Top 25 Rivalries in NASCAR History That Changed the Sport
25. Kurt Busch vs. Jimmy Spencer
Busch earned 34 Cup wins in his career, while Spencer only managed 2, but their early-2000s clashes made headlines. The rivalry peaked in 2003 at Michigan when Spencer punched Busch after a wreck, earning himself a suspension.
24. Joey Logano vs. Matt Kenseth
Logano has 32 Cup wins to Kenseth’s 39, but 2015 defined this feud. Kenseth wrecked Logano at Martinsville after Logano had spun him at Kansas, costing Logano a shot at the championship despite winning 6 races that year.
23. Tony Stewart vs. Kurt Busch
Stewart’s 49 career Cup wins and 3 championships dwarfed Busch’s single title, but their mid-2000s wrecks (like Dover in 2005) showed neither backed down. Stewart even called Busch a “deaf, blind kid” after one incident.
22. Jeff Gordon vs. Rusty Wallace
Wallace finished his career with 55 wins and 1 championship; Gordon with 93 wins and 4 championships. Their rivalry peaked at Bristol in 1997, when Gordon spun Wallace late to take the win.
21. Darrell Waltrip vs. Cale Yarborough
Waltrip ended his career with 84 wins and 3 titles; Yarborough, 83 wins and 3 titles. In the late ‘70s, their rivalry dominated — Yarborough’s aggression versus Waltrip’s “mouth.”
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Kyle Busch
Jr. had 26 wins in Cup to Busch’s 63 (and counting), but the fan rivalry was bigger. Busch dumped Jr. at Richmond in 2008, costing him a win. Busch then proudly wore the “villain” label against NASCAR’s most popular driver.
19. Dale Earnhardt Sr. vs. Geoff Bodine
Earnhardt’s 76 wins and 7 titles easily overshadowed Bodine’s 18 wins, but in the ‘80s Bodine was one of the few unafraid to retaliate against “The Intimidator.” Their clashes included multiple wrecks at Charlotte and Richmond.
18. Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch
Harvick (60 wins, 1 title) vs. Busch (63 wins, 2 titles) was nearly even statistically. Their 2011 Darlington fight — when Busch drove off while Harvick tried to punch him — remains a classic moment.
17. Brad Keselowski vs. Carl Edwards
Keselowski has 35 wins and 1 title; Edwards finished with 28 wins and nearly a championship. Their rivalry was defined by violent wrecks — Edwards sent Keselowski airborne at Talladega in 2009, and Keselowski retaliated in Atlanta 2010.
16. Bobby Allison vs. Richard Petty
Petty ended with 200 wins and 7 titles; Allison with 84 wins and 1 title. Through the 1970s, their battles decided dozens of races, including the 1972 Daytona 500, where Allison beat Petty head-to-head.
15. Jeff Gordon vs. Tony Stewart
Gordon’s 93 wins and 4 championships vs. Stewart’s 49 wins and 3 titles. Their run-ins at Watkins Glen (2000) and Martinsville (2001) showed how much pride was on the line when these two raced for position.
14. Kurt Busch vs. Kevin Harvick
Both fiery, both champions. Harvick’s 60 wins to Busch’s 34 gave him the upper hand, but their feud often boiled down to insults — like Harvick calling Busch “two-faced” and “never respected.”
13. Dale Earnhardt Sr. vs. Rusty Wallace
Earnhardt’s 7 championships often left Wallace (1 title) in his shadow. At Bristol in 1989, Earnhardt spun Wallace from the lead, and Wallace threw a water bottle at him post-race. Their rivalry produced some of the sport’s most physical racing.
12. Joey Logano vs. Denny Hamlin
Hamlin’s 54 wins and Logano’s 32 show both are elite, but Logano’s Martinsville playoff win in 2018 (by moving Truex) and earlier clashes with Hamlin (like Auto Club 2013) cemented this as a personal grudge.
11. Donnie Allison vs. Darrell Waltrip
Not as stat-heavy as others — Donnie had just 10 wins compared to Waltrip’s 84 — but in the 1970s, they despised each other, clashing at Daytona and Talladega.
10. Tony Stewart vs. Jeff Gordon vs. Jimmie Johnson
Between them: 3 (Stewart) + 4 (Gordon) + 7 (Johnson) championships, plus 49 + 93 + 83 wins. Stewart often accused Johnson of “silver spoon” racing, while Gordon had to balance being Johnson’s teammate and rival.
9. Brad Keselowski vs. Kyle Busch
Busch (63 wins, 2 titles) vs. Keselowski (35 wins, 1 title). They clashed at Bristol (2010) where Busch wrecked Keselowski, and Keselowski later vowed Busch would “not win the war.”
8. Kevin Harvick vs. Denny Hamlin
Harvick’s 60 wins and 1 title vs. Hamlin’s 54 wins and no championship rings. Their rivalry hit a peak at New Hampshire in 2007, where Harvick lunged at Hamlin on pit road after a wreck.
7. Dale Earnhardt vs. Darrell Waltrip
Earnhardt’s 76 wins, 7 titles vs. Waltrip’s 84 wins, 3 titles. Through the ‘80s, they traded wins constantly. Earnhardt’s rough driving and Waltrip’s sharp tongue gave fans endless drama.
6. Jeff Gordon vs. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
The “Rainbow Warrior” (93 wins, 4 titles) against “The Intimidator” (76 wins, 7 titles). Gordon dethroned Earnhardt in the ‘90s, beating him for wins at Charlotte, Bristol, and Daytona. It was a true generational rivalry.
5. Bobby Allison vs. Cale Yarborough
Allison (84 wins, 1 title) vs. Yarborough (83 wins, 3 titles). Their 1979 Daytona 500 fight after Yarborough wrecked with Donnie Allison remains NASCAR’s most iconic rivalry moment.
4. Jeff Gordon vs. Brad Keselowski
This rivalry peaked in 2014 when Keselowski’s aggressive moves at Texas cost Gordon a shot at the championship. The feud spilled into a post-race brawl with crews throwing punches. Gordon had 93 career wins and four titles, while Keselowski brought a new-school edge with his 2012 championship and 30+ wins.
3. Denny Hamlin vs. Chase Elliott
Hamlin (54 wins) vs. Elliott (20 wins, 1 title). Elliott’s Martinsville 2017 wreck at the hands of Hamlin created a lasting playoff rivalry, reignited multiple times in high-stakes races.
2. Richard Petty vs. David Pearson
Petty (200 wins, 7 titles) vs. Pearson (105 wins, 3 titles). In 63 races where they finished 1-2, Pearson actually came out ahead 33 times to Petty’s 30. Their 1976 Daytona 500 crash finish is one of NASCAR’s most legendary moments.
1. Dale Earnhardt vs. Terry Labonte
Earnhardt (76 wins, 7 titles) vs. Labonte (22 wins, 2 titles). Twice at Bristol (1995 & 1999), Earnhardt spun Labonte to win. His famous line — “I was just trying to rattle his cage” — cemented this as NASCAR’s most unforgettable rivalry.
