97forever
Team Owner
Looking for the winners of the most races per year and the next several NC titles? Tired of Jeff Gordon and his dominance? Sick of the old guard?
Man---have I got a post for you.
I dug up these stats between Daytona and the Rock and the last 3 races have just added validity to what I found.
Now granted, it's not brain surgery but some of these stats are still pretty shocking.
My contention is this, up front:
Seven drivers have entered the circuit in the last five years that will be the true power drivers for the next five years at least, maybe the next decade. These guys have came along and taken the circuit by storm in the last five seasons. All are young in their careers, all have won, all will win big again.
Please keep in mind, I am stunned by the quick pace these guys have established themselves both independently and collectively. I use comparisions to Jeff Gordon often when refering to these guys simply because no other driver in modern times can hold a candle to JG stat wise. HE is the measuring stick.
At least he used to be. As galling as it may sound: Petty, Pearson, Cale, Bobby Allison, DW, Earnhardt Sr. and Bill when he was awesome are back---at the same time!
Here are the drivers and their stats, keeping in mind this has all occurred in the last 5 seasons.
1999: Tony Stewart-- 17 wins
2000:Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr.-- 9 wins, 11 wins
2001:Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch-- 4 wins, 8 wins
2002:Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson-- 9 wins, 6 wins
Combined wins: 64
Combined poles:44
Combined titles:2
2003 wins combined:21---Title
2002 wins combined:19---Title
Previous best five year record for a group that I could find in the last thirty years was the group that preceeded these guys:
Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte
Jeff Burton, Ward Burton
Ricky Craven, Johnny Benson, R.Gordon
Combined wins:54
Combined poles:34
Combined titles: 3
Interesting in that CURRENT group is much more equally dispersed with wins than the previous group. In other words J.Gordon carried the prior group, in a class by himself....the current group however, are ALL 'Jeff Gordon' in a manner of speaking.
For Mr. Gordon....the competition has arrived in spades.
Also interesting is ----except for 2001 when J. Gordon won his last title----is the steady improvement these guys have shown.
Last year all execpt Busch were in the top ten in final standings...and Kurt was a close 11th.
These, simply put are the the group that is going to win 70% of the races per year, most of the poles and all of the titles for the near future. Other drivers will just have to settle for crumbs that fall from the plates of this group. No 'pre-7' driver will win another NC title in all liklihood, nor will any young gun come along that can dethrone these guys.
Other guys can run strong, can win every now and then---but at the end of every season this core group will have more wins and poles collectively than every other driver on the circuit combined.
The talk of '25-30 competitive teams each week' is largely a myth. Either you are in this group or you are out of luck, IMO>.
So what do you guys think? Is the future locked into these guys? The only driver even remotely who can challenge them is Jeff Gordon....and he has no chance of beating all of them at seasons end. One of them at least will beat Jeff or Rusty or Kasey or DJ every year in wins and for the Cup. Other than one of the sen-7---each driver on the circuit has as many titles as they will ever have is my opinion.
NASCAR's golden era might just be right now.
Man---have I got a post for you.
I dug up these stats between Daytona and the Rock and the last 3 races have just added validity to what I found.
Now granted, it's not brain surgery but some of these stats are still pretty shocking.
My contention is this, up front:
Seven drivers have entered the circuit in the last five years that will be the true power drivers for the next five years at least, maybe the next decade. These guys have came along and taken the circuit by storm in the last five seasons. All are young in their careers, all have won, all will win big again.
Please keep in mind, I am stunned by the quick pace these guys have established themselves both independently and collectively. I use comparisions to Jeff Gordon often when refering to these guys simply because no other driver in modern times can hold a candle to JG stat wise. HE is the measuring stick.
At least he used to be. As galling as it may sound: Petty, Pearson, Cale, Bobby Allison, DW, Earnhardt Sr. and Bill when he was awesome are back---at the same time!
Here are the drivers and their stats, keeping in mind this has all occurred in the last 5 seasons.
1999: Tony Stewart-- 17 wins
2000:Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr.-- 9 wins, 11 wins
2001:Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch-- 4 wins, 8 wins
2002:Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson-- 9 wins, 6 wins
Combined wins: 64
Combined poles:44
Combined titles:2
2003 wins combined:21---Title
2002 wins combined:19---Title
Previous best five year record for a group that I could find in the last thirty years was the group that preceeded these guys:
Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte
Jeff Burton, Ward Burton
Ricky Craven, Johnny Benson, R.Gordon
Combined wins:54
Combined poles:34
Combined titles: 3
Interesting in that CURRENT group is much more equally dispersed with wins than the previous group. In other words J.Gordon carried the prior group, in a class by himself....the current group however, are ALL 'Jeff Gordon' in a manner of speaking.
For Mr. Gordon....the competition has arrived in spades.
Also interesting is ----except for 2001 when J. Gordon won his last title----is the steady improvement these guys have shown.
Last year all execpt Busch were in the top ten in final standings...and Kurt was a close 11th.
These, simply put are the the group that is going to win 70% of the races per year, most of the poles and all of the titles for the near future. Other drivers will just have to settle for crumbs that fall from the plates of this group. No 'pre-7' driver will win another NC title in all liklihood, nor will any young gun come along that can dethrone these guys.
Other guys can run strong, can win every now and then---but at the end of every season this core group will have more wins and poles collectively than every other driver on the circuit combined.
The talk of '25-30 competitive teams each week' is largely a myth. Either you are in this group or you are out of luck, IMO>.
So what do you guys think? Is the future locked into these guys? The only driver even remotely who can challenge them is Jeff Gordon....and he has no chance of beating all of them at seasons end. One of them at least will beat Jeff or Rusty or Kasey or DJ every year in wins and for the Cup. Other than one of the sen-7---each driver on the circuit has as many titles as they will ever have is my opinion.
NASCAR's golden era might just be right now.