Driver of the Decade

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foehammer111

Guest
Technically the decade isn't over until 1/1/2011, but ESPN has an interesting article about the greatest driver of the last 10 years.

Here's the nominees and their achievements:

Sebastien Bourdais (Champ Car / CART)
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Four straight Champ Car titles, 2004-07
Won 51 percent of Champ Car races in 2004-07
FIA 3000 champion in 2002
Won 24 Hours of Spa in 2002
IROC race winner at Texas in 2005
Won 12 Hours of Sebring in 2006
Placed second in 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2009

Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL)
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Three IndyCar Series titles, 2001-02 and 2006
First three-time champ in IndyCar
Won series titles under two different owners
Won both IndyCar title and Indy 500 in 2006
His 19 career IndyCar wins rank second all time

Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
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First driver to win four straight Cup titles, 2006-09
His 47 Cup wins this decade lead all drivers
Since 2002, no one has led more laps than Johnson
Is the only driver to win four or more consecutive races this decade
Chase's all-time leader in wins
Has finished in top five in points in each of his eight full-time Cup seasons
Named 2009 Male Athlete of Year by The Associated Press (first driver to get the honor)

Tom Kristensen (Sports car / Endurance)
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Seven-time winner this decade of the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans (he has only 13 career starts)
Four-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring
Won the 2002 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta
Four race wins in DTM, the German touring car series

Sebastien Loeb (WRC)
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Six straight World Rally championships, 2004-09
Holds World Rally record for most titles, consecutive titles, wins, longest win streak and wins in a season
Won a record 11 of 15 World Rally events in 2008
Won 2006 championship despite missing the final four events with a shoulder injury
Finished second in 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans

Valentino Rossi (MotoGP)
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Seven world championships this decade: Six MotoGP titles since the inception of the class in 2002, and a 500cc title in 2001
Won half or more of the races in six seasons
His nearly 80 wins this decade are an all-time record
His seven titles since 2000 are second most in series history

Bernd Schneider (DTM)
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Four-time DTM champion, 2000-01, 2003, 2006
First driver to win back-to-back DTM titles, and the first to win three crowns in a four-year span
Leads all DTM competitors this decade in points, wins and poles -- even after retiring after the 2008 season
Has run fastest lap of the race 28 times, more than three times the number of fastest laps of any other driver this decade

Michael Schumacher (F1)
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Won five straight Formula One driver championships, 2000-2004 (seven titles overall)
Notched 48 wins between 2000 and 2004, while no other driver had more than seven
Won 56 percent of races the first half of the decade
Finished third in 2005 and second in '06 in F1 driver standings

Tony Schumacher (NHRA Top Fuel)
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Won a record six straight NHRA Top Fuel titles, 2004-09
Edged Larry Dixon by two points for the 2009 crown
His 15 wins in 2008 tied an NHRA record
Passed Joe Amato in 2008 for most career Top Fuel victories (53)
Has won at least one race in eight straight seasons, a Top Fuel record
Named 2008 Driver of the Year
 
The left off Donny Schatz.

2001- 5th in points- 6 wins… 2002- 7th in points- 2 wins… 2003- 5th in points- 7 wins… 2004- 3rd in points- 6 wins… 2005- 4th in points- 8 wins…. 2006- Champion- 17 wins… 2007- Champion- 19 wins…2008- Champion- 18 wins…2009- Champion- 12 wins
 
VaDirt said:
The left off Donny Schatz.

2001- 5th in points- 6 wins… 2002- 7th in points- 2 wins… 2003- 5th in points- 7 wins… 2004- 3rd in points- 6 wins… 2005- 4th in points- 8 wins…. 2006- Champion- 17 wins… 2007- Champion- 19 wins…2008- Champion- 18 wins…2009- Champion- 12 wins
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ESPN doesn't cover dirt. :(
 
MRM said:
ESPN doesn't cover dirt. :(
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Isn't WRC dirt?

But seriously, don't get me wrong I think Schatz is great, but can he really stand up against someone like Loeb, Johnson, or Schumacher?
 
foehammer111 said:
Isn't WRC dirt?

But seriously, don't get me wrong I think Schatz is great, but can he really stand up against someone like Loeb, Johnson, or Schumacher?
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Yes, look at the stats. 4 straight championships in two different cars (his own and then TSR cars). Has one won numerous big races on other continents as well (Australia and New Zealand) all while driving unfamiliar cars on unfamiliar tracks.

But like MRM says, ESPN doesn't cover short track dirt racing.
 
foehammer111 said:
But seriously, don't get me wrong I think Schatz is great, but can he really stand up against someone like Loeb, Johnson, or Schumacher?
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Who says he can't? He hasn't been in anything else. That's why it's hard to compare the different ones when you going from stock cars to bikes to open wheels to sprint cars on dirt.
 
foehammer111 said:
Technically the decade isn't over until 1/1/2011, but ESPN has an interesting article about the greatest driver of the last 10 years.
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Let's see, if the decade began on Y2K (2000) and lasts for ten years, then 12/31/2009 would be the end of that decade. Nonetheless, some pretty impressive drivers there.
 
buckaroo said:
Let's see, if the decade began on Y2K (2000) and lasts for ten years, then 12/31/2009 would be the end of that decade.
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Sorry Buck, but that's incorrect.

The Gregorian calendar starts with Jesus Christ being born in 1 AD. This is preceeded by 1 BC. There is no year zero. Therefore, a new decade wouldn't start until 11 AD. The 21st Century didn't start until 1/1/2001, and thus the second decade of the 21st Century wouldn't start until 1/1/2011.

Also, because BC means "Before Christ" many people incorrectly assume that AD means "After Death". This is also not correct. AD stands for Anno Domini which in latin means "in the year of our Lord".

Here's a link with more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD
 
Comparing a bike champ to a F1 champ to a stock car champ is like comparing apples to oranges to turnips,,,,,
 
SST55 said:
Comparing a bike champ to a F1 champ to a stock car champ is like comparing apples to oranges to turnips,,,,,
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I don't think they're trying to do a direct comparison. I think they're just judging them based on how much they accomplished in the last 10 years within their sport.

Based on that, I think Johnson gets this award over Michael Schumacher. Part of what makes Schumacher famous was done before 2000. Where as Johnson's accomplishments were all done since 2002.

If they were doing just who has the most talent, I'd go with Juan Montoya, who isn't even on the list. He's raced in 3 different series in the last 10 years, and won 2 of the world's most prestigious events: the Indy 500 and the Grand Prix of Monaco. Both on his first attempt. He's the only active driver that has the best chance of winning the so-called "Triple Crown of Motorsports": Indy 500, Monaco GP, Daytona 500.
 
foehammer111 said:
Sorry Buck, but that's incorrect.

The Gregorian calendar starts with Jesus Christ being born in 1 AD. This is preceeded by 1 BC. There is no year zero. Therefore, a new decade wouldn't start until 11 AD. The 21st Century didn't start until 1/1/2001, and thus the second decade of the 21st Century wouldn't start until 1/1/2011.

Also, because BC means "Before Christ" many people incorrectly assume that AD means "After Death". This is also not correct. AD stands for Anno Domini which in latin means "in the year of our Lord".

Here's a link with more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AD
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A decade is a 10-year period. It can be any 10-year period.
 
foehammer111 said:
Techinically yes, but it's not a new decade for the calendar.
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So your saying the 2010's decade doesnt include 2010 just as the 2000's decade wouldnt included 2000 and the 90's wouldnt of included 1990?

Guess you learn something new every day.

Anyways I notice Bourdais is on that list I have to question that eventhough he dominated Cart in its dying days since it was merged with the IRL he has been completly irrelevant in F1.
 
Wow. I'm really starting to lose track of this thread. Is it about comparing driver accomplishments over the past ten years or is it about the definition of a decade?
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This is what happens in the non-racing season. Everyone looks for something to talk about. :D
 
muggle not said:
This is what happens in the non-racing season. Everyone looks for something to talk about. :D
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It's amazing. What started as a thread that could really bring out some conversation about great drivers has turned into a rediculous argument about what consititues a decade. Jeez:mad:

Speaking of which, I want to add that, not only should they have included Donny Schatz, he should have been in insted of Bourdais.
 
Michael Schumacher won ESPN's "Driver of the Decade". Their editor voting results had Schumacher and Johnson at a tie, so they used the fan vote as a tie-breaker.

Here's their top 5:

#1 - Michael Schumacher
#2 - Jimmie Johnson
#3 - Valentino Rossi
#4 - Sebastien Loeb
#5 - Tony Schumacher

The fan vote was identical except for Rossi and Johnson switching places, and Sam Hornish instead of Tony Schumacher at #5.
 
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