Stock car racing is always evolving, and in the course of its history, the NASCAR Cup Series has had drivers from regions across the United States as well as foreign countries. The great state of Virginia has produced some of the most interesting -- and some of the more talented -- drivers that both NASCAR and racing in general have ever seen.

Are there any current NASCAR drivers from Virginia?

Denny Hamlin is the only current Virginia product routinely found among the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series drivers. Hamlin has four wins and 17 top-five finishes over the course of his career at Richmond Raceway and is easily the most recognized active NASCAR driver from Virginia.

Famous NASCAR drivers from VirginiaWhile there have been several NASCAR drivers with roots in Virginia, Denny Hamlin and Ricky Rudd are the most glorified, or at least the most well recognized. Hamlin is known for his winning ways, especially at Richmond, and Rudd is known for his “ironman” abilities that feature longevity and the necessary toughness to never miss a race.

Related: The short track at Richmond Raceway, long known as Strawberry Hill, has been the scene of some incredible races. Find out the 10 most iconic NASCAR moments in Richmond Raceway history.

Ranking the Top 10 all-time NASCAR drivers from Virginia

  1. Philip Morris

Years Active in NASCAR: 1998 to 2001
Birthdate: May 11, 1965
Birthplace: Ruckersville, Va.
Career Stats: Two top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards:  Whelen All-American Series National Champion (2006, 2009, 2011, 2018)

While Phillip Morris’ NASCAR career wasn’t the greatest statistically, his stock-car driving skills are unmatched. Morris has won five Whelen All-American Series championships and competed in twelve NASCAR Busch Series races, finishing fifth in his debut.

  1. Ward Burton

Years Active in NASCAR: 1994 to 2007
Birthdate: Oct. 25, 1961
Birthplace: South Boston, Va.
Career Stats: Five wins, 82 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: Daytona 500 Winner (2002), Southern 500 Winner (2001)

Ward Burton had just five Cup wins during his long NASCAR career, but he captured two of the biggest prizes — the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500. Ward is the older brother of Jeff Burton, and the Burton family has truly made a name for itself in the NASCAR community.

  1. Wendell Scott

Years Active in NASCAR: 1961 to 1973
Birthdate: Aug. 29, 1921
Birthplace: Danville, Va.
Career Stats: One win, 147 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: First African-American Driver to compete full-time in NASCAR

A former World War II mechanic, Wendell Scott opened a repair shop after the war due to his love of both cars and the art of racing. A very skilled driver, Scott broke the color barrier in NASCAR by becoming the first African American driver to compete full-time on the circuit. His last race car, a 1962 Chevrolet that he built for “Greased Lightning,” a film loosely based on his life, is currently on display at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

  1. Tommy Ellis

Years Active in NASCAR: 1976 to 1991
Birthdate: Aug. 8, 1947
Birthplace: Richmond, Va.
Career Stats: Six top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards:  1988 NASCAR Busch Series champion, 1981 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series Champion

Nicknamed “Terrible Tommy” for his rough driving tactics, Ellis was feared by his competitors. While he didn’t have the stats to back up his driving skills, he gave it his all in every race.

  1. Ray Hendrick

Years Active in NASCAR: 1967 to 1994
Birthdate: April 1, 1929
Birthplace: Richmond, Va.
Career Stats: Two top 5 finishes and six top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (2012), International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2007), Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) 

Ray Hendrick’s NASCAR career seemed much longer than just the number of races in which he actually competed. Due to his philosophy of racing anywhere and everywhere, Hendrick's modified career prevented him from competing full-time on the NASCAR circuit. Had he competed full-time, Hendrick likely would have gone down as one of the top drivers in NASCAR history based on his impressive record in just 17 career races. In any event, he makes it onto this list as the best NASCAR driver from Richmond.

  1. Curtis Turner

Years Active in NASCAR: 1949 to 1968
Birthdate: April 12, 1924
Birthplace: Floyd, Va.
Career Stats: 17 wins, 73 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998), Southern 500 Winner (1956), NASCAR Hall of Fame (2016), International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992)

Curtis Turner had a lot of nicknames as a NASCAR driver. A former pilot and timber baron, as well as a former moonshiner, Turner was a daredevil on the track, and few things intimidated him. Nicknamed “the Babe Ruth of Stock Car Racing,” Turner to this day remains one of the top dirt-track drivers that NASCAR has ever seen. He also received a “lifetime” suspension from NASCAR after attempting to organize fellow drivers into a labor union in 1961. However, following the deaths of Joe Weatherly and Fireball Roberts just five months apart from each other in 1964, NASCAR decided to lift Turner’s ban. The decision was made to honor the memory of two of NASCAR’s most popular drivers, who were also two of Turner’s closest friends.

  1. Joe Weatherly

Years Active in NASCAR: 1952 to 1964
Birthdate: May 29, 1922
Birthplace: Norfolk, Va.
Career Stats: 25 wins, 153 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: NASCAR Hall of Fame (2015), Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998), International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1994)

Nicknamed “the Clown Prince of Racing,” Weatherly once took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit. Named one of NASCAR's top 50 drivers in 1998, Weatherly died tragically on Jan. 19, 1964, due to head injuries suffered in an accident during the fifth race of the 1964 season at Riverside International Raceway. His head went outside the car and struck a retaining wall, killing him instantly.

  1. Jeff Burton

Years Active in NASCAR: 1993 to 2014
Birthdate: June 29, 1967
Birthplace: South Boston, Va.
Career Stats: 21 wins, 134 top five finishes, 254 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: Rookie of the Year (1994), Southern 500 Winner (1999), Coca-Cola 600 Winner (1999, 2001)

Nicknamed “the Mayor” because of his insightful perspective on issues affecting the well-being and safety of the sport, Jeff Burton had a very accomplished NASCAR career that began with his winning Rookie of the Year in 1994. To this day, Burton remains one of the top NASCAR drivers from Virginia.

  1. Ricky Rudd

Years Active in NASCAR: 1975 to 2007
Birthdate: Sept. 26, 1956
Birthplace: Chesapeake, Va. (formerly South Norfolk)
Career Stats: 23 Cup Series wins, 194 top five finishes, 374 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards:  Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998), Rookie of the Year (1977), Brickyard 400 Winner (1997), Virginian of the Year (2006), Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (2007), Held record for consecutive starts at 788 until Jeff Gordon broke it in 2015

While Ricky Rudd didn’t earn the top spot on this list of the best NASCAR drivers from Virginia, he is a fitting choice for second place. Nicknamed “the Rooster,” Rudd once taped his eyes open to race in the Daytona 500 after suffering a crash in qualifying that was so bad it had caused them to become swollen shut.

  1. Denny Hamlin

Years Active in NASCAR: 2005 to present
Birthdate: Nov. 18, 1980
Hometown: Chesterfield, Va.
Career Stats: 50 wins, 214 top five finishes, 330 top 10 finishes
Honors and Awards: Daytona 500 Winner (2016, 2019, 2020), Southern 500 Winner (2010, 2017, 2021), Coca-Cola 600 Winner (2022), Rookie of the Year (2006), Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)

While Denny Hamlin has yet to secure a Cup Series championship during his amazing driving career, he does have 50 wins and is one of NASCAR’s top drivers. That’s why he is ranked in the No. 1 position on this list. While there have been other great and historically important drivers who came from the Old Dominion, Hamlin is hands-down the man who deserves to be called the best NASCAR driver from Virginia.

Did you know? Richard Petty has the most wins at Richmond with 13 wins including a stretch of 9 out of 10 wins during the early 1970’s. Check out who are the Top 10 greatest NASCAR drivers at Richmond Raceway. 

Parameters of Rankings Given NASCAR’s long history and all the great NASCAR Cup series drivers over the years, selecting the best NASCAR drivers from Virginia was no easy task. Since things change from generation to generation, it was difficult to factor in various rules changes, car changes and other developments to determine who was best. However, all such matters have been accounted for in compiling this ranking.

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