Milestones and records are a huge part of sports in general and that definitely trickles down to motorsports, where it seems there’s a milestone moment every weekend. However, there are some racing milestones that are unlikely to ever be matched.
Here’s an up-close look at some of them:
Richard Petty’s 200 Victories
Richard Petty earned his 200th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway on July 4, 1984. So far, no one has come remotely close to that number, and it seems highly unlikely anyone ever will.
David Pearson, who like Petty retired more than three decades ago, is second on the list with 105 triumphs.
The active leader is seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson, who now runs only a limited schedule, with 83 victories.
Kyle Busch owns 63 Cup Series triumphs and is second among active drivers. Busch has 231 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, with 102 triumphs in the Xfinity Series and 66 in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Seven Cup Series Titles
This record seems obtainable since it is shared by three drivers — Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Petty. That said, Busch and Joey Logano are the only active drivers with a pair of Cup Series championships. Busch is 38 years old and Logano is 33.
Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney are active racers with a single series title.
Steve Kinser’s 690 Wins
Steve Kinser won 690 World of Outlaws-sanctioned races during a career that lasted nearly 40 years, and it’s safe to say this record will stand forever. Donny Schatz is the closest active driver to Kinser’s mark with 313 series triumphs. Schatz is 46 years old and in the back half of his career.
Brad Sweet has 91 World of Outlaws triumphs but no longer races full time in the series, while points leader David Gravel also has 91 career victories. Sweet is 38 years old and Gravel is 31. In addition, there are currently more cars capable of winning winged sprint car races than at any point since the World of Outlaws was organized in 1978.
Steve Kinser’s 20 Titles
Kinser’s 20 World of Outlaws championships is another milestone that may never be replicated. Schatz has 10 titles, but the clock is ticking and he and hasn’t won one since 2018. Sweet has five championships. Daryn Pittman and Hall of Famers Sammy Swindell (three titles) and Dave Blaney are the only other active drivers to have won the WoO championship.
67 IndyCar Wins
A.J. Foyt won a combined 67 Indy car races across the various sanctions and remains the career leader more than 30 years after he turned his final laps.
Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon has gotten within earshot of Foyt’s mark with 57 triumphs. Dixon, however, is 43 years old and has to battle faster, younger drivers on a weekly basis.
7 IndyCar Crowns
Dixon should still have a few opportunities to — at the very least — tie Foyt for this record. Foyt’s seven IndyCar championships lead Dixon by only one. Active drivers Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Alex Palou have all claimed the title twice.
John Force’s 16 Championships
At age 74, John Force continues to amaze the drag racing world as the 16-time Funny Car champion competes in every event on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series schedule.
The closest active driver to Force’s record 16 championships is Matt Hagan, who won his fourth last year. Hagan is 41 years old. Robert Hight (54) and Ron Capps (58) have each won three.
156 NHRA Funny Car Wins
Force continues to add to this record. He recently picked up his 156th Funny Car triumph at Firebird Motorsports Park in Arizona. Capps is the closest active driver with 75 Funny Car wins. Hight has 65 and Hagan 49.
NHRA Top Fuel Titles
Tony Schumacher’s record of eight Top Fuel championships seems within reach, but it wouldn’t happen for a while – and Schumacher is aiming for No. 9 this season. Steve Torrence is next among active drivers with four titles, while Antron Brown has three Top Fuel crowns and Brittany Force has a pair of titles.
NHRA Pro Stock Crowns
The legendary Bob Glidden won 10 NHRA Pro Stock championships and that milestone is very much within reach for Erica Enders, who earned her sixth title last season at age 38. Greg Anderson, the all-time winner in the class, also has a chance with five championship Wallys already in his trophy case. Anderson, however, is 63 years old.
NHRA Pro Stock Wins
Anderson recently earned his 104th NHRA Pro Stock victory and leads the category by a wide margin. His mentor, Warren Johnson, is second on the list with 97 triumphs. Jeg Coughlin is next among active drivers at 65, while Enders picked up her 48th career victory at the Gatornationals.
F-1 Titles
Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton have each earned seven Formula 1 world championships. Hamilton will move to Ferrari next season and should contend for an eighth crown, but hot on their heels is reigning three-time champion Max Verstappen, who is only 26 years old and in the prime of his career.
F-1 Wins
Hamilton is the all-time leader in Formula 1 victories with 103 grands prix to his credit. However, Hamilton is 39 years old, while Verstappen has a fast Red Bull entry and time on his side. With three victories already this season, Verstappen has 57 for his career.
USAC Sprint Cars
Levi Jones has won five USAC national sprint car championships, but active leader Brady Bacon has earned four, and at age 34 Bacon has plenty of time to secure this milestone.
Meanwhile, Bacon is also in pursuit of the all-time wins record in the series, which is held by Dave Darland. Darland owns 62 victories to Bacon’s 53. Also in the conversation, two-time series champion Justin Grant has 45 USAC sprint car wins.
Other USAC
With 111 USAC midget victories and seven national championships, Mel Kenyon is far ahead of any active driver. The same is true in the Silver Crown Series where Kody Swanson’s 40 victories are 22 better than Brian Tyler, while Swanson has seven titles and no other active driver owns more than one.
Supercross
With 72 victories in the 450 Supercross class, Jeremy McGrath is 20 ahead of Eli Tomac, who recently upped his total to 52 wins. McGrath has seven Supercross championships to five fo
THIS ARTICLE IS REPOSTED FROM THE MAY 1 EDITION OF SPEED SPORT INSIDER
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