Top 25 One-Season Wonders in NASCAR History
25. Paul Menard (2011)
After years of being labeled a “ride buyer,” Menard shocked everyone with a Brickyard 400 win in 2011, his lone Cup victory. That season he also posted 4 top-5s, 8 top-10s, and finished 17th in points, but never reached those numbers again.
24. Ricky Craven (2003)
Craven’s peak came in 2003, when he earned 1 win, 4 top-5s, and 9 top-10s, finishing 27th in points. His Darlington photo finish win over Kurt Busch remains one of NASCAR’s most iconic moments, but he never won again.
23. Trevor Bayne (2011)
At just 20 years old, Bayne stunned the world by winning the 2011 Daytona 500 in his second Cup start. Despite making 187 Cup starts, he never added another victory and only earned 5 top-10s in his career.
22. Ernie Irvan (1994)
Before his devastating crash, Irvan had a title-worthy season: 3 wins, 11 top-5s, 13 top-10s, and 1,326 laps led in just 20 races, sitting second in points. The crash ended his run, and he never returned to that dominant form.
21. Sterling Marlin (2002)
Marlin led the championship for 25 straight weeks in 2002, scoring 2 wins, 10 top-5s, 14 top-10s, and 512 laps led. A neck injury sidelined him late in the year, and he never contended for a title again.
20. Jeremy Mayfield (2004)
Mayfield made the inaugural Chase in 2004, winning at Richmond and finishing 10th in points with 1 win, 7 top-5s, and 10 top-10s. After that, his career spiraled with only one more win before his exit from NASCAR.
19. David Ragan (2011)
Ragan broke through at Daytona with a Coke Zero 400 win. That season he had 1 win, 4 top-5s, 8 top-10s, and finished 23rd in points. Despite 507 career starts, that was his best year.
18. Jamie McMurray (2010)
2010 was magical: 3 wins (Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, and Charlotte fall), 9 top-5s, 12 top-10s, and 1,089 laps led. He never posted more than 1 win in any other season.
17. Bobby Labonte (2000)
Labonte’s lone championship season saw 4 wins, 19 top-5s, 24 top-10s, and 4,632 laps led, finishing outside the top-10 only twice all year. After 2000, he won just 2 more races across the next 13 seasons.
16. Ward Burton (2002)
Burton’s career peak was 2002: Daytona 500 champion, 2 wins, 4 top-5s, 8 top-10s, and 391 laps led. He only managed 5 career wins total in 375 starts.
15. Casey Atwood (2001)
Atwood, hyped as the “next Jeff Gordon,” earned 1 top-5, 4 top-10s, and finished 26th in points in 2001. After that, he was out of full-time Cup competition within two years.
14. Greg Sacks (1985)
Sacks stunned the field by winning the Firecracker 400 at Daytona in 1985. That season he ran 28 races, finishing with just 3 top-10s, but that upset victory defined his career.
13. Phil Parsons (1988)
Phil’s lone Cup win came at Talladega in 1988. That year he posted 1 win, 5 top-5s, 10 top-10s, and finished a career-best 9th in points, but never won again.
12. David Reutimann (2009)
Reutimann’s breakthrough was the 2009 Coca-Cola 600 rain-shortened win, with 1 win, 2 top-5s, 5 top-10s, and 18th in points. He grabbed another win in 2010 but quickly faded out of NASCAR.
11. Regan Smith (2011)
Smith delivered one of the great underdog wins at Darlington in 2011. That year he had 1 win, 2 top-5s, 5 top-10s, and 26th in points, by far his best Cup season.
10. Cole Custer (2020)
As a rookie, Custer shocked the field with a last-lap pass for the win at Kentucky, becoming the first rookie in nearly 7 years to win. He finished the season with 1 win, 2 top-10s, and 16th in points, but hasn’t come close since.
9. Lake Speed (1988)
Speed’s career peak came in 1988, winning at Darlington and finishing with 1 win, 4 top-5s, 6 top-10s, and 10th in points. Despite 402 career starts, that was his only Cup victory.
8. Johnny Benson Jr. (2002)
Benson earned his only Cup win at Rockingham in 2002. That year he had 1 win, 4 top-5s, 9 top-10s, and finished 11th in points, his career-best finish.
7. Joe Nemechek (2001)
“Front Row Joe” had his best year in 2001 with 1 win at Rockingham, 2 top-5s, 9 top-10s, and finished 28th in points. Despite 674 career starts, that was his high-water mark.
6. Ron Bouchard (1981)
In his rookie season, Bouchard shocked the sport by stealing a win at Talladega. He finished 1981 with 1 win, 1 top-5, 3 top-10s, and Rookie of the Year honors, but never won again.
5. Trevor Boys (1983)
Boys’ standout season in 1983 saw 2 top-10s, including a 6th at Daytona, finishing a career-best 22nd in points. Outside of that year, he was mostly a field-filler.
4. Ken Schrader (1991)
Career-best year with 1 win, 6 top-5s, 12 top-10s, 3 poles, and 9th in points. Despite a long career, this was the only season he looked like a possible title contender.
3. Alan Kulwicki (1992)
Kulwicki’s “one perfect season” came in 1992 when he won the Cup championship as an owner-driver with 2 wins, 11 top-5s, 17 top-10s, and 1,177 laps led. Tragically, his career ended in a 1993 plane crash, cementing his season as a singular peak.
2. Geoff Bodine (1986)
Bodine’s high-water mark was 1986, when he scored 3 wins, 12 top-5s, 16 top-10s, and finished 3rd in points. Despite 18 career wins, he never again came close to being a true title contender.
1. Derrike Cope (1990)
Cope stunned the NASCAR world by winning the 1990 Daytona 500 after Dale Earnhardt cut a tire, then followed it with another win at Dover. He finished that season with 2 wins, 4 top-5s, 6 top-10s, and 18th in points. Across 409 Cup starts, those would remain his only career wins — making him the ultimate one-season wonder.
