NASCAR Racing Forum's: 15 Best Peaks Project (Modern Era) #1

jaqua19

jaqua19

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I've decided to go ahead with this. Each new thread will be for a new spot, and including the ranking thus far. I really hope this picks up some traction.

No debate, just tell me who you think had the best season of the modern era.

The next thread will be for spot #2.

I will start it by saying Jeff Gordon in 98 had the best peak.

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jaqua19 said:
I've decided to go ahead with this. Each new thread will be for a new spot, and including the ranking thus far. I really hope this picks up some traction.

No debate, just tell me who you think had the best season of the modern era.

The next thread will be for spot #2.

I will start it by saying Jeff Gordon in 98 had the best peak.

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I'm not looking for everyone's top 15 list. Each thread will be dedicated to a spot in the ranking. People can disagree too.

Thread 1: best peak ever - which ever driver/season shows up most, I will place in the # 1 spot

THEN the next thread will be created

Thread number 2: 2nd best peak ever - which ever driver/season shows up most gets the #2 spot

And so on. For example, If you believe DW in *whatever year* had the #2 best peak ever, and another driver ends up in the #2 spot, keep posting DW in each of the following threads until he lands.

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jaqua19 said:
Side note: I was blown away at how dominant DW was in the 80s.

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Cool. You may have known DWs early 80s performance prior to this thread. But this kind of stuff is my favorite or what I believe to be the most beneficial part of these type of thread debates or analysis.

Most everyone here is old enough to remember Jeff Gordon's prime. I like hearing the other stories too. In the end the other stories may not be as big but it can bring it out and get people to telling them.

There are a million races within a race and any platform that can bring out those moments is a good thing. If people start talking about a drivers performance and how it impressed or inspired them that is a great thing or it provides a lot of worthy respect for those drivers.
And Gordon's 1998 definitely
is a great story that should be celebrated.
 
Greg said:
Cool. You may have known DWs early 80s performance prior to this thread. But this kind of stuff is my favorite or what I believe to be the most beneficial part of these type of thread debates or analysis.

Most everyone here is old enough to remember Jeff Gordon's prime. I like hearing the other stories too. In the end the other stories may not be as big but it can bring it out and get people to telling them.

There are a million races within a race and any platform that can bring out those moments is a good thing. If people start talking about a drivers performance and how it impressed or inspired them that is a great thing or it provides a lot of worthy respect for those drivers.
And Gordon's 1998 definitely
is a great story that should be celebrated.
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Yup. I agree, it's great to share this kind of analysis/awareness. DW won 50 races and 3 titles in the 80s, with two seasons over 10 wins. That's incredible. I feel as though DW's career has become underrated due to his time in the booth. Like he's been taken less seriously.

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jaqua19 said:
...I feel as though DW's career has become underrated due to his time in the booth. Like he's been taken less seriously.

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Absolutely. Many are only old enough to remember the older more clownish DW.
He was very much the opposite in his early days. He was the intense bad guy, but he was badass too.
 
Greg said:
Absolutely. Many are only old enough to remember the older more clownish DW.
He was very much the opposite in his early days. He was the intense bad guy, but he was badass too.
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See, I've wondered about this. I figured he was always clownish like this/humorous, even in his youth. He just was a really good and successful driver along with it.

In his earlier days, was he clowning/humerous at all or just intense.

A lot of people compare Kyle Busch to him, in terms of his personality in the sport.

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jaqua19 said:
See, I've wondered about this. I figured he was always clownish like this/humorous, even in his youth. He just was a really good and successful driver along with it.

In his earlier days, was he clowning/humerous at all or just intense.

A lot of people compare Kyle Busch to him, in terms of his personality in the sport.

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He was mostly serious.
Very articulate and more an anti Petty, Pearson, or Allison type. He was the new kid versus the establishment and he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
In the 70s and early 80s it was mostly boos for him.
I bought a DW tee shirt when he was driving the Pepsi car in 1983. The vendor was talking sheit about DW to me while I was paying him.

Something happened in the mid 80s and DW wanted to be more accepted and popular.
I enjoyed the younger bad guy more.
 
Greg said:
He was mostly serious.
Very articulate and more an anti Petty, Pearson, or Allison type. He was the new kid versus the establishment and he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
In the 70s and early 80s it was mostly boos for him.
I bought a DW tee shirt when he was driving the Pepsi car in 1983. The vendor was talking sheit about DW to me while I was paying him.

Something happened in the mid 80s and DW wanted to be more accepted and popular.
I enjoyed the younger bad guy more.
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I just watched a video of all of his "fights" on YouTube, and he was generally pretty PC. That's cool though. I think DW is going to end up pretty high on this list, on the *primes* list as well.

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Gordon 1998 unarguably. With the exception of Richmond, finished top 5 in every summer race and won 8 of them. 13 wins in 33 races is wild, but was basically top 10 every week a wreck didn't need happen
 
Mispeedway15 said:
Gordon 1998 unarguably. With the exception of Richmond, finished top 5 in every summer race and won 8 of them. 13 wins in 33 races is wild, but was basically top 10 every week a wreck didn't need happen
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Mark Martin was also filthy that year. They destroyed the field.
 
jaqua19 said:
Modern era my friend.

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72 is what NASCAR considers the modern era is it not?


Yep


m.nascar.com

Drivers with 8 wins in a year in modern era

See the 17 drivers who have won eight times or more in a single season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
m.nascar.com m.nascar.com


“Since 1972, 15 different drivers have earned eight or more Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories in a single season. “
 
Blaze said:
72 is what NASCAR considers the modern era is it not?


Yep


m.nascar.com

Drivers with 8 wins in a year in modern era

See the 17 drivers who have won eight times or more in a single season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
m.nascar.com m.nascar.com


“Since 1972, 15 different drivers have earned eight or more Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories in a single season. “
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Yep. I thought it was 75, but apparently it's 72. So yeah, that counts. My mistake.

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pjmolo said:
Define modern era for us old timers.

Since 1975 when the points system finally got straightened out ?
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Disregard! I thought it was 75, but it's 72. So 72 Petty is eligible

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aunty dive said:
This is it.

The previous era ended in February.
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I was thinking that the new Covidian era was the beginning of a New Nascar Covenant.
I have also been told there was originally 'a summer of Covid' tee shirt and souvenir campaign planned as well, that had to be shelved.
Still the same the new era has been commenced.

Personally, I am putting an asterisk by the first four 2020 races as transitional races.
They taint the old pre 2020 vintage era and they taint representive of the Covidian age either.
Just another day of the hard working internet man's life that many us endure as a service to mankind. Always fierce and tenaciously on guard in order to more perfectly explain the current issues to the casuals.
 
It seems like Jeff Gordon in 1998 is taking #1 on the list. Dale Sr in 87, DW in 81 got some nods as well. I will be putting up the second thread for #2 after the race today.

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Bobby Labonte's 2000 run was really impressive.

Four wins and his consistency was scary, only 9 finshes outside of the top 10 and no DNFs. I remember him not setting a foot wrong that season.
 
1973 David Pearson won 11 of the 18 races he started.
1976 He won of 10 of 22 starts.

He was flawless during those races.
 
Greg said:
He was mostly serious.
Very articulate and more an anti Petty, Pearson, or Allison type. He was the new kid versus the establishment and he rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
In the 70s and early 80s it was mostly boos for him.
I bought a DW tee shirt when he was driving the Pepsi car in 1983. The vendor was talking sheit about DW to me while I was paying him.

Something happened in the mid 80s and DW wanted to be more accepted and popular.
I enjoyed the younger bad guy more.
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Rusty Wallace spun him out in the all star race and just like that, the crowd started cheering for him and DW ran with it.
 
Jimmie Johnson, 2007.

Won the championship, as well as 10 races - including four in a row at the end - to steal Jeff Gordon's thunder. Accomplished this feat within a field containing other drivers such as Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex, Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Dale Jr., among others. This remains the only time since the start of the new millennium that a driver has managed to score double-digit wins in the Cup Series, and JJ did so against fairly stout competition.
 
Truex_rox said:
Jimmie Johnson, 2007.

Won the championship, as well as 10 races - including four in a row at the end - to steal Jeff Gordon's thunder. Accomplished this feat within a field containing other drivers such as Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex, Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Dale Jr., among others. This remains the only time since the start of the new millennium that a driver has managed to score double-digit wins in the Cup Series, and JJ did so against fairly stout competition.
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I was considering this for my #2. I think it'd an underrated season. The level of competition was higher than these other elite seasons. 10 wins & a champion has happened, what, 5 times in the modern era? 10 wins 20 top 5s 24 top 10s.

I think what makes it so impressive is because Gordon was having a dominant year, a historic year. The Chase started and Gordon didn't slow down. Won 2 out 5. Then Jimmie wins 4 in a row. A top 5 season imo.

I just don't think it stacks up against 98 Gordon, and DW imo. Dale in 87 we'll talk, but I'm not sure either. I think it's equally impressive, but those seasons were better imo. Especially in the laps lead department.

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Depends how we define "peak", if it's 1 amazing year or multiple.

Quick look at the numbers, Earnhardt Sr. led 3,357 laps in 87' wow. Still hard to go with anything other than Gordon 98' (fun fact JG led over 2K laps in 3 different seasons, his 98' 13 win season NOT being one of them).

That's a solid shoutout to DW's dominant early 80's years. Honorable mention to Jarrett 97' and Truex 17', at their absolute peak they were near unbeatable too.
 
Alan Kulwicki 1992....he was the David that beat the Goliaths...first one since '72 and never again.
 
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