Top 20 Last Place Finishes in NASCAR Premier Division History

[Goggles Pisano]

1st) Joe Nemechek (33)

2nd) J.D. McDuffie (32)

3rd) Michael McDowell (28)
 
4th) Derrike Cope (26)

5th) Dave Blaney (24)

6th) G.C. Spencer (19)

7th) Morgan Shepherd (18)

8th) Buddy Baker, Mike Bliss, Jimmy Means, Cale Yarborough (17)

9th) Todd Bodine, Neil Castles, Junior Johnson, Kyle Petty, Darrell Waltrip (16)
     
10th) Buddy Arrington, Ward Burton, Richard Petty, Roy Tyner (15) 

11th) Mike Skinner (14)

12th) Buck Baker, Henley Gray, Bobby Labonte, Dick May, Joe Ruttman, Rusty Wallace, J.J. Yeley (13)
           
13th) Ricky Craven, Cecil Gordon, Terry Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Wendell Scott, Michael Waltrip (12)
           
14th) John Andretti, Geoffrey Bodine, Earl Brooks, Bill Champion, Robby Gordon, Jimmy Helms, Rick Newsom, Greg Sacks (11)
 
15th) Curtis Crider, Harry Gant, Kevin Lepage, Ed Negre, Jimmy Pardue, Phil Parsons, Tony Raines, Scott Riggs, Reed Sorenson, E.J. Trivette (10)

16th) Bruce Hill, James Hylton, Dave Marcis, Jim Paschal, Dick Trickle, Kenny Wallace, Frank Warren (9)
       
17th) Brett Bodine, Jeff Burton, James Cox, Bill Elliott, Joe Frasson, Jimmie Lewallen, Chad Little, Mark Martin, Robert Pressley, Ricky Rudd, Bill Shirey, Ronnie Thomas, Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace (
   
18th) Richard D. Brown, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Bobby Hillin, Jr., Ned Jarrett, Elmo Langley, Jason Leffler, Tiny Lund, Rick Mast, Ryan Newman, Benny Parsons, Hermie Sadler, Ken Schrader, Bill Seifert, Jack Smith, Lake Speed, Scott Speed, Hut Stricklin, Rick Wilson (7) 

19th) Neil Bonnett, Dick Brooks, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Dean Dalton, Bobby Hamilton, Denny Hamlin, Dale Jarrett, Travis Kvapil, Coo Coo Marlin, John McFadden, David Pearson, Larry Pearson, Lee Petty, Tom Pistone, Blackie Pitt, Bob Schacht, Wayne Smith, Jimmy Spencer, Curtis Turner, D.K. Ulrich, Bobby Wawak, Bob Welborn (6)
     
20th) Johnny Allen, Bobby Allison, A.J. Allmendinger, L.D. Austin, Walter Ballard, Kurt Busch, Earle Canavan, Darel Dieringer, Dale Earnhardt, Larry Frank, Jeff Fuller, Wayne Gillette, Jeff Gordon, Jeff Green, Andy Hillenburg, Tommy Irwin, John Kennedy, Brownie King, Roy Mayne, Frank Mundy, Max Papis, Baxter Price, Elliott Sadler, John Sears, Tony Stewart, Jabe Thomas, Jim Vandiver, Joe Weatherly, Raymond Williams, Doug Yates, Emanuel Zervakis (5)

[rocket5973]

Finally. A bit of useful information. I had no idea that their was a driver named Brownie King. I'm jealous.

[justmark]

That's right. I had to do some investigating on Brownie as he's an unknown to me (I've probably seen his name before in the NASCAR final points or something, but spotlighting his name brings some interest). He's from Tennesee, finished 9th in the 1957 points, had a career best finish of 5th on two occasions and ran 97 Cup events. He's still alive at age 80.

[Goggles Pisano]

I grabbed this from a Google search.  Type in LASTCAR in your web browser.  The entire blog/sight is dedicated to last place NASCAR finishes and awards LASTCAR championship at the end of the season.  Actually quite funny. 

On another note this data is a little warped.  If you ran a ton of races you were likely to finish last once in a while.  Ergo Richard Petty in the list.  The Michael McDowell number is really disturbing.  Getting very close to taking FRJ's record and I don't like it. 

[Nick Austin]

And Danica couldn`t even muster a top 20 in the bottom 20?

[Goggles Pisano]

That's right. I had to do some investigating on Brownie as he's an unknown to me (I've probably seen his name before in the NASCAR final points or something, but spotlighting his name brings some interest). He's from Tennesee, finished 9th in the 1957 points, had a career best finish of 5th on two occasions and ran 97 Cup events. He's still alive at age 80.

Brownie actually had a brother who ran NASCAR named Rhubarb Pie King. He only ran a couple of races.   He was a start and park guy.

[uticamike]

Hope and Pray

[Goggles Pisano]

Flatulate and Apologize

[thelegend30]

Goggles-

I know you are a master statistician, I wasn't sure if you had ever seen this website. Seems like it would be right up your alley. Lots of useful information. Has in depth statistics on almost any driver that touched a professional race car.

http://racing-reference.info/

[rsk1139]

Someone should make a list of the top 10 start and park drivers who finished last.

[BigFeet13]

On another note this data is a little warped.  If you ran a ton of races you were likely to finish last once in a while.  Ergo Richard Petty in the list.  The Michael McDowell number is really disturbing.  Getting very close to taking FRJ's record and I don't like it.

The difference there is Front Row Joe has 666 career starts. McDowell has 163. 28 last place finishes in 163 starts is quite pathetic (17.18%). 33 last place finishes in 666 starts is 4.95%. At least Joe's are legit start n parks.

[rsk1139]

At Pocono Raceway in June 2010 we were sitting in the grandstands across from Joe Nemechek pits and they didn't even have a pitbox. They were planning to start and park. Joe finished 43rd(last) after dropping out on lap 11 with a "transmission problem".

[Goggles Pisano]

Goggles-

I know you are a master statistician, I wasn't sure if you had ever seen this website. Seems like it would be right up your alley. Lots of useful information. Has in depth statistics on almost any driver that touched a professional race car.

http://racing-reference.info/

Thanks Legend.  Cool site.  I would not go so far as to say I am a master statistician but I do have my wife convinced that 4 = 12.  With regards to McDowell, I think once you get into the start and park game your career in NASCAR has officially jumped the shark. In fact, it's worse.  The shark just had you for dinner.