Daytona 500 has frustrated many of the most accomplished drivers

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Seven of the most accomplished drivers in NASCAR history have raced a total of 165 times in the Daytona 500, easily their sport’s biggest race.

This is how many times those drivers won the 500: Zero.

Their names and their 500 starts: Terry Labonte (32), Mark Martin (29), Ricky Rudd (29), Rusty Wallace (23), Tony Stewart (17), Martin Truex Jr. (18) and Kyle Busch (17).

Labonte, Wallace, Stewart, Truex and Busch own Cup championships but no wins in a race that has defined much of NASCAR history. And Dale Earnhardt, one of the all-time best, needed 20 500s to win one.

What’s going on here?

“You have some guys who have never won this thing who are in the Hall of Fame and who are going to be in the Hall of Fame,” said Ryan Blaney, who is 0-for-8 with a pair of seconds in the 500. “It’s such a hard race to win. So many factors go into it, and it’s getting harder and harder to win. The cars are so similar now.

“Decades ago — look at (Richard) Petty and (David) Pearson (in the 1976 500). Both wrecked. They had enough time to fire them up and finish (Pearson won) before third even came around. Now, since pack racing came to be really popular, it’s even harder to win. It’s so easy to get into a wreck and so hard to move. Look at Kyle Busch and Martin Truex. They’ve been champions of the sport and won tons of races and just haven’t won this one. That shows you how hard it is.”

Kyle Busch has led 324 laps in the 500, giving him first place in a tough category (most laps led without winning). Recognized as one of the best drivers of his generation, Busch moves into a new season with a new team (Richard Childress Racing) and zero wins in the 500.

“I definitely think it’s circumstantial,” he said. “I think the