Has any one led all the laps of a nascar race?

Question

Has any one led all the laps of a nascar race?

Answer 1

Yup... Rowdy's got it.....

Answer 2

Yes it has, see results by year on www.nascar.com

Answer 3

Wait. If Jeff Burton won by leading in the pack, how did he get enough gas for the entire race? They lose polling position when they make a pit stop right?

Answer 4

Rowdy is Correct I was at that race & being he had the #1 stall & every lead car followed for pit stops he obviously crossed the start/ Finish line first & was also the first to leave Pit Road It was actually a boring race but he was dominate all day & deserved the win

Answer 5

#18 Rowdy said it all, cannot add to that!

Answer 6

No. Some people have answered 'yes' to this question, but when the lead car pits, other cars then assume the lead for a lap or two.

Answer 7

yes, three times in the modern era, once by jeff burton, and twice by cale yarborough. burton led all 300 laps at loudon in september, 2000. yarborough led all 500 laps at bristol in 1973. yarborough also led all 420 laps in nashville, 1978.

"2000 -- Year Jeff Burton led all 300 laps to win the Dura-Lube 300, just the third time in the modern era that a driver has led every lap of a Cup Series race."

http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/features...

"In the 1970s, putting Cale Yarborough on a short track with a dominant car was a recipe for a runaway victory. And it was never more apparent than in the 1973 Southeastern 500 at Bristol International Speedway.

Yarborough did what today would be almost unthinkable. He led all 500 laps from the pole -- meaning the entire race was run without a lead change. And he did it under unusual circumstances, since it took two weeks to complete the race because of rain.

...

Yarborough [also] led all 420 laps of the 1978 Music City 420 [at Nashville], passing pole-sitter Lennie Pond on the first lap and never looking back."

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/opinion/...

the article right above says that it was not that uncommon before the modern era, and four others did it in the 60's - richardy petty (nashville 1964 & 1966), darel dieringer (north wilkesoboro, 1967), and jack smith (one of the qualifying races, daytona, 1960).

as for how they did it - kerafaith's got it, except for the fact that burton started in second, labonte was on the pole, but burton passed him the first lap. i didn't see the race, but as long as ALL the lead lap cars pitted together under caution and burton's pit stall was past the start/finish line then as long as he came in first and left first, he'd always be the lap leader.

yarborough, on the other hand, lapped everybody fairly early in the bristol race - they ran 52 laps, had a two week rain delay, then came back and he lapped everybody quickly. he ended up beating 2nd place finisher richard petty by 2 laps and he beat the 10th place finisher by 38 laps!!!

Answer 8

It's my understanding that it's only happened twice.  Jeff Burton was the most recent at NH a few years ago.  He started second but passed Bobby Labonte on the first lap and never lost the lead, even with pit stops.

Answer 9

Rowdy's Fan got it. In 2000 the 2nd race at Loudon of that season. Jeff Burton led all 300 laps. That was also the first & last restrictor plate race at Loudon.

^^^Solarchimp^^^ If memory serves me correctly, Burton was also the pole winner. He had the #1 pit position on pit road. Everytime he pitted so did all of the lead lap cars therefore retaining the lead scoring position during the pitstop. After every pit stop he beat all the other cars off pitroad, effectively keeping the lead. And noone was able to pass him on the track, althouh in the final 10 laps of so, Bobby Labonte (I think) did give him a run for his money but never succeeded in passing him. Therefore noone but Jeff Burton led a lap that day.

Answer 10

The last time this occurred was when Jeff Burton, then driving the #99 Ford, led flag to flag at a race at New Hampshire. The race itself was unique as it was a restrictor plate race. This was because of the at the time recent deaths of Adam Petty & Kenny Irwin Jr. at the same course. This was the only time that it was used there however.

Answer 11

Ricky Bobby did.

Answer 12

3 times