17th Different Winner in 2001 a record UPDATE 3 and ties an ALL Time Record: when #22-Ward Burton won the 2001 Southern 500, he became the 15th different Winston Cup winner in 2001, which breaks the record for NASCAR’s modern era (which began in 1972) of 14 set in 2000 and 1991. Winners in 2001: #15-Waltrip, #1-Park, #24-Gordon, #29-Harvick, #88-Jarrett, #21-Sadler, #55-Hamilton, #2-Wallace, #20-Stewart, #99-Burton, #28-Rudd, #18-Labonte, #40-Marlin, #22-Burton, #8-Earnhardt Jr.(9-2-2001) UPDATE – Make it 16 in 2001: #32-Ricky Craven becomes the 16th different winner in the Cup series in 2001, extending the record(10-15-2001) UPDATE 2 – Make it 17 in 2001: #33-Joe Nemechek becomes the 17th different winner in the Cup series in 2001, extending the record(11-4-2001) UPDATE 3 – ties an all time record from 1956: there was one other year in which 17 drivers won races. Of course, they weren’t called Winston Cup races. For most of NASCAR’s history, the top division was called Grand National. In the early years, it was called Strictly Stock. Seventeen different drivers won races in 1956, 45 years ago. They were, in order of points standings and with number of wins in parentheses: Buck Baker (14), Speedy Thompson (8), Herb Thomas (5), Lee Petty (2), Jim Paschal (1), Billy Myers (2), Fireball Roberts (5), Ralph Moody (4), Tim Flock (4), Marvin Panch (1), Paul Goldsmith (1), Curtis Turner (1), Jack Smith (1), Lloyd Dane (2), Eddie Pagan (1), John Kieper (1) and Fonty Flock (1).(GoCarolinas/Monte Dutton)(11-8-2001)
