States with the most drivers to win the Daytona 500

T-No. 4 – Two racers from each state 

Three U.S. states are tied for having the fourth-most drivers to have won the Daytona 500. 

KENTUCKY 

Darrell Waltrip: Born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1947, Waltrip began racing at 12 years old and found success on little tracks in nearby towns. This ignited his racing passions and turned him into the 1989 Daytona 500 champion.

Michael Waltrip: Michael was also born in Owensboro, Kentucky – more than 15 years after his brother Darrell. His career also started in the area when he was 12 after he witnessed Darrell racing in the 1978 Daytona 500. Michael ended up winning more Daytona 500s than his older brother – one in 2001 and the other in 2003.

Darrell Waltrip and Michael Waltrip at Daytona in 1989.#DW won the race. 🏁 pic.twitter.com/YvRNXSdANS

— NASCAR Legends (@LegendsNascar) January 16, 2021

TENNESSEE 

Sterling Marlin: Born in Columbia, Tennessee, Marlin played quarterback at Spring Hill High School and was also on the basketball team. He ultimately found a passion for cars at 12 years old as he assisted his dad in the car shop. From there, Marlin went on the Daytona 500 back-to-back in 1994 and 1995.

Trevor Bayne: Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Bayne began racing on a dirt bike with training wheels at 3 years old before he found success in competitive go-karting. This would ignite the passions that put him on the pedestal at the Daytona 500 in 2011. 

WISCONSIN

Marvin Panch: Born in Menomonie, Wisconsin, Panch actually started racing as a car owner in California. Panch’s driver didn’t show up to race, so he got behind the wheel himself and the rest became history – including a 1961 Daytona 500 victory. 

Matt Kenseth: Born in Cambridge, Wisconsin, Kenseth’s racing career began when he made a deal with his dad at 13 years old. The deal was that his dad would buy a car, but it couldn’t be driven until Matt was 16 years old. From there, he moved up the competitive ranks in the state and eventually became a two-time Daytona 500 champion in 2009 and 2012.