Looking for the Best

H

HardScrabble

Guest
Working on little project adn your input is needed. Doing a fairly indepth statistical comparison of the top 10 drivers ever in NASCAR Grand National Winston Cup, this includes the Strictly Stock years.

So who are they? But some ground rules for consideration.

The driver must have competed on the circuit for at least 10 years or have at least 300 starts. I know this may eliminate some worthies, but to make any comparisons the time and races are needed.

Actually that is the only criteria, if you feel a specific driver does not meet either of these minimums but should considered you may list the name. The final decision to make an exception will be mine, so if you put a driver into the mix who is outside the criteria, give your reasons.
 
do you want just the names?

right off the bat Id go with

Dale Earnhardt
David Pearson
Richard Petty
Bobby Allison
Jeff Gordon
Jr. Johnson
Fireball Roberts
Cale Yarbourgh
Darrell Waltrip


I didn't look anything up

so here's the others to concider

Ned Jarrett
Fred Lorenzen
Lee Petty
Issaic ?
 
Good list........top of my head they should all qualify easily
 
Stats?

Can't help ya too much.....I am way too subjective when it comes to my FAN-aticism....and am way convinced that in most cases it is the car that takes the driver along for the ride.

Add to that the 300 race mark you have set and it pretty much eliminates most every driver of note that would go on my all time best list.

Anyways, you know about racing-reference and really, I haven't found too many other straight stat pages that can match it.

Good luck in your quest and I'll take a look for some other pages for you as I get some weekend time. Right now it's off to get new batteries for the wifes wheelchair. Her hip is disintigrating quickly so I got Great Uncle Slim's (God Rest his soul) leftover Zoom Machine out of storage but the batteries are shot.

Gots to get back prior to qualifying :D
 
The stats I got........

Looking for the general consensus as to who the top ten are. Some names are fairly easy...Earnhardt, Petty, Pearson and so forth. Just looking for folks opinons on who the list should be.
 
wll then, http://www.mshf.com/index.htm?/hof/stock_cars.htm has these guys listed.....


Waltrip Earnhardt Lorenzen Flock Buck Baker Ned Jarrett Lee Petty Glenn Roberts Cale Yarborough David Pearson Bobby Allison Junior Johnson Richard Petty

Another joint that might jog yer memory some would be http://www.motorsportshalloffame.com/main/..._halloffame.htm or maybe this one.... http://www.homestead.com/chiefnc/Legends.html

You talked about the Test Of Time. I don't think there is a guy at either of HOF sites that has not withstood that test.

Ya might just want to do a Survey Sez kind of thing and then take all the different names that folks submit and list them in different catagories......ie wins, t-5's, t-10's, poles, average standings finish etc.

One thing is for sure, you can not make all the people happy all of the time when ya try to put something like this together. Again, good luck. :D
 
I would agree with the consensus here;Richard Petty,Bobby Allison,D.Waltrip,Cale,David Pearson,Dale Earnhardt,...mmmm?Fred Lorenzen,Bobby Issac,Mark Martin,J.Gordon---not sure if Ernie Irvan had enough years in?Or Tim Richmond?
 
Erinie would make it with just over 300 starts.

Tim hs neither the years nor the starts to make it on that basis. Make a compelling case for his inclusion and it is possible.

Right now I have over 15 different categories to compare among the drivers. Keep in mind that I have no intent to establish a ranking of the ten with these comparisons, but more to create comparisons in what great drivers accomplish statistically.
 
Richard Petty
Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Jeff Gordon
Darrell Waltrip
David Pearson
Bobby Allison
Ned Jarrett
Neil Bonnett
Harry Gant
Tim Richmond
 
HS,

I'm not sure if he has over 300 starts in the top tier, but he sure has to be included as one of the all time greatest. Herschel McGriff has been around NASCAR since its inception, competed with Big Bill Sr. in the old Pan American road races, (in a Nash of all things) used to fly from the Pacific northwest to compete in the early NASCAR sanctioned events and is probably one of the oldest drivers to compete in a NASCAR event. Hershel has always been a great spokesperson for autoracing in general and NASCAR in particular.

How about the Flock family? Weren't they also pioneers in NASCAR? Including one of the first females to compete with the organization?

OR Buck and Buddy Baker? Haven't they done about as much as any other family to further the image and increase awareness of NASCAR and its product?
(Is Buddy still doing test sessions for the #2 team?)

These folks, along with some of the already mentioned personalities, were the basis for the product which the poster children who came along later, were able to market with such success.
Guys like Waltrip, Earnhardt, and all the rest of the current crop of wonder kids would not have the sponsorships, the large purses, the multi-million dollar salaries, nor anywhere near the recognition they have received, if it wasn't for the foresight, determination, and dedication of all the pioneer drivers, owners, mechanics and Mr. Bill France Sr. who made the whole thing not only possible, but viable and successful beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

Another name that should also be included is Richie Evans. I know that he never competed in that many Grand National or Winston Cup events, but he did race against every one of the best drivers of his era ( Isn't it hard to believe that it's been 17 years already? Doesn't that make you feel old?) and beat them everytime. He is also the only driver to hold 9 championship titles in any NASCAR division, the last being awarded post humously in 1985.
Before folks claim that he was only a modified driver, they should be aware that at that time the modifieds were the division considered to be just below the Cup cars. Richie and many other top drivers could make more money in that class than they could running in Cup, so that is where they stayed.

I realize that none of these names meet your requirements, but just felt that they deserved mention in your post.

Thanks for bearing with me, letting me rattle on and hearing me out.
mnubhop in nh

Doggone fingers still having trouble spelling. Geez, you'd think they'd learn after all this time, wouldn't you?
 
As well as the above mentioned---and trying to stay within the criteria established,what about guys like Dick Trickle or even Morgan Shepherd? Trickle had already proven his talent a thousand times BEFORE becoming WC's oldest rookie ever. And Shepherd was always a pretty good wheelman too---though I admit sentiment is pushing him up there for me more than stats,I guess.

Neil Bonnett,often called the 'uncrowned champion'.Worth considering. And as boB said the Flocks(particularly Tim) certainly could make almost any top ten driver list,IMO.

My last little opinion on this is that one CURRENT driver that has a bit too few races{not meeting the criteria) that should at least be considered is Tony Stewart. Not my favorite,but he absolutely has that old school style about him,is already a WC champ and has a staggering racing resume in other series. Stewart is the modern day Andretti,IMO.

Just throwing a few ideas out there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom