NASCAR drivers who earned their first Cup Series win at Texas

Ahead of this weekend's NASCAR Cup Series event, the Würth 400 presented by LIQUI MOLY at the Texas Motor Speedway, two drivers have had a lot of success in the Cup Series during their careers, but it all started with winning at the Fort Worth track. 15-time Most Popular Driver award winner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and 2026 Hall of Fame Nominee, Jeff Burton, both kick-started their win records by first crossing the line at the intermediate track.

This list, while only comprised of two names, will examine the inaugural win of the tenure of these two famous Cup Series drivers, starting with who won first.

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The two NASCAR Cup Series drivers to win at Texas first

Jeff Burton (1997)

Jeff Burton during the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, November 1st, 1997 - Source: Imagn

Jeff Burton's win at the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event, 'Interstate Batteries 500', was a special one because that was the first-ever race at the Texas Motor Speedway. In the first lap of the race, a wreck involving 13 cars would be the first of the 10 caution periods that would plague the event. Burton would survive multiple crashes that occurred on the restarts of the race, eventually crossing the checkered flag to score his win with a 4.067-second margin.

1997 marked Burton's fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, finally winning a race in his second year with Roush Racing. By that point, he had scored 12 Top-five finishes, including a fourth-place finish at Darlington the week before his maiden win, so finally driving his #99 car into victory lane that day in Texas was special.

"This team has been working really hard. We've lost more than we've won, that's for sure," Burton said. "We've given a few away -- We didn't give this one away." [via CBS Sports]

Jeff Burton would go on to secure 20 more wins in his NASCAR Cup Series career, along with a total of 134 Top-fives, and 254 Top 10 finishes.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2000)

NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the Save Mart 350 at Sears Point Raceway, June 25th, 2000 - Source: Imagn

In his first-ever full-time NASCAR Cup Series season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was driving for Dale Earnhardt Inc. when he crossed the line at his 12th race start to score a victory at the Texas Motor Speedway. During the DIRECTV 500, Dale Jr. had led 106 laps of the 334-lap total after he had qualified for the race in fourth place, and crossed the line to score the first of his 26 wins in the Cup Series by a margin of 5.92 seconds.

Driving the #8 car to victory lane, Earnhardt had visited the same place two years earlier, winning his first race in the Xfinity Series at the same track. This victory was also the first one for the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team. Speaking after the race, Dale Jr. shared how he had been battling the flu the week prior, and despite having a great car, it was the toughest race of his career at the time.

"I’ll tell you what, that was the hardest race I’ve ever drove,” Earnhardt told CBS in Victory Lane. “Had the flu all day long, all week long, felt pretty good. Once the race started, we had a good race car and I was pretty happy." [via NBC Sports]

Apart from his 26 wins, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would end his NASCAR Cup Series career having secured 149 Top-fives, and 260 Top 10s.