NASCAR's most underrated drivers.

HoneyBadger

HoneyBadger

I love short track racing (Taylor's Version)
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Watching Greg Biffle in this truck race running second inspired me to make this thread. This guy is easily one of the most underrated drivers in history.

Who else?
 
Chris Buescher, Ryan Newman, Ross Chastain, Timmy Hill, Landon Cassill, Jordan Anderson, Bayley Currey
 
I don't think underrated means what you think it means. Biffle drove for a top tier organization (Roush) for a number of years with a top tier sponsor (3M) during a time when his teammate(Kenseth) won the title and others were in the hunt other years(Biffle and Edwards depending on the year)

His ultimate lack of a championship(Cup) and more wins is the reason he isn't rated higher.
 
He does have the distinction of being the only one ever called a bug eyed dummy on national TV that I am aware of though ;)
 
Madman88 said:
I don't think underrated means what you think it means. Biffle drove for a top tier organization (Roush) for a number of years with a top tier sponsor (3M) during a time when his teammate(Kenseth) won the title and others were in the hunt other years(Biffle and Edwards depending on the year)

His ultimate lack of a championship(Cup) and more wins is the reason he isn't rated higher.
Click to expand...

I think this is closer to accurate. He likely would have won more races if Roush had remained a top-tier organization from 2012-2016, but how many more? If he finishes with 24 Cup wins rather than 19, does that change his career assessment that much?

He's a wheelman and fun to watch, but I'm not sure who would be typically ranked ahead of him who is actually not as good.
 
I don’t feel that Roush was ever “top tier.”
They were always a step behind.
The drivers that had success at Roush did so out of personal skill and determination.
JMO.
 
BobbyFord said:
I don’t feel that Roush was ever “top tier.”
They were always a step behind.
The drivers that had success at Roush did so out of personal skill and determination.
JMO.
Click to expand...

I don't know. There was a time when they had a clear organizational advantage on intermediates, back in the early Roush / Yates days. NASCAR made the four-car rule largely to contain Jack from running 6, 7, 8 of them out there.
 
Roush was a victim of their own circumstances. Jack wanted a **** ton of money for sponsorship, remember when Kurt Busch during his championship season was unsponsored? Carl Edwards was as well when he started in Cup for Roush.

They had up to five cars at one point. Jack micro-managed everything and had his crew along with Jimmy Fenig for years. Jack became successful in his own way and Mark Martin was the generational talent to carry the banner for years. Jack didn't keep up with the times and fell behind the curb when the Gen 6 came about. Post 2014, Roush was riding in the mid-field on a weekly basis.

He's like the Frank Williams/Patrick Head (w/ Fenig) of NASCAR. Hot-headed, stubborn, and it was his way or gtfo of the way type of deal.
 
I don't think Kurt's personality jived over at SHR. He found himself driving for some iffy teams because of his personality, but his driving talent was hard to deny. So far it looks like a good fit with Ganassi.
 
BobbyFord said:
I don’t feel that Roush was ever “top tier.”
They were always a step behind.
The drivers that had success at Roush did so out of personal skill and determination.
JMO.
Click to expand...
you must have started watching after '05, I don't think biffle was underrated. I don't think he ever won on a short track. don't get me wrong I thought it was cool seeing biffle win tonight. but hey as kyle said today can't get it done in a KBM truck, you suck basically. underrated, I am going to go with robby gordon.
 
hidesert cowboy said:
you must have started watching after '05, I don't think biffle was underrated. I don't think he ever won on a short track. don't get me wrong I thought it was cool seeing biffle win tonight. but hey as kyle said today can't get it done in a KBM truck, you suck basically. underrated, I am going to go with robby gordon.
Click to expand...
I started watching in the late 60s
 
DaBiff1618 said:
Under appreciated: Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd

Underrated: Marcos Ambrose, Ricky Stenhouse, Chris Buescher, Dave Blaney
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Underappreciated: Kurt Busch, Ricky Rudd, Bobby Isaac, Billy Wade

Underrated: Chris Buescher, Matt DiBenedetto, Michael McDowell, Dick Brooks, Ernie Irvan, Dick Hutcherson
 
Someone else threw it out there as well, but I’ve thought about this over the years...

I’m highly impressed with what Ricky Rudd did in his career. I honestly think his name should be dropped around a lot more.

I give him credit for pulling off the ‘gutsy-ist’ Drive in my opinion... when he did what he does and roughed out that hot afternoon in martinsville to win that race after they splashed him with hot water in the pits too... dude was getting oxygen in victory lane! That’s a moment right there.

Also, didn’t he tape his eye lids open, to run a race... after he got banged up in a wreck?!
 
Ricky Rudd and Ernie Irvan were both very underrated.

Rick Mast was underrated, and IMO one of the best drivers to never win a Cup race.

Chris Buescher is currently the most underrated driver in NASCAR.
 
I know we can play the "what could have been" game all day long, but if Ernie doesn't wreck at Michigan in '94, he had a good shot at the championship that year. If it weren't for the injuries, maybe he wins a couple of titles in the 28 car. If Rudd doesn't leave Hendrick in '94 to start his own team, I think he could have won a championship too. The 5 team won the title a couple years later with Terry.

And as far as owner/drivers go, Rudd was one of the most successful. He deserves a lot of credit for that.
 
Clear winner here
Mike+Harmon+NASCAR+XFINITY+Series+VFW+Sport+Laeu28Md-9jl.jpg
 
I'm not sure if underrated is right but Steve park was very good before the Darlington. wreck

Rom Hornady was so good in the trucks at twice the age of a lot of his competition. I would like to know what he could have done in a quality cup ride in his prime years.
 
John Doe. For all the unknowns that never got a decent ride. I am not blaming anyone, it is the nature of the beast. Racing like a lot things in life will never be fair.

@KenBurns this here is a good quote to use for whenever you do a racing documentary
 
BobbyFord said:
I don’t feel that Roush was ever “top tier.”
They were always a step behind.
The drivers that had success at Roush did so out of personal skill and determination.
JMO.
Click to expand...

The team won back to back Championships in what is now the Monster Energy Cup Series in 2003 and 2004, kurt bush and Matt.k.

Roush Racing set a NASCAR record by putting all five of its race teams in the Chase
for the Nextel Cup in 2005

Biffle drive for Roush from 2003 - 2016, they were most definitely top tier during Biff's early tenure.
 
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