Greatest NASCAR Drivers
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Sr., known professionally as Dale Earnhardt, was an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR. After following Dale Earnhardt's NASCAR career from 1988 to 2001, there is absolutely no other driver who ever competed in the NASCAR Cup Series who could ever be called a better driver than Dale Earnhardt. No other driver could even be compared with Dale Earnhardt as a NASCAR Cup Series race car driver.
After following the NASCAR Cup Series for over 30 years now, I have not witnessed or known any other individual who has ever competed at the Cup Series level that has possessed the kind of natural, raw, God-given talent that Dale Earnhardt was so blessed with. Dale Earnhardt possessed a very rare, special kind of talent. It's the kind of special talent so rare that it doesn't come around very often and is only seen maybe once in a lifetime. Dale Earnhardt was able to perform at the greatest possible level for 20+ years. Dale Earnhardt performed with the greatest of skill, allowing him to display his driving ability, which was so exceptional that I can only describe it in these words: Dale Earnhardt's ability to drive and maneuver a race car was so incredible that many times, some of the things I had the privilege of being able to watch him do in that race car were almost not humanly possible.
Sorry, Earnhardt fans. Petty not only is tied for most championships with seven, he is one of the two drivers with 100 career wins (the other is David Pearson, who has 105). Richard Petty won 200 races. Jimmie Johnson may get 100 wins and most likely pass the seven-championship mark, but no one will ever win 200 races in NASCAR again. Petty had 10 straight wins and a 27-win season. He was unbeatable. Seven Daytona 500 wins.
What is this, a damn popularity contest? Look at the records, the stats. Two hundred wins, seven championships, 123 cup poles, 10 consecutive wins in one year, 1,027 career starts, and seven Daytona 500 wins. These are most all-time records. Just like any other sport, the statistics tell it all. The King is the king of NASCAR. Jeff Gordon is a great driver, and so was Dale Earnhardt, but not as great as Richard Petty! Sorry.
Jeffery Michael Gordon is an American former professional stock car racing driver, currently an announcer for Fox NASCAR, and a top executive for Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon is the best NASCAR driver ever! All-time wins in the modern era (more competitive era) will probably reach 100. Current iron man and will more than likely be all-time. Titles with different crew chiefs. Wins with four different crew chiefs. Wins in three different decades. Most dominant seasons in the modern era. Quickest to 50 wins. Forty wins in four seasons. Modern era single-season win record, 13 wins. Poles every season, all-time record. Will probably win another championship if not more. Mentored ungrateful JJ. Wins at every track but Kentucky, only three races but will win there too. King of roads. Stats aside, he brought NASCAR to another level. And what everyone else said.
Jimmie Kenneth Johnson is an American professional stock car racing driver and a six-time champion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He will probably be the greatest of all time when he is done. Sixty-six career wins and counting, five consecutive championships (no one ever had four in a row), six total championships, two Daytona 500 wins. If he doesn't get to 100 wins, it would surprise most of us considering he is 2/3 of the way there at age 38. I even believe he will get 10 championships. He could just win five in a row (won in 2013), so four to go and just get 10 in 11 years. He is so dominant. Maybe the most dominant athlete of the 10-year period (Peyton Manning, Albert Pujols, Ronaldo, LeBron).
Jimmie is without a doubt the GOAT of NASCAR. He won five championships in a row and seven in total in the most competitive time in NASCAR. Dale was popular and should be second. RP was good but should be third. He raced in a very non-competitive time. Then Gordon in fourth. You can't argue his four championships are better than the seven the other drivers ahead have won. Jimmie also won his championships in three different cars and two different playoff formats.
I am as big of a Gordon fan as you can get, but I've got to give props to the Silver Fox. He is the only other driver with more than 100 wins (105 to be exact) other than The King Richard Petty. In fact, he has only run the full season (or close enough to it) three times. He won the championship each time. The other seasons, especially when he drove for the Wood Brothers in the 1970s, Pearson would only run in the events that paid out large sums of money (i.e., the Daytona 500, the 600, Michigan, etc.).
Money to run full seasons was much more scarce back in the late 60s and early 70s as seasons consisted of almost 50-60 races, and corporate sponsors had not started to foot the bill like they do today. Pearson is also known for his ability to snooker other drivers by laying in the weeds and then striking. He beat Richard Petty by doing this at the end of the Daytona 500 once to win the race. The Silver Fox should be higher than 5th.
Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr., known professionally as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dale Jr., or just Junior, is an American professional stock car racing driver and champion team owner. Jr. helped us all enjoy and even like NASCAR again! He is most popular because he is a true gentleman and a humble guy. He is smart because he knew when to retire from the track and make watching enjoyable again!
Even if you think he's overrated, he's doing great things for the sport. He's a great guy, too. Good racer, commentator, podcaster, even Dude Perfect guest!
Why is Dale Jr. eighth? He is AWESOME! Screw you other users who hate this legendary racer. Besides, Dale Sr. is dead, so we should like his son!
Also tied for 6th with 84 career wins, 3 championships, and 1 Daytona 500 win. A NASCAR icon forever. Waltrip is one of the best. Just don't think you can put him ahead of Yarborough.
Boogity boogity boys, let's go racing. The life and soul of NASCAR, he is the one who makes NASCAR exciting.
He changed what a real NASCAR driver was, and the people love him still. Enough said.
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart, nicknamed Smoke, is an American former professional stock car racing driver and is currently a NASCAR team owner. Tony is a great person. He faces the issues he has in front of him and keeps going. He has a great group working for him, and I see in the future that all four cars will win more races and more championships. Let Kevin and Kurt have their glory. They seem very happy where they are, and Danica gets better every year.
Tony, keep up the great work, and I see another championship coming your way. Remember, you were doing bad the year you won the championship, so do not give up hope. If you do not win, I could see Kevin doing it again. Being a great father, husband, and driver, he is doing the best I have ever seen since he joined SHR. Keep up the good work and being the great person you are. My thoughts go out to you.
Hands down, just pure racing ability, Kyle Busch! He can win in anything he gets in and on the same weekend. While others are laying in motorhomes resting, he is racing on Saturday and winning. Then he gets in the car on Sunday and more often than not, wins! The numbers don't lie, and he is just 30 years old. If he continues on this path until at least 40-42 years old, you're looking at 80+ Cup wins, 100+ Xfinity, 50+ Trucks, well over 200 combined with most likely four championships. History books will put him among the top three best ever and maybe the best pure racing ability.
Had him at 6 for a long time. After the 2013 season, Johnson just had to be above Cale and Bobby. I would say it's a tie at 7, though. Bobby Allison is just such an icon in NASCAR. Eighty-four or eighty-five wins, depending on the source. Surprisingly, only one championship (part of the fierce five: Cale, Petty, Waltrip, and Pearson) and three Daytona 500s.
The Newcomers
Had him at 5 for a long time. He did win three championships in a row. They are just the only championships he won. Eighty-three career wins and three of those are at the Daytona 500. Competed in the Waltrip, Allison, Petty, Pearson era.
Great class act. Seems to be close to the front most of the time. Good for the sport.
He is really awesome. He is the next king of NASCAR.
This guy will be the face of the sport one day.
I have so much respect for this guy. He has had a much longer career than most drivers ever will, and in his 50s he had this sudden career resurrection where he contended for his first-ever championship. He has come second in the overall standings so many times. I don't even remember the number, but it was insane.
Even though he has never won the championship, he is decorated with just about every honor you can get in the sport, and he's a great guy. He should be top 15 at the very least. There's no way he should be down here at 31 when all of these young modern generation drivers with like 20 wins are taking up spots in the top 20.
Carl Michael Edwards II is an American former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 19 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. Prior to that, he drove the No. 99 Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing. Carl Edwards should be number one. He is awesome. He does backflips when he wins. He has the best cars. He is the best guy. He should have won the 2011 Sprint Cup Championship. He is so going to win it this year and smoke them all.
My personal hero. The last of the true independents in this sport.
He died after his championship. He deserves to be in the top 10, maybe even the top 2.
Owner-driver as a champion. He was a genius. That's how he won his championship.
First million-dollar winner and fastest ever at Dega at 212.803 mph and over 210 at Daytona. The name Awesome Bill says it all.
Great, way better than Danica. He has won a championship. He will be the king of NASCAR someday. Go 22!
Denny has always been my favorite NASCAR driver. I would always be very happy when he won.
Best driver, most courteous, strategy "A plus," and intelligent.
Denny is the best! He will always be my favorite.
Produced Richard Petty, had 54 career wins, won 3 championships, and out of the 59 drivers competing in the race, he won the first Daytona 500 in one of the closest races of all time.
Before his son Richard came along, he was the king of NASCAR.
I nearly cried when Kasey retired. He was an amazing driver. He always tried his best to win, and the race at Indianapolis in 2017 next to Brad was amazing. His whole career was a success. He should be ranked higher.
One of, if not the best, young racers of all time. Did tail off towards the end.
Danica Sue Patrick is an American professional racing driver. She is the most successful woman in the history of American open-wheel racing—her victory in the 2008 Indy Japan 300 is the only female win in an IndyCar Series race.
Kevin Harvick is so awesome. He is my favorite driver. Even though he only has 1 championship and 6 top 2 finishes, he is still my favorite driver!
Because he had to replace Dale Earnhardt and also made his own legacy.