No. 7: The 1994 Daytona 500

Sterling Marlin won the 1994 Daytona 500.
©Wieck Media
Sterling Marlin was a good ol' boy
who finally made good
in the 1994 Daytona 500.

Winner: Sterling Marlin
Margin of victory: 0.19 seconds

Why it's No. 7: Marlin had paid his dues. And paid. And paid. For 17 years, he had raced in NASCAR obscurity, nursing second-rate cars to second-tier finishes.

Then Marlin landed a topflight ride with Morgan-McClure Motorsports near the end of the 1993 season. The self-proclaimed country boy from Columbia, Tennessee, finally had his big chance. And he made the most of it in the 1994 Daytona 500. Marlin steadily worked his way through the field, shook off a late challenge from Ernie Irvan, and nipped Irvan at the finish by a scant .19 of a second. It was his first NASCAR win in 279 tries. And he did it in the most prestigious event on the calendar.

Afterward, as he celebrated in the bright Florida sunshine, Sterling dedicated the victory to his father, Coo Coo Marlin, a colorful character who raced 12 years in NASCAR without ever earning a victory. "This one's for Daddy," Sterling said. "He ran all those years and never won one. This one's for him."

Back in Columbia, a welcome-home parade wound through the rural farmland and onto Main Street, creating such a commotion that Sterling's wife Paula said, "It scared the cows."

Maybe the cows, like everybody else, simply were cheering.

Here are the top-10 finishers in the 1994 Daytona 500:
Finish Driver
Car
Money Won
1 Sterling Marlin
 Chevrolet $258,275
2 Ernie Irvan
 Ford $190,750
3 Terry Labonte
 Chevrolet $138,475
4 Jeff Gordon
 Chevrolet $112,525
5 Morgan Shepherd
 Ford $92,805
6 Greg Sacks
 Ford $70,480
7 Dale Earnhardt
 Chevrolet $110,340
8 Ricky Rudd
 Ford $56,465
9 Bill Elliott
 Ford $65,615
10 Ken Schrader
 Chevrolet $59,565

For more information on NASCAR and on high-performance cars, check out:
  • To learn everything you need to know about "The Great American Race" -- from its history to the technical aspects of driving at Daytona International Speedway -- read How the Daytona 500 Works.
  • Ever wonder what makes a stock car go? Read How NASCAR Race Cars Work to find out.
  • Driver safety is a huge concern in NASCAR. Learn what measures the series takes in this area by reading How NASCAR Safety Works.
  • Muscle cars embody the NASCAR philosophy of speed and power. Here are features on more than 100 classic muscle cars, including photos and specifications for each model.