With an off week in the schedule, the Frontstretch staffers decided to take a second look at a series of drivers looking for that lucky break. Our writers voted in the top-15 drivers who have never won a Sprint Cup race in their careers; and while these men might have been special in other forms of stock car racing, they were never special enough to make it to victory lane at the highest level (at least, not yet).
Does your perception match our reality on this controversial topic? Be sure to read below to find out; and once you do, don’t be afraid to let us know who else should be on the list!
| Rank | Driver (First-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Dick Trickle (2) | 59 |
| For a man who’s won on short tracks more times than most people could count, how sad is it that we never got to hear the “Dick Trickle” joke played out during a Cup race on SportsCenter? | ||
| 2 | Mike Skinner | 57 |
| Would not have been on this list if the Japan experiment succeeded. | ||
| 3 | Kenny Wallace (1) | 56 |
| You have to love the Hermanator. Pushed Dale Earnhardt to his final victory and is a sponsor’s dream, but never took the checkered flag first… yet. |
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| 4 | Rick Mast | 50 |
| Who can forget Mast’s late-race loss to Earnhardt at 1994 in Rockingham? If only Senior knew what the rest of the guy’s career would look like, maybe he would have backed off and let him have the win. On second thought… | ||
| 5 | Ted Musgrave | 47 |
| Had some great success in the Truck Series, but it was never meant to be in Sprint Cup despite driving for Roush for several years. | ||
| 6 | Mike Wallace (1) | 40 |
| Who knows what Wallace’s career would look like if Roger Penske had decided to keep the No. 12 car going after the 2001 Cup season. | ||
| 7 | Dave Blaney | 39 |
| A World of Outlaws Champion, Blaney’s been in the top 10 almost 10% of the time in Cup, but never closed the deal. | ||
| 8 | Coo Coo Marlin | 34 |
| Much better than the equipment he had in his Cup career. Sterling’s talent didn’t just come out of nowhere; plus, ya gotta love the Coo Coo noise on Back in the Day. | ||
| 9 | Richard Childress | 32 |
| I’d think Childress is at peace with the decision to step out of his car winless and let a little man named Earnhardt slide behind the wheel. | ||
| 10 | Joe Ruttman | 26 |
| Dominated in the Truck Series as a senior citizen, but missed out on many Cup opportunities in his prime; the 1982 Daytona 500 sticks out as one. | ||
| 11 | Hut Stricklin | 24 |
| Over $7,000,000 in earnings, but never got a trophy. | ||
| 11 | Jeff Green | 24 |
| Had one of the most dominating Nationwide performances before the Cup invasion en route to a championship season in 2000. But that success was never duplicated in Cup. | ||
| 13 | Tony Raines | 19 |
| Grew up in Indiana, but didn’t get quite the same jeans as some of the other Cup regulars from the Hoosier state. | ||
| 13 | David Stremme | 19 |
| Very talented, just never gelled with his Cup teams to date. | ||
| 15 | JD McDuffie | 18 |
| 28 years, 653 races: you’d think he’d have put it all together at least once. | ||
| 15 | Mike Bliss | 18 |
| 13 wins and a title in trucks, a victory in Nationwide… but only one top five in 81 Cup races. | ||
Also receiving votes: Sam Ard (16), Joey Logano (16), Loren Wallace (16), Michael Schumacher (15), Boris Said (14), Matt Crafton (13), Steve Grissom (12), Scott Riggs (12), Jack Ingram (12), Regan Smith (12), Todd Bodine (11), Kenny Irwin Jr. (11), Ashton Lewis (10), Chad Little (10), Stanton Barrett (9), Buddy Arrington (9), Bill Champion (9), Robert Pressley (8), Scott Wimmer (8), Ella Gordon (8), Frank Kimmel (6), Jimmy Means (6), Jay Sauter (5), Wally Dallenbach Jr. (5), Neil Castles (5), Kevin Lepage (5), AJ Allmendinger (4), Mark Green (3), Cecil Gordon (2), Scott Pruett (2), Michael Waltrip (2), Erik Darnell (1), GC Spencer (1)
Writers voting this week: Tom Bowles, Mike Neff, Tony Lumbis and Bryan Davis Keith
About the author
What is it that Mike Neff doesn’t do? The writer, radio contributor and racetrack announcer coordinates the site’s local short track coverage, hitting up Saturday Night Specials across the country while tracking the sport’s future racing stars. The writer for our signature Cup post-race column, Thinkin’ Out Loud (Mondays) also sits down with Cup crew chiefs to talk shop every Friday with Tech Talk. Mike announces several shows each year for the Good Guys Rod and Custom Association. He also pops up everywhere from PRN Pit Reporters and the Press Box with Alan Smothers to SIRIUS XM Radio. He has announced at tracks all over the Southeast, starting at Millbridge Speedway. He's also announced at East Lincoln Speedway, Concord Speedway, Tri-County Speedway, Caraway Speedway, and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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