The 2026 Daytona 500 is 43 days away, set for February 15, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway. The “Great American Race” has seen some families’ dual success over the years. Here are the group of father-son duos that have both stood in Victory Lane at Daytona in Florida.
Lee Petty And Richard Petty
The Pettys spanned the event’s earliest years through its rise to national television. Lee Petty won the very first Daytona 500 in 1959 in one of the most unusual finishes in NASCAR. He battled Johnny Beauchamp over the final laps and then waited three days while race officials reviewed photographs and newsreel footage before officially declaring him the winner.
His son and seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty went ahead and captured seven Daytona 500 victories between 1964 and 1981, including the first live televised flag-to-flag broadcast in 1979.
Bobby Allison And Davey Allison
Bobby Allison won three Daytona 500s (1978, 1982, and 1988). His son Davey Allison carried the family banner into the next generation and won the race in 1992. In 1988, Bobby beat his son to the line by a car length.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. And Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally won the Daytona 500 in 1998 after many attempts. That victory became one of NASCAR’s most famous moments and completed a long personal quest for the seven-time champion. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., later won the Daytona 500 twice, in 2004 and 2014.
The list is short. All these drivers also won at least one pole for the Daytona 500 in their career. But there is one other father-son pair that managed to land the pole position but failed to win the race.
Father And Son Who Failed To Land A Daytona 500 Win Despite Multiple Poles
Bill Elliott set a high bar with multiple Daytona 500 poles in the 1980s and 2001. He earned his reputation as an expert qualifier with three consecutive poles between 1985 and 1987 and another one in 2001, before retiring from full-time racing in 2003.
His son Chase Elliott continued the legacy by winning the pole in 2016 and again in 2017. The Hendrick Motorsports driver also became the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 pole at age 20. Chase still has multiple years to chase a Daytona 500 crown jewel win.
He came close to winning the 2021 Daytona 500 but settled for second after a chaotic, rain-delayed finish. On the last circuit, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski tangled while battling for the lead, which triggered a crash and brought out the caution. Michael McDowell, running third at the white flag, powered to the front and was declared the winner when NASCAR froze the field under caution. Elliott was less than a car length behind McDowell.
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion is set to begin his 11th Cup season this February at Daytona International Speedway.
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