Race Hub's top 50 drivers

T

Tommy

Guest
Tonight at 6PM EST they announce the top 25, any speculation who the top 3 will be?
 
If they go by Championships, the obvious. I really liked Petty but he wasnt one of the greatest drivers. He just had the others out "manufactured". Once the others caught up it was over for Petty. Bobby Allison and David Pearson were better
 
Among the Petty records set in a 34-year driving career are two that almost certainly will stand the test of time—and both were recorded 50 years ago, in the 1967 NASCAR season. Petty won an astonishing 27 races (of 48 total run) and, more remarkably, won 10 in a row. Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, 10 in a row.
It’s tempting to make the claim that Petty had such a bonanza of a season in 1967 because he had little competition. That would be a dangerous road to take. Among Petty’s competitors that season were Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Fred Lorenzen and Mario Andretti. A racing murderers row.
http://autoweek.com/article/monster...d-petty-set-nascar-records-1967-will-never-be

When Petty drove a Ford for one year. 1969
Petty started off his Ford season with a bang at Riverside, winning the road course the first time he raced behind the wheel of his Ford. He would go on to win eight more races that season and do so well that he came in second in the overall point standings (losing out only to David Pearson, driving another Ford).
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motors...time-richard-petty-forsook-plymouth-for-ford/
 
Shouldn't it be a top 70 for 70 seasons?
 
has anyone followed prior positions? 4-10 would eliminate any potential top 3.

my top 3 opinion: 43, 3, 48 it's about championships, followed by wins.

Pearson, Gordon, Allison, Waltrip, and Yarborough are incredible racers that talents and rivalries with the three prior names also raised the sport to where it is.

JMO
 
Jimmie
Dale
Pearson

Petty
Gordon


Then you have your
Cale, Bobby Allison, Dws

Then Tony

Then the Bill Elliot, Rustys and Kyle Busches

Then there's everyone else
 
StandOnIt said:
Among the Petty records set in a 34-year driving career are two that almost certainly will stand the test of time—and both were recorded 50 years ago, in the 1967 NASCAR season. Petty won an astonishing 27 races (of 48 total run) and, more remarkably, won 10 in a row. Let that sink in for a moment. Yes, 10 in a row.
It’s tempting to make the claim that Petty had such a bonanza of a season in 1967 because he had little competition. That would be a dangerous road to take. Among Petty’s competitors that season were Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Fred Lorenzen and Mario Andretti. A racing murderers row.
http://autoweek.com/article/monster...d-petty-set-nascar-records-1967-will-never-be

When Petty drove a Ford for one year. 1969
Petty started off his Ford season with a bang at Riverside, winning the road course the first time he raced behind the wheel of his Ford. He would go on to win eight more races that season and do so well that he came in second in the overall point standings (losing out only to David Pearson, driving another Ford).
https://www.roadandtrack.com/motors...time-richard-petty-forsook-plymouth-for-ford/
Click to expand...
Factory support, Petty had it when others did not. When Chrysler left him the and the others started getting help the worm turned around 1975
 
Spotter22 said:
Factory support, Petty had it when others did not. When Chrysler left him the and the others started getting help the worm turned around 1975
Click to expand...

Won the championship his first full season in the chevrolet in 1979. Beating Jr Johnson and Cale, and Darrell Waltrip who was paired with Crew Chief Buddy Parrot in the Digard car.
I think age as with almost all other greats was what slowed him down.
 
Greg said:
Won the championship his first full season in the chevrolet in 1979. Beating Jr Johnson and Cale, and Darrell Waltrip who was paired with Crew Chief Buddy Parrot in the Digard car.
I think age as with almost all other greats was what slowed him down.
Click to expand...
And the fact that after 1971 the schedule was cut nearly in half. Obviously less opportunity for wins.
 
I find Petty overrated.

Replace Dale with him, or Johnson with him, and Petty doesnt win 7.
 
Petty won 10 in a row in 67 with the same car. used it for every kind of track. Not buying the factory support story. They did it with an 8 man crew, rebuilt the car completely after every race. Ford had 11 cars in the field when he was doing it.
 
I don't want to totally trash the list too badly. This is all subjective stuff, real stats matter but get 10 diehard fans together and you are going to get 10 different ideas on how to interpret the results.

My biggest criticism would be having analyst that are also evaluating others that they work with.
That is how I think Waltrip gets rated better than Allison, Gordon better than Earnhardt.
Even Dale Jarrett and Ned Jarretts driving resumes gets a non driving bonus benefit from their broadcast network resumes

And yep this post is subjective as well.
 
StandOnIt said:
Petty won 10 in a row in 67 with the same car. used it for every kind of track. Not buying the factory support story. They did it with an 8 man crew, rebuilt the car completely after every race. Ford had 11 cars in the field when he was doing it.
Click to expand...
Why would you need another car? Short trackers run the same car all year and the majority of the races back then were short tracks. When you've got Chrysler paying the bills and giving you the best you can do that.
 
Larsonfan1995 said:
And the fact that after 1971 the schedule was cut nearly in half. Obviously less opportunity for wins.
Click to expand...

From 1972 going forward for about 20 years they ran significantly less races than they do now.
 
It's not just the driver. There are a lot of factors behind successful drivers. Number 1 is money makes speed; having a good sponsor affects on track performance. A good team is significant too; a good organization makes it easier for a driver. And there are the intangibles such as creative engineering, the gray areas, having an advantage no one else has. The best teams and sponsors got to pick the best drivers available. A lot of it still falls on the driver though. And I'd say it isn't fair to compare drivers from different eras; they can only be compared to their peers.
 
Here is the funny thing, just what constitutes the greatest driver? Over all the years I have followed NASCAR, since the 60s, I think the most talented driver I ever watched was Tim Richmond. After Tim, I would say KDB, and I don't even like the guy. My opinon is simply based on what I saw those two drivers did with their race cars.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sdj
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom