“They’re not guys that should’ve won”: Tony Stewart drops a truth-bomb on the lost aura of Daytona 500

NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart shared his take on what he feels is the diminishing prestige surrounding the Daytona 500 and its recent winners. He opined that winning the Great American Race doesn’t carry the same weight today as it did 15–20 years ago, during the sport’s heyday.

During an appearance on Rubbin' Is Racing, Stewart spoke about recent winners of NASCAR’s biggest event. The three-time Cup champion said he feels that the marquee race has lost its luster, noting that any driver on the grid can now steal the win. He added that in the past, multi-time champions and regular race winners would clinch the Harley J. Earl Trophy.

Tony Stewart didn’t call out any recent Daytona 500 winners by name but bluntly suggested that some of them shouldn’t have won the prestigious race. With cautions and last-lap wrecks often crowning an upset winner, Stewart argued that deserving drivers often miss out on taking the checkered flag.

"When it comes to Daytona, now I'm going to be crucified by a lot of people for this. In my eyes, it doesn't mean the same now as it did 15-20 years ago. Anybody can win, I mean, you look at some of the guys that won the Daytona 500. I don't want to go into the list of guys because they're guys that I do respect and have friendships with, but they're not guys that should have won the Daytona 500... I mean anybody in the field can win the Daytona 500 now," he said. [1:06:00 onwards]

Tony Stewart added that recent Daytona 500 winners are not consistent front-runners, often having only a few wins to their name. He opined that the parity in the Cup Series has prevented front-running drivers from winning the race.

"The cars have got so equal that and you look at guys that are winning some of these, they're not the ones that led the most laps, they're not the ones that were up front. They were the guy that was second or third or fourth when the last lap crash happened and NASCAR hit the button to freeze the field and they were they're the winner," he added.

Since Kurt Busch’s victory in 2017, none of the Daytona 500 winners have won a championship, although three-time winner Denny Hamlin has built a Hall of Fame-worthy career. Even William Byron’s 2025 triumph was a result of a last-lap wreck that eliminated the leaders.

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Tony Stewart wouldn't trade a championship for the Daytona 500

The Harley J. Earl trophy remained elusive for Tony Stewart in his 17 Daytona 500 attempts. The three-time Cup Series champion came closest in 2004, finishing runner-up to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Although Stewart believes the Daytona 500 has lost some of its significance, he acknowledges it remains the marquee event on the NASCAR calendar. He admitted he would trade a couple of his race wins for a Daytona 500 victory, but not one of his championships.

"No! absolutely not okay, no way, I wouldn't trade a championship for three Daytona 500 trophies. Even though I don't feel like it carries as much weight as it used to, it still carries the weight because it's still the Daytona 500. It is still the marquee event on the NASCAR schedule, it still has that rich history." he added [1:06:55 onwards].

Alongside Tony Stewart, several other legendary drivers have never won the Daytona 500, including the likes of Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, and Kyle Busch.