List of the closest NASCAR Cup Series finishes

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Kyle Larson (No. 5) beating Chris Buescher (No. 17) in the 2024 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway NASCAR Cup Series closest finish 2024.png
Kyle Larson (No. 5) beating Chris Buescher (No. 17) in the 2024 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway

NASCAR's premier racing division, the NASCAR Cup Series, has seen many close finishes since the electronic scoring system was instituted in May during the 1993 season. As of 2024, the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series is 0.001 seconds at the 2024 AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, as Kyle Larson crossed the finish line inches ahead of Chris Buescher. [1]

Contents

History

Ricky Craven (No. 32) edges out Kurt Busch (No. 97) at the line in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, it was the closest NASCAR finish until the 2024 AdventHealth 400. 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 finish.jpg
Ricky Craven (No. 32) edges out Kurt Busch (No. 97) at the line in the 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, it was the closest NASCAR finish until the 2024 AdventHealth 400.

Prior to the introduction of integrated electronic scoring in May 1993, margins of victory were scored in laps, car lengths, feet, or inches, using handheld stopwatches or analog timing clocks. [2] This occasionally led to controversy, such as occurred in the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. Initially, NASCAR declared the race won by Johnny Beauchamp, but many observers felt that Lee Petty had won. It took 61 hours before video evidence established Petty as the winner. [3]

Beginning with the 1993 Save Mart Supermarkets 300K, scoring was standardized to the thousandth of a second using transponders located on the vehicles and timing lines around the track. Geoff Bodine won the first event using this electronic scoring, finishing 0.53 seconds ahead of Ernie Irvan. [4]

Closest finishes

*Event was not part of the regular season


NASCAR Cup Series closest finishes
RankRaceMarginWinner2nd PlaceTrackDate
1 2024 AdventHealth 400 0.001 Kyle Larson Chris Buescher Kansas Speedway May 5, 2024
2 2003 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 0.002 Ricky Craven Kurt Busch Darlington Raceway March 16, 2003
2011 Aaron's 499 Jimmie Johnson Clint Bowyer Talladega Superspeedway April 17, 2011
4 2024 Ambetter Health 400 0.003 Daniel Suárez Ryan Blaney Atlanta Motor Speedway February 25, 2024
5 2001 Gatorade Duel 2*0.004 Mike Skinner Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona International Speedway February 15, 2001
6 1993 DieHard 500 0.005 Dale Earnhardt Ernie Irvan Talladega Superspeedway July 25, 1993
2007 Pepsi 400 Jamie McMurray Kyle Busch Daytona International Speedway July 7, 2007
2010 Gatorade Duel 1* Jimmie Johnson Kevin Harvick Daytona International Speedway February 11, 2010
2011 Gatorade Duel 2* Jeff Burton Clint Bowyer Daytona International Speedway February 17, 2011
10 2001 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 0.006 Kevin Harvick Jeff Gordon Atlanta Motor Speedway March 11, 2001
2024 YellaWood 500 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Brad Keselowski Talladega Superspeedway October 6, 2024
12 2019 1000Bulbs.com 500 0.007 Ryan Blaney Ryan Newman Talladega Superspeedway October 14, 2019
2020 GEICO 500 Ryan Blaney Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Talladega Superspeedway June 22, 2020
14 1994 Pepsi 400 0.008 Jimmy Spencer Ernie Irvan Daytona International Speedway July 2, 1994
15 2000 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 500 0.010 Dale Earnhardt Bobby Labonte Atlanta Motor Speedway March 12, 2000
2004 Subway 400 Matt Kenseth Kasey Kahne North Carolina Speedway February 22, 2004
2016 Daytona 500 [5] Denny Hamlin Martin Truex Jr. Daytona International Speedway February 21, 2016
2016 Good Sam 500 [6] Kevin Harvick Carl Edwards Phoenix International Raceway March 13, 2016
19 2010 Aaron's 499 0.011 Kevin Harvick Jamie McMurray Talladega Superspeedway April 25, 2010
20 2012 Budweiser Shootout*0.013 Kyle Busch Tony Stewart Daytona International Speedway February 18, 2012
22 2010 Gatorade Duel 2*0.014 Kasey Kahne Tony Stewart Daytona International Speedway February 11, 2010
2020 Daytona 500 Denny Hamlin Ryan Blaney Daytona International Speedway February 17, 2020
23 2016 Sprint Showdown*0.015 Kyle Larson Chase Elliott Charlotte Motor Speedway May 20, 2016
24 2005 Ford 400 0.017 Greg Biffle Mark Martin Homestead-Miami Speedway November 20, 2005
26 2011 Good Sam Club 500 0.018 Clint Bowyer Jeff Burton Talladega Superspeedway October 23, 2011
2023 Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1 * Joey Logano Christopher Bell Daytona International Speedway February 16, 2023
27 2007 Daytona 500 0.020 Kevin Harvick Mark Martin Daytona International Speedway February 18, 2007
28 2014 Budweiser Duel 1* 0.022 Matt Kenseth Kasey Kahne Daytona International Speedway February 20, 2014
29 1994 Diehard 500 0.025 Jimmy Spencer Bill Elliott Talladega Superspeedway July 24, 1994
30 2005 Coca-Cola 600 0.027 Jimmie Johnson Bobby Labonte Lowe's Motor Speedway May 29, 2005
31 2004 Samsung/Radio Shack 500 0.028 Elliott Sadler Kasey Kahne Texas Motor Speedway April 5, 2004
2005 Golden Corral 500 Carl Edwards Jimmie Johnson Atlanta Motor Speedway March 20, 2005
33 1997 Pepsi 400 0.029 John Andretti Terry Labonte Daytona International Speedway July 5, 1997
34 2005 Gatorade Duel 1*0.030 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt Jr. Daytona International Speedway February 17, 2005
35 2022 Daytona 500 0.036 Austin Cindric Bubba Wallace Daytona International Speedway February 20, 2022
36 2021 Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1*0.041 Aric Almirola Christopher Bell Daytona International Speedway February 11, 2021
37 2006 UAW Daimler-Chrysler 400 0.045 Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth Las Vegas Motor Speedway March 12, 2006
38 2022 YellaWood 500 0.046 Chase Elliott Ryan Blaney Talladega Superspeedway October 2, 2022
39 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400 0.047 Harrison Burton Kyle Busch Daytona International Speedway August 24, 2024
40 2025 Shriners Children's 500 0.049 Christopher Bell Denny Hamlin Phoenix Raceway March 9, 2025
41 1995 Diehard 500 0.050 Sterling Marlin Dale Jarrett Talladega Superspeedway July 23, 1995
42 1998 Exide Select Batteries 400 0.051 Jeff Burton Jeff Gordon Richmond International Raceway September 12, 1998
43 2008 Amp Energy 500 0.052 Tony Stewart Paul Menard Talladega Superspeedway October 5, 2008
44 2024 Bluegreen Vacations Duel #1*0.056 Tyler Reddick Chase Elliott Daytona International Speedway February 15, 2024
2025 Jack Link's 500 Austin Cindric Kyle Larson Talladega Superspeedway April 27, 2025
46 2021 Bluegreen Vacations Duel #2*0.057 Austin Dillon Bubba Wallace Daytona International Speedway February 11, 2021
47 2011 Budweiser Shootout*0.058 Kurt Busch Jamie McMurray Daytona International Speedway February 12, 2011
48 1994 AC Delco 500*0.06 Dale Earnhardt Rick Mast Rockingham Speedway October 23, 1994
2002 Aaron's 499 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Michael Waltrip Talladega Superspeedway April 21, 2002
2014 Budweiser Duel 1* Matt Kenseth Kasey Kahne Daytona International Speedway February 20, 2014
51 2023 YellaWood 500 0.061 Ryan Blaney William Byron Talladega Superspeedway October 1, 2023
52 2007 Food City 500 0.064 Kyle Busch Jeff Burton Bristol Motor Speedway March 25, 2007
53 2007 Goody's Cool Orange 500 0.065 Jimmie Johnson Jeff Gordon Martinsville Speedway April 1, 2007
2011 Gatorade Duel 1* Kurt Busch Regan Smith Daytona International Speedway February 17, 2011
55 2007 UAW-Ford 500 0.066 Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Talladega Superspeedway October 7, 2007
56 1994 Winston Select 500 0.067 Dale Earnhardt Ernie Irvan May 1, 1994
57 2007 Lenox Industrial Tools 300 0.068 Denny Hamlin Jeff Gordon New Hampshire Motor Speedway July 1, 2007
2024 Ally 400 Joey Logano Zane Smith Nashville Superspeedway June 30, 2024
59 2019 Quaker State 400 0.076 Kurt Busch Kyle Busch Kentucky Speedway July 13, 2019
60 2021 FireKeepers Casino 400 0.077 Ryan Blaney William Byron Michigan International Speedway August 22, 2021
61 1995 Busch Clash *0.080 Dale Earnhardt Sterling Marlin Daytona International Speedway February 12, 1995
2005 MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 400 Jimmie Johnson Kyle Busch Dover Motor Speedway September 25, 2005
63 2004 Banquet 400 0.081 Joe Nemechek Ricky Rudd Kansas Speedway October 10, 2004
2018 Can-Am Duel #2 * Chase Elliott Kevin Harvick Daytona International Speedway February 15, 2018
65 2023 South Point 400 0.082 Kyle Larson Christopher Bell Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 15, 2023
2025 The Duel at Daytona #1* Bubba Wallace William Byron Daytona International Speedway February 13, 2025
67 2001 Kmart 400 0.085 Jeff Gordon Ricky Rudd Michigan International Speedway June 10, 2001
68 2020 Yellawood 500 0.086 Denny Hamlin Erik Jones Talladega Superspeedway October 4, 2020
69 1996 Gatorade Twin 125 #2 *0.090 Ernie Irvan Ken Schrader Daytona International Speedway February 15, 1996
70 1997 Miller 500 0.091 Ricky Rudd Mark Martin Dover Motor Speedway June 1, 1997
2008 Gatorade Duel #2 Denny Hamlin Tony Stewart Daytona International Speedway February 14, 2008
72 2008 Daytona 500 0.092 Ryan Newman Kurt Busch Daytona International Speedway February 17, 2008
2010 Coke Zero 400 Kevin Harvick Kasey Kahne Daytona International Speedway July 3, 2010
74 2013 Budweiser Duel #2 *0.093 Kyle Busch Kasey Kahne Daytona International Speedway February 21, 2013
2020 Consumers Energy 400 Kevin Harvick Denny Hamlin Michigan International Speedway August 9, 2020
76 2002 Gatorade 125 #2 *0.094 Michael Waltrip Tony Stewart Daytona International Speedway February 14, 2002
77 2003 EA Sports 500 0.095 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt Jr. Talladega Superspeedway September 28, 2003
2017 GEICO 500 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Jamie McMurray Talladega Superspeedway May 7, 2017
79 2009 Sharpie 500 0.098 Kyle Busch Mark Martin Bristol Motor Speedway August 22, 2009
2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 Chris Buescher Brad Keselowski Daytona International Speedway August 26, 2023
81 1994 Gatorade Twin 125 #2 *0.100 Dale Earnhardt Sterling Marlin Daytona International Speedway February 17, 1994
1995 Goody's 500 Terry Labonte Dale Earnhardt Bristol Motor Speedway August 26, 1995
1996 Miller 400 Ernie Irvan Jeff Gordon Richmond Raceway September 7, 1996
84 1997 Goody's Headache Powder 500 0.102 Dale Jarret Mark Martin Bristol Motor Speedway August 23, 1997
2018 Advance Auto Parts Clash * Brad Keselowski Joey Logano Daytona International Speedway February 11, 2018
2021 GEICO 500 Brad Keselowski William Byron Talladega Superspeedway April 25, 2021
87 2001 Gatorade 125 #1 0.103 Sterling Marlin Jerry Nadeau Daytona International Speedway February 15, 2001
88 2018 1000Bulbs.com 500 0.105 Aric Almirola Clint Bowyer Talladega Superspeedway October 14, 2018
2022 GEICO 500 Ross Chastain Austin Dillon Talladega Superspeedway April 24, 2022
90 2013 Coke Zero 400 0.107 Jimmie Johnson Tony Stewart Daytona International Speedway July 6, 2013
2018 First Data 500 Joey Logano Denny Hamlin Martinsville Speedway October 28, 2018
92 2009 Coke Zero 400 0.110 Tony Stewart Jimmie Johnson Daytona International Speedway July 4, 2009
93 2014 5-hour Energy 400 0.112 Jeff Gordon Kevin Harvick Kansas Speedway May 10, 2014
94 2024 Bluegreens Vacation Duel #2 *0.113 Christopher Bell Austin Cindric Daytona International Speedway February 15, 2024
2025 Daytona 500 William Byron Tyler Reddick Daytona International Speedway February 16, 2025
96 1999 Winston 500 0.114 Dale Earnhardt Dale Jarrett Talladega Superspeedway October 17, 1999
2005 Nextel Open Brian Vickers Mike Bliss Charlotte Motor Speedway May 21, 2005
98 2004 EA Sports 500 0.117 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Harvick Talladega Superspeedway October 3, 2004
2020 Bluegreens Vacation Duel #2 * William Byron Jimmie Johnson Daytona International Speedway February 13, 2020
100 2002 EA Sports 500 0.118 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Tony Stewart Talladega Superspeedway October 6, 2002
2011 Daytona 500 Trevor Bayne Carl Edwards Daytona International Speedway February 20, 2011

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Kyle Larson beats Chris Buescher to line at Kansas; scores second win of 2024". NASCAR . May 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
    2. ↑ NASCAR's Analysis Shows Competition Has Become Closer
    3. ↑ Classic photos from controversial first Daytona 500 in 1959
    4. ↑ 1993 Save Mart Supermarkets 300K Results
    5. ↑ "Denny Hamlin edges Martin Truex Jr. by inches to win Daytona 500". ESPN.com. February 22, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
    6. ↑ Spencer, Reid (March 13, 2016). "Harvick Edges Edwards for Thrilling Phoenix Victory". NASCAR.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
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