View How Many Cup Races Until First Win
How Many Cup Races before the First Win?
By Gregg Leary
Category:NASCAR -> Sprint Cup
(Divide by the current number of races (36) to get the number of full seasons it took to get the first win. In earlier days, “rookie” drivers had to prove themselves in inferior equipment before they “earned” a top notch ride. Today if a team like Hendrick taps a “Young Gun” like Kyle Busch, they immediately get into a top flight ride.)
Driver Number of Races to Get First Win (Number of Seasons)
Dale Earnhardt: 16 (0.44 years)
Richard Petty 35 (1 year)
Jeff Gordon 42 (1.17 years)
Darrell Waltrip 50 (1.39 years)
Bobby Labonte 74 (2.1 years)
Cale Yarborough 78 (2.16 years)
Jeff Burton 96 (2.66 years)
Ken Schrader 108 (3 years)
Mark Martin 113 (3.14 years)
Dale Jarrett 129 (3.6 years)
Kyle Petty 170 (4.72 years)
Sterling Marlin 279 (7.75 years)
Michael Waltrip 463 (12.86 years)
Jim Roper won his very first start (Charlotte 1949) and only ran one more race in his career.