Who was the greatest Cup driver to never win a race?

2 Sweet

2 Sweet

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I swear this was a topic here before, but I searched and couldn't find it. Maybe it was lost in the forum crash? So anyway, here's the official NEW thread...

Who is the greatest Cup driver to never reach victory lane in a Cup race? I'm talking about drivers that at least ran a couple seasons, and not counting any currently active drivers.

I'm going to say Rick Mast. I always thought he was an underrated racer. This is a guy who NEVER drove anything but average (at best) equipment, but had a couple good seasons and came really close to winning a few times. 1994 in particular was a pretty solid year. Driving the #1 Skoal Ford for Richard Jackson, he had four top 5's and 10 top 10's. Also, fun fact......he sat on the pole for two of the biggest races of the decade: the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta, and the inaugural Brickyard 400.

Honorable mention goes to Dick Trickle, who won just about everywhere but the Cup series.

What do you think?
 
I found this list at Reddit. I was just too tired to research them.
Of this list , I am surprised Kenny Wallace did not have a win, so he is my choice.

Dave Blaney

J.D. McDuffie

Rick Mast

Banjo Matthews

Cecil Gordon

Dick Trickle

Frank Warren

D.K Ulrich

Joe Ruttman

Kenny Wallace

Mike Skinner

Ted Musgrave

Rick Mast

Buddy Arrington
 
Ted Musgrave and Cecil Gordon scored a lot of top fives for never getting a win. Mike Skinner is probably somewhere in the conversation. And just for $h!ts and giggles, Austin Dillon. :)
 
Neil Castles, G.C. Spencer, and John Sears are good candidates. They each had around 50 top 5s without a win. Never heard of them before today.
 
Ron Hornaday, I've always thought he was very underrated and did not really receive much seat time in Cup, with his success in Trucks and marginal success in Xfinity.
Hut Stricklin
Ted Musgrave
Dave Blaney
Todd Bodine
Mike Skinner
Scott Riggs - He just never put it all together in Cup
Jeff Green
Jack Sprague
Kenny Irwin
 
We will never know. Remember before brad k got in a jrm car? He could have never shown a thing and ended up as the next carl long
 
Kiante said:
I was too young to remember, but was Musgrave that good?

I'm mainly going off of his success in the truck series.
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He had a couple good years - 1995 stands out - but for what it's worth, he was driving for Roush at the time.
 
2 Sweet said:
He had a couple good years - 1995 stands out - but for what it's worth, he was driving for Roush at the time.
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Yes, he was. In 1995 Mark Martin won 4 times and finished in the top ten 22 times during a 31 race season ... that's what driving for Roush at the time was worth.

Ted was a good journeyman and a very nice guy.
 
Skinner, Hornaday, basically the guys who ruled the truck series but never did in cup.

Speaking of Trickle I saw on Facebook it's the 4th anniversary of his passing.
 
I dont care what anyone says, Chad Little is my pick for this. ;)
 
Kiante said:
I was too young to remember, but was Musgrave that good?

I'm mainly going off of his success in the truck series.
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He was pretty good. He overachieved in the RaDiUs Racing ride, which got him the ride with Roush. As mentioned before, '95 was probably his best year, when he finished 7th in points.
 
I got to go with Musgrave and Blaney. I think Blaney was able to achieve more in his equipment than Musgrave and it was great Blaney got the Busch win in Charlotte. Musgrave had a shot to win a couple times but took the high road and finished second at Martinsville and Pocono. Musgrave also lost a truck championship on a jump start call by NASCAR at Homestead with a couple laps to go. He was one of the most approachable drivers I have ever met.

I saw Trickle many times on the short track, but don't recall enough about him in Cup.
 
Anyone remember Joe Ruttman?

Had the opportunity to shake his hand and talk to him for a few minutes at a Richmond race. Seemed like decent guy.

Colder’n a witch’s ti…, uhhhhh, cold enough to freeze a brass monkey’s….. a l’il chilly, same track, different race, he was long gone ‘n pullin’ away. Rain, or snow, would be there at any minute ‘n he’d have his first win. Saw heads swivelin’ to the left ‘n folks pointing. He lost a right front ‘n put it in the fence.

The yellow flew. Folks hit the pits. Dave Marcis stayed out ‘n took the lead. The rains came ‘n they called the thing. Marcis won it. Wish y’all could have heard the crowd when it was announced. To say it was a popular win would be an understatement.

Hated to see Ruttman lose it that way. Was thrilled to see Marcis pull off another one. It was his last.
 
I'll go with Ron Hornaday or Ted Musgrave. I may be overlooking an obvious choice from many years ago.
 
R Clarence said:
Anyone remember Joe Ruttman?

Had the opportunity to shake his hand and talk to him for a few minutes at a Richmond race. Seemed like decent guy.

Colder’n a witch’s ti…, uhhhhh, cold enough to freeze a brass monkey’s….. a l’il chilly, same track, different race, he was long gone ‘n pullin’ away. Rain, or snow, would be there at any minute ‘n he’d have his first win. Saw heads swivelin’ to the left ‘n folks pointing. He lost a right front ‘n put it in the fence.

The yellow flew. Folks hit the pits. Dave Marcis stayed out ‘n took the lead. The rains came ‘n they called the thing. Marcis won it. Wish y’all could have heard the crowd when it was announced. To say it was a popular win would be an understatement.

Hated to see Ruttman lose it that way. Was thrilled to see Marcis pull off another one. It was his last.
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I remember him.

Raced him a dozen times in the Northwest. He threw a big brass hammer at me from the pits at Skagit Speedway.
 
Isn't the title an oxymoron? How can a greatest driver not have won a race?

I'm stomped. LOL
 
aunty dive said:
I remember him.

Raced him a dozen times in the Northwest. He threw a big brass hammer at me from the pits at Skagit Speedway.
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Wow, what were they racing back then at Skagit? Stocks, modifieds? Skagit pretty much turned into a sprint car only facility, and while I love sprint cars, I always thought the track was suitable for more than just that.
 
gnomesayin said:
Wow, what were they racing back then at Skagit? Stocks, modifieds? Skagit pretty much turned into a sprint car only facility, and while I love sprint cars, I always thought the track was suitable for more than just that.
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The then version of Super Late Models. In this case, a seven day/night series of 5 races for what passed for big money at that time. 4 asphalt tracks (Canada and the U.S.) and the dirt at Skagit. It was called The International Driver's Challenge. There was enough cash on the line to draw Ruttman, Mike Miller and others across the country two years in a row. Did it in the car I posted pics of in the countdown thread.
 
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