Drivers who deserve better rides

Team Penske said:
You may be right BUT in defense of Newman, I am going to say SHR was geared up to make Tony look good and didn't cater to Newman's needs. (He got the same deal as Joey at JGR)
All that changed when they got Harvick and "The best CC in the garage" who made a winner out of Harvick AND made SHR look good.
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Plus RCR looks like a dumpster fire without Tyler Reddick lighting it up in the Xfinity Series to give some hope. Hemric looks okayish lately, but Austin Dillon hasn't been performing well.
 
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AuzGrams said:
How is Matt the most correct answer? Last I checked his stats coming into New Hampshire weren't all THAT great compared to Kasey & McDowell. Obviously another top 5 run at NHMS may have changed that some. I need to see a few more top 10's/top 5's out of the 95 to close out the year before I say he's underrated.
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Kahne's best runs came at plate tracks where anyone can finish top 10 by surviving. DiBenedetto is running best at the short tracks and road courses. The driver's tracks. That tells you everything you need to know.
 
Larsonfan1995 said:
Kahne's best runs came at plate tracks where anyone can finish top 10 by surviving. DiBenedetto is running best at the short tracks and road courses. The driver's tracks. That tells you everything you need to know.
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I'm not questioning that but there is other drivers that are overachieving their ride than what DiBenedetto is. Even Ty Dillon is doing a solid job at Germain this year compared to the rest of the RCR camp/affiliates expectations IMO.
 
Matt Dibenedetto

Before the season started I mentioned that I like to pick a mid pack guy to follow and someone suggested Matt D. I've been following him and I think he deserves a shot.
 
Fordracing7 said:
I have to disagree on the David Ragan take, the guy has been given opportunities before and just doesn't seem to perform in top equipment...Roush it was hard to say how good the equipment was, but the 18 is as good as it gets and he still sucked in that car.

Chastain dserves a shot

Bubba sucks

Cassill sucks

Buescher could be this generations Mark Martin in top equipment (consistent and takes care of his stuff)

Ricky might win some races in a top ride but he over drives his sh!t a lot

Matt D is probably a Jamie mac potential in top tier stuff
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I love how people say someone "sucks" when they have won Truck races and Xfinity races but never sat their ass in a competitive Cup car. I'd bet my house you didnt think Ross Chastain was as good as he is until he got a shot with Chip.
 
AuzGrams said:
Plus RCR looks like a dumpster fire without Tyler Reddick lighting it up in the Xfinity Series to give some hope. Hemric looks okayish lately, but Austin Dillon hasn't been performing well.
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Austin has been dropping in the points all year. Two weeks ago he fell out of the top 20. RCR has as stable of relatively young drivers with no veteran experience or leadership. When Germain no longer has Ty to keep the umbilical cord connected, they'll drop partnership with RCR as quickly as possible. Indeed, RCR's future may be as a satellite team, not as an alliance leader.
 
I'm a little jaded because I know these guys, but I'd like to see Jeremy Clements and Chad Finchum get better Xfinity rides. Clements runs family-owned equipment. While I don't think he's as good as Bell or Reddick, he's as good if not better than Annett and Cindric who are in top level rides. Finchum drives for a really low budget team. I think he does well for what he has. I'd like to see him in something better to see what his ceiling is. He's only 24.
 
AuzGrams said:
How is Matt the most correct answer? Last I checked his stats coming into New Hampshire weren't all THAT great compared to Kasey & McDowell. Obviously another top 5 run at NHMS may have changed that some. I need to see a few more top 10's/top 5's out of the 95 to close out the year before I say he's underrated.
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At this rate, it's pretty likely you'll see a few more.
 
I think DiBenedetto is right where he belongs. I don't believe that the deserves a better ride. HOWEVER, I do believe he has earned the right to stay with the 95. The car and the organization will get stronger, and I think he will develop with the level of equipment if he is given the shot. I do worry that Bell might get what Matt has worked for, and I am not sure that I am a fan of that.
 
Spotter22 said:
I love how people say someone "sucks" when they have won Truck races and Xfinity races but never sat their ass in a competitive Cup car. I'd bet my house you didnt think Ross Chastain was as good as he is until he got a shot with Chip.
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How good is he? You look like superman when you have the best equipment in the field and one could argue that the 42 was the best team last year in Xfinity...and the Niece stuff is the same as GMS which is arguably top 2-3 stuff in trucks.

I think he is good and deserves a cup ride but once you get to the top level things look a lot different...see Ryan Preece for example right now, people thought he was just as amazing.

I stand what I said bubba sucks, Cassill sucks...prove me wrong
 

Yeah, Bubba is a horrible driver.o_O

Let me see anyone else do anything in lower-mid field eqiupment. Heck, he's had some good moments this season. Just has to put it all together.

The only seriously questionable driver in the field is probably Menard. I'd take a lot of drivers over Menard in the 21.
 
Fordracing7 said:
How good is he? You look like superman when you have the best equipment in the field and one could argue that the 42 was the best team last year in Xfinity...and the Niece stuff is the same as GMS which is arguably top 2-3 stuff in trucks.

I think he is good and deserves a cup ride but once you get to the top level things look a lot different...see Ryan Preece for example right now, people thought he was just as amazing.

I stand what I said bubba sucks, Cassill sucks...prove me wrong
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Prove you wrong? The whole thing in conjecture, opinion, its what ever you want it to be in your mind but that diesnt make it so.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Austin has been dropping in the points all year. Two weeks ago he fell out of the top 20. RCR has as stable of relatively young drivers with no veteran experience or leadership. When Germain no longer has Ty to keep the umbilical cord connected, they'll drop partnership with RCR as quickly as possible. Indeed, RCR's future may be as a satellite team, not as an alliance leader.
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Germain seems to be benefiting from the RCR deal, but no other team is.
 
Motorsports Analytics publishes a statistical measure called PEER (Production in Equal Equipment Rating). It's sorta like the QBR that ESPN uses to rate NFL quarterbacks. FWIW, the best PEER ratings for drivers on small, low budget teams are...

Chris Buescher (ranks 18th among all Cup drivers)
Corey LaJoie (20th)
Matt DiBenedetto (21st)
Ross Chastain (24nd)
Parker Kligerman (26th)

Motorsports Analytics is David Smith, the same data guru who also writes for The Athletic. His PEER methodology is somewhat controversial and problematic, but probably better than the driver assessment methodologies employed by most of us posting opinions in this thread, IMO.
 
LewTheShoe said:
Motorsports Analytics publishes a statistical measure called PEER (Production in Equal Equipment Rating). It's sorta like the QBR that ESPN uses to rate NFL quarterbacks. FWIW, the best PEER ratings for drivers on small, low budget teams are...

Chris Buescher (ranks 18th among all Cup drivers)
Corey LaJoie (20th)
Matt DiBenedetto (21st)
Ross Chastain (24nd)
Parker Kligerman (26th)

Motorsports Analytics is David Smith, the same data guru who also writes for The Athletic. His PEER methodology is somewhat controversial and problematic, but probably better than the driver assessment methodologies employed by most of us posting opinions in this thread, IMO.
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I'd say that's fair, but I don't see a lot of other drivers putting the 37/47 cars near 20th in points. Buescher should be a little higher.
 
RacerrecaR said:
DiBurrito is the most correct answer

But honestly, 95% of drivers would be champion-caliber if they were in the best equipment and had the best pit crew, crew chief, spotter. This is more of a team sport than most people realize, and even the worst drivers at the NASCAR level are incredibly talented.
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100% agree. Put any of these guys in a late model at a short track of dirt track and they'll run circles around the field.
 
Team Penske said:
Didn't he have a ride at JGR?
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Yeah...he tore up so much equipment they ran out of cars. Do not know if it is because of his banzai style or if he could not see over the steering wheel, but he put a lot money in the trash can.
 
Elliott_Fan_9 said:
What drivers do you think deserve better rides? Drivers who would thrive with better equipment.

David Ragan: Ragan has two wins on his resume . He'd be a title contender on a top ride.

Ross Chastain: Another has been said about Chastain. SHR should give him a call.

Landon Cassill: Another guy clinging to a lower tier team. I'd love to see him land a good ride in the future.

Bubba Wallace: Wallace has been out running his equipment all year.

A pipedream, but this is how SHR should look like next season.

#4: David Ragan
#10: Ross Chastain
#14: Landon Cassill
#41: Bubba Wallace

:headbang:
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David ragan, are you kidding me you must be a newbie to the sport. The guy only won 2 plate races. Never ever came close to winning at any other type of track. All that at a time when Roush was winning lots of races. I have no idea how he manages to stay employed now days seemingly every year. Part of me thinks that since he is a veteran driver who is nascar approved for all race tracks regardless of size. It’s just easier for an owner to tap a guy like him and keep it simple. He is not going to be an idiot to sponsors or say something stupid. Yeah that is the only reason he still even drives for a backmarker team these days.
 
Not cups guys, but I think these guys would fair well in the upper levels of NASCAR

Bubba Pollard
Casey Roderick
Rico Abreu
Christopher Bell
Angie Grill
Ty Majeski
 
Augie?

Autocorrect error. Mine did the same thing the first time.
 
Bigpaulie1979 said:
Not cups guys, but I think these guys would fair well in the upper levels of NASCAR

Bubba Pollard
Casey Roderick
Rico Abreu
Christopher Bell
Angie Grill
Ty Majeski
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Rico sucked at Thorsport. Ty deserves another shot. Roderick has ran a couple NASCAR races.
 
Has NASCAR changed so much that now the personality is more important than the actual talent? Do not get me wrong, part of the equation has almost always been a combination...well maybe not in the '50's, but even in the '60's a good ride (other than your own) required some political pull (influence and media), but it still was not predominate until the early 2000's....today it seems to go over the top. Media hype and sell ability seems to drastically overshadow talent.

This over the top push for youth...way too much. Totally irrelevant as to whether or not their talent level is on par or better than a fifteen or twenty year veteran, they are still pushed to the pinnacle over those that still have the chance to be better due to experience.

Kind of like the next shiny object syndrome...
 
OldTimer said:
Has NASCAR changed so much that now the personality is more important than the actual talent? Do not get me wrong, part of the equation has almost always been a combination...well maybe not in the '50's, but even in the '60's a good ride (other than your own) required some political pull (influence and media), but it still was not predominate until the early 2000's....today it seems to go over the top. Media hype and sell ability seems to drastically overshadow talent.

This over the top push for youth...way too much. Totally irrelevant as to whether or not their talent level is on par or better than a fifteen or twenty year veteran, they are still pushed to the pinnacle over those that still have the chance to be better due to experience.

Kind of like the next shiny object syndrome...
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NASCAR has changed in the last decade to the point where an affordable young driver who runs in top dozen is preferable over a top 5 veteran with salary expectations left over from the boom years.
 
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