Winning the Daytona 500 is akin to winning the championship for NASCAR Cup Series drivers.  “The Great American Race” is often called the “Super Bowl of Racing”.

But one of the most prestigious races on the circuit has eluded some of the biggest stars in the sport including champion drivers.

Among them is NASCAR champion Kyle Larson who cites Daytona International Speedway as the only track on the circuit where he has yet to finish in the top five of a race.

It took seven time NASCAR champion Dale Earnhardt Sr 20 tries to win the race.  He finally made it in 1998, just three years before he died at the end of the 500 on that very same track.  Earnhardt once noted that he had won the Daytona 499 numerous times.  Champions David Pearson and Kurt Busch also needed numerous attempts before they took home the Harley J Earle trophy and added Daytona 500 winner to their career statistics.

Larson joins Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, David Ragan, and AJ Allmendinger in double digit losses in the Daytona 500.

While winning the Daytona 500 is quite the benchmark of a great career; NASCAR Hall of Fame drivers Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace, and Mark Martin ended their careers without a win in the 500.

On the other end of the spectrum is Denny Hamlin, who is a multiple Daytona 500 winner but has yet to take home a championship in the NASCAR Cup Series.