Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the 7 Most Successful Father-Son Duos in NASCAR History

NASCAR has always been a family-oriented sport. A chance for everybody to jump into the car and head to the track for a weekend of fun. That makes it easy to see why there have been so many family connections in NASCAR history.

Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are probably the most popular father-son duo ever, but how do they rank in terms of success?

There have been seven combos that have reached the double-digit win plateau. Among the names racing fans might recognize that didn't make the cut include Bobby Hamilton, Sr. and Bobby Hamilton, Jr. (four wins), Glen Wood and Jon Wood (four wins) as well as A.J. Foyt and Larry Foyt (seven wins).

The ranking is mostly based on total wins, with the only exception coming with the Pearson family. Since David did all the heavy lifting for the family win total, they slid down the list a little bit. Otherwise the list is pretty straightforward.

So, here is a list of the seven most successful father-son duos in the rich history of NASCAR.

7. Coo Coo Marlin and Sterling Marlin

Coo Coo wins: 0

Sterling wins: 10

Total wins: 10

Coo Coo Marlin raced in NASCAR's top series for 14 years. He participated in 165 races from 1966 until 1980 and had 51 top 10 finishes, but he never won a race.

It is actually quite amazing that he would finish in the top 10 in 31 percent of his starts, but could never take home a win.

Sterling Marlin's NASCAR career lasted more than three decades and totaled nearly 750 races. He carried the family on his back, picking up 10 wins, 216 top 10s and 11 poles.

Although he never won the championship, he finished in third twice, in 1995 and 2001. His final victory came at Darlington Raceway in 2002.

6. Buck Baker and Buddy Baker

Buck wins: 46

Buddy wins: 19

Total wins: 65

Named on of NASCAR's top 50 drivers in history back in 1998, Buck Baker won 46 races during his 26-year career. To go along with the wins, Baker achieved 372 top-10 finishes and 45 poles.

He became the first driver in NASCAR history to win back-to-back championships in 1956 and 1957.

Although he couldn't match his father's terrific résumé, Buddy Baker had a very successful a 33-year, 700-race career of his own.

Baker won 19 races and notched 311 top 10 finishes while continuing to race up to age 51. The highlight of Baker's career came when he won the 1980 Daytona 500. His final start came at Talladega Superspeedway in 1992.

5. David Pearson and Larry Pearson

David wins: 105

Larry wins: 0

Total wins: 105

David Pearson carried the Pearson family torch, picking up all 105 of the wins. Pearson was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year as a part of the second class of inductees.

A three-time NASCAR champion, Pearson had 366 top 10s during his illustrious career. One of the most versatile drivers in history, Pearson excelled at any type of track imaginable.

Although Larry Pearson was never able to find a groove in the Sprint Cup, he did have a successful career in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide (Busch) series.

In the Sprint Cup, Pearson made 57 starts and picked up three top 10s. In the Nationwide series, however, he had 15 wins in 259 races during a 17-year career.

4. Ned Jarrett and Dale Jarrett

Ned wins: 50

Dale wins: 32

Total wins: 82

A two-time NASCAR champion Ned Jarrett won 50 races during his 13-year career. Although his career didn't last as long as many of NASCAR's best drivers, Jarrett made his starts count by winning 14 percent of his races.

He won 35 poles and finished in the top 10 an astounding 239 times in 352 races, or 68 percent of the time.

Dale Jarrett currently works for ESPN as a NASCAR analyst.  But before he joined the media world he was a very successful Sprint Cup driver.

His career was much longer than his father's, lasting 24 years and spanning 668 races. He won 32 of them and finish in the top 10 a total of 260 times. He won the Winston Cup in 1999.

3. Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Senior wins: 76

Junior wins: 18

Total wins: 94

If this list was based purely on popularity, “The Intimidator” and his son would easily rank at the top of the list. However, it is based on wins, so they come in third place.

Senior won 76 of the 677 races he participated in during his 27-year career. He finished in the top 10 a terrific 63 percent of the time. He won the Winston Cup seven times and won the Daytona 500 in 1998.

The fan's favorite driver in NASCAR today, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is enjoying a resurgent season that finds him in eighth place in the Sprint Cup standings.

Junior has won 18 races during his career, but hasn't reached victory lane since the 2008 race at Michigan International Speedway. He won the 2004 Daytona 500 and is the eight-time defending most popular driver in NASCAR.

2. Bobby Allison and Davey Allison

Bobby wins: 85

Davey wins: 19

Total wins: 104

As seen in the photo, Bobby Allison was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame this year. He won the Winston Cup in 1983 and won a disputed 85 races in his career.

He had 446 top 10 finishes in 718 races. His 58 poles ranks sixth all-time in NASCAR history.

Davey Allison was the 1987 Rookie of the Year and won 19 races in his nine-year NASCAR career. Allison's statistics could have continued to grow, but as all NASCAR fans know, he died in a tragic helicopter accident in 1993. He was 32 years old.

He finished his career with 66 top-five finishes in 191 races.

1. Lee Petty and Richard Petty

Lee wins: 54

Richard wins: 200

Total wins: 254

Lee Petty was a three-time NASCAR champion in the 1950s was also inducted into the Hall of Fame a couple months ago.

Petty helped put NASCAR on the map in the United States, winning 54 races in his 16-year career. He is one of the few drivers to win races in three different decades. He finished in the top 10 in nearly 80 percent of his races.

Richard Petty joins Sterling Marlin as the only two sons on the list to outperform their dads. Petty, or “The King” as he became affectionately known, stands atop many NASCAR rankings.

His 200 wins are far and away the most ever and he was a seven-time NASCAR champion. He also holds the record for the most Daytona 500 wins with seven.

Petty is probably the greatest driver ever and propels the Petty family to the top of the list.