at the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 and added one more at the Brickyard 400.

#4 Kevin Harvick

Tied with Earnhardt in total, Harvick edges ahead due to his three Brickyard 400 wins. Alongside those, he won twice at the Coca-Cola 600 and twice at the Southern 500. He also got a Daytona 500 win in 2007.

#3 Denny Hamlin

Hamlin holds the title of most crown jewel wins by an active NASCAR driver. His biggest stage has been Daytona, where he’s won three times (2016, 2019, 2020). He also has three Southern 500 wins, a notoriously difficult race at Darlington. Add one Coca-Cola 600 win to that mix.

#2 Darrell Waltrip

Waltrip was a force in the 1980s, especially at Charlotte. He holds the all-time record for most Coca-Cola 600 wins with five. Besides that, he has only won the Daytona 500 once and the Southern 500 once.

#1 David Pearson

Pearson, the “Silver Fox,” never won at Daytona. However he collected three wins each at the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500, thus making it on the list.

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What NASCAR drivers remember about their first Coca-Cola 600 Crown Jewel race

For many in NASCAR, their first memory of the Coca-Cola 600 stands out vividly. As per Speedway digest, Kyle Busch recalled watching Jeff Gordon win the 1994 Coca-Cola 600, calling it a defining moment.

“They took two tires on the final stop to kind of jump out front and get the lead,” Busch said. “Being a Jeff Gordon fan growing up, that was a cool day.”

Ty Dillon shared how the race first caught his attention as a child. He said,

“I just always loved the unique paint schemes… and the length of the race. It was just a race that I always loved going to as a kid.”

Denny Hamlin reflected on the mid-90s as his earliest memory. He remembered,

“Basically, kind of when the Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt heydays, Darrell Waltrip, were all battling it out… just some epic finishes from Charlotte,”

Current records, as shared by The Daily Downforce in context with the crown jewel races, show that Denny Hamlin leads all active NASCAR drivers with seven crown jewel wins, including a record three Daytona 500 wins among current drivers. Darrell Waltrip owns the most Coca-Cola 600 wins with five.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua