Who is NASCAR's Greatest Driver?

3 Comments

  • Fred Largo - 6 years ago

    There is a reason that Richard petty is known as "The King"!
    Long before these "drivers" of today's NASCAR, Richard did the whole job and still came out on top without all the luxury of the MegaTeams today!
    Granted Dale and Jimmie did great to get where they are but Richard is in a Whole Different Class; with a Capital C!
    Too bad today's fans wont ever get to see the real driving that took place back in the days!
    Thanks for listening!

  • Don Socks - 7 years ago

    My first race was at Michigan International Speedway in 1969. I have attended more than 100 races and have watched NASCAR grow and then decline over the years. I believe the racing has declined due to all the downforce changes and the cookie cutter race tracks. Short track racing is what got NASCAR into the limelight and needs to be a focus for the future of the sport. The next generation of fans are not going to be entertained by a race where there is little excitement for 3 to 3 1/2 hours live, or on TV. I listen to NASCAR radio programs and they try to promote the racing by saying how exciting the races were in Homestead, well if you don't get people to get excited about the first 35 races the 36th race won't happen. I believe The Chase was a mistake and has only caused more decline in fans overall at the race tracks. I could win 35 races lead every lap of every race and finish 2nd at Homestead and lose the championship. Dah! Passing, racing side by side, leading and rubbing is what makes races exciting and until NASCAR figures that out there will continue to be the decline we have been seeing. Points for leading are important to make the drivers work to lead, which right now has no impact. Side by side racing is what is exciting. Rubbing is exciting. Until you bring that back you will not fill the seats. I have been addicted to racing since my first race in 1968 at Michigan International Speedway, an INDY car race, and hate to see the decline in any racing series. As far as who is the best, I don't think you can pick one. Richard Petty was the best at times, Dale Earnhardt was best at times, David Pearson was best at times, and Jimmie Johnson was best at times. The Wood Brothers were best at times with Cale Yarborough and David Pearson. Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Dale Jarrett,Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki,etc. are all great drivers and all have been the best driver I have seen at times. My top race tracks are Bristol, before the remodel, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro,before NASCAR left, Dover and Talladega before restrictor plates. Remember the years when under the old points system when leading the most laps gave the Championship to Alan Kulwicki over Bill Elliott? Now that was exciting! Bring back real racing. Thanks for the opportunity to let me rant!

  • chris francis - 7 years ago

    if you are under 50 and havent been watching nascar but say 25 years, you have don't know how racing was in the old days. true that competition is harder today and cars are so closely matched that its almost impossible for anyone that isn't in the hendrick, roush, gibbs, childress, penske, stewart haas, racing organization to showcase their talent because these owners have cars in the truck series, xfinity series, and cup series so the man from backwoods mississippi won't ever get a chance to compete with history because he will never get the opportunity. all across the nation on saturday nights there are drivers who could possibly break all the records set by any of those drivers but will not get the chance to because its a fraternity now that regulates who comes in and how long they stay. so if your not in that click or your names not earnhardt, petty, elliott, allison, waltrip, jarrett, or any other name that gave chances to drivers because they were kin to racing legends, (not to mention danica patrick) who got a ride for god only knows, and add the point system, racing legends and racing statistics shouldn't even be compared today for the record books. knowbody could drive like david pearson, and he was like kyle bush is today, he won in whatever car he drove, but the days of picking a driver because he worked his way up through the ranks of the short tracks or open wheel circuit because they were just a damn good driver are just about over. nascar shouldn't let teams own more than two cars, and they shouldn't let their drivers or their cars race on friday or saturday nights and let us see some new names in the sport that race on friday and saturdays and let them advance to the cup series because of their driving skills. racing isn't racing anymore and i think the grandstands are starting to show that. get rid of the chase format and have a best finish average like it used to be and then you can start comparing history again. i like jimmy johnson and i think he can drive a car, and along with chad knauss and the equipment and resources that hendricks motorsports have at their dispossal, it has placed him in a hard to beat automobile since the first day he sat in that lowes 48, but truth of the matter this year, brad keselowski, and matt kenseth should have had a shot at the title sunday because they have proved it all year and it wasn't right not having them in the chase in the last round at homestead. bring back bang em up hard driving saturday night short track style racing and get back to the roots that made that sport what it was in the 70's and 80's and the grandstands will fill up again and racing will be racing again and not some yuppy fraternity organization that regulates who gets in and who stays out. but if i had my vote on the best race car driver ever to race a stock car it would be david pearson. just my opinion but ive watched em all for years and years and my vote goes to the silver fox

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