Which driver do you think has performed best for Rousch past or present?

Greg

Greg

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Which driver do you think has performed best for Rousch past or present?


If you are tired of talking Kurt Busch here is a little diversion, and even as a Chevy man I know Jack commands a lot of respect.


In many respects he is the face of Ford, he has 2 Cup titles, 3 NWS titles, and 1 CWS title coming into his 25th year of Sprint/Nextel/Winston Cup competition (a few years more if you are count the old Busch Series years prior).


Many have driven for Rousch, to many for me to exhaustively list.. If your memory needs help search racing reference/owners/Rousch



So which driver do you think has perform(ed) Best for him?
 
I will go with Martin, not for the stats but helping develop Rousch racing.



A strong case for could be made for the understated Kenseth. A CUP title and two Daytona 500 wins.


Honorable mention for Bifle the CWS title, and a NWS title


Edwards still has time to change the records.


But Martin has my vote for the moment.
 
I don't think there is any question that Mark Martin had the biggest impact on Roush racing. Right now, Kenseth is the best driver, with Biffle and Edwards a close 2nd.
 
They all seem about the same. All very good. Too few Cups for the equipment they have, though.
 
While Martin is the better imo, Kenseth has been and is the best Deal closer. I think Martins the type to enter the Hall on the first eligible year, but there are a lot of "close but no cigars". Some were just unfair cases, but still a reality imo, a little to nice or principled for his own good.
 
Greg said:
While Martin is the better imo, Kenseth has been and is the best Deal closer. I think Martins the type to enter the Hall on the first eligible year, but there are a lot of "close but no cigars". Some were just unfair cases, but still a reality imo, a little to nice or principled for his own good.
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Carl is the new Roush poster child for blown opportunity.
 
Mark Martin's also been a championship contender in three different eras of NASCAR racing... far and above Kenseth and Edwards. You've also got to look at the guys Mark's finished second to in points: Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, all multi-time Cup champions who have cemented their place in with the all time greats. And there's a lot of room for debate about 1990.

In 1990, his team incurred a 46-point penalty after a race at Richmond for using an illegal carburetor spacer, even though NASCAR agreed it had not enhanced his performance.
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http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/29/popular-martin-shows-softer-side-in-nascars-chase/

The other thing to look at is how many times Martin contended for the championship and finished in the top-ten in points for 11 consecutive seasons, all the way until his dismal 2001 season. His streak of consistency was unmatched and the only driver who may actually be able to match it is Jimmie Johnson.

They don't call Mark, "The greatest driver to never win a championship" for nothing. He's made his case for Hall of Fame. Right now, I think Mark's the only driver who's never won a championship that one can look at and make a Hall of Fame case. Maybe Harvick, Edwards and Busch down the road but they still have a chance to win championships.
 
Great question/thread, Greg!!

Kurt? Matt? Neither would be at the top of this list for me.
Jeff Burton? A consistent driver but never a true Championship contender.
Wally's World included a stop in the Roush camp but no cee-gar.
Same for Jamie Mac and Ted Musgrave as Roushkateers.
Eddie Haskell? puh-leeze. I have nothing against Chad Little but...
Greg Biffle is still young enough to make a mark but he had better get it on.
What is David Ragan capable of? Time will tell.
But without a moment's hesitation, my answer to this question is Mark Martin!
 
Has to be Mark Martin. He was there and winning races from the beginning, in a one car operation. Not to mention all the BGN wins.

Beyond that, you have to give a call to Jeff Burton. He seemed like the only guy not named Gordon who could win races regularly from '97-'00.
 
Just ask yourselves this when debating, how many other drivers could win races at 50 years-old? Earnhardt probably could have. Aside from that, who else?
 
Good question, Andy! Petty got his 200th and final victoey in 1984 at the age of 47. He drove his last race in 1991.

Neil Bonnett might have been able to do it but he died. Harry Gant might have been able to do it but he chose to retire. Beyond that, I don't know. Jeff Gordon may be the only one with a realistic shot. And that's only if he chooses to run till he's 50.

I do expect that we will see more drivers extending their careers than we have in the past. With the notable reduction in the number of catastrophic injuries, the relative ease with which today's cars can be driven and the air filters used by teams to reduce carbon-monoxide ingestion, drivers will stay healthier longer. If they can find sponsorship, they will keep on driving!
 
robbybee said:
Good question, Andy! Petty got his 200th and final victoey in 1984 at the age of 47. He drove his last race in 1991.

Neil Bonnett might have been able to do it but he died. Harry Gant might have been able to do it but he chose to retire. Beyond that, I don't know. Jeff Gordon may be the only one with a realistic shot. And that's only if he chooses to run till he's 50.

I do expect that we will see more drivers extending their careers than we have in the past. With the notable reduction in the number of catastrophic injuries, the relative ease with which today's cars can be driven and the air filters used by teams to reduce carbon-monoxide ingestion, drivers will stay healthier longer. If they can find sponsorship, they will keep on driving!
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Harry Gant won at 52 years old. He won 8 times after turning 50.




Oldest Sprint Cup Race Winners Driver, Date, Track, Age (22 wins by 11 drivers over 50) 1) Harry Gant, 8/6/1992, Michigan, 52 years, 7 months, 6 days (Gant won 8 races after turning 50, and his last pole was at 54 years old, Bristol 1994) 2) Morgan Shepherd, 3/20/1993, Atlanta, 51 years, 4 months, 27 days 3) Mark Martin, 9/20/2009, New Hampshire, 50 years, 8 months, 10 days (Martin has won 5 races after turning 50) 4) Bobby Allison, 2/14/1988, Daytona, 50 years, 2 months, 11 days 5) Dale Earnhardt, 10/15/2000, Talladega, 49 years, 5 months, 16 days 6) Dale Jarrett, 10/2/2005, Talladega, 48 years, 10 months, 6 days 7) Bill Elliott, 11/9/2003, Rockingham, 48 years, 1 month, 1 day 8) Rusty Wallace, 4/18/2004, Martinsville, 47 years, 8 months, 4 days 9) Geoff Bodine, 8/11/1996, Watkins Glen, 47 years, 3 months, 24 days 10) Richard Petty, 7/4/1984, Daytona, 47 years, 2 days 11) Terry Labonte, 8/31/2003, Darlington,






Pasted from jayski, probably a better format and read from actual link.
 
Hands down Mark Martin followed by Matt Kenseth. I was really rooting for Musgrave and Little but thats the breaks when your the R&D guys.
 
I'm gonna say Matt Kenseth. He's got the Championship and 2 Daytona 500 trophies. He's a constant contender, and I think he's a good team mate. I'd give Mark credit for helping grow Roush, but I think Kenseth brought them up another level.
 
Thegroundpounder99 said:
I'm gonna say Matt Kenseth. He's got the Championship and 2 Daytona 500 trophies. He's a constant contender, and I think he's a good team mate. I'd give Mark credit for helping grow Roush, but I think Kenseth brought them up another level.
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Mark Martin didn't have to wreck anybody to achieve his accomplishments.

I think Kenseth's under-rated but I think everyone here knows how I feel about Kenseth's driving style and his general acting skills.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Mark Martin didn't have to wreck anybody to achieve his accomplishments.

I think Kenseth's under-rated but I think everyone here knows how I feel about Kenseth's driving style and his general acting skills.
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If the question was what I thought of Matt Kenseth, I'm sure our opinions would be the same cause truthfully I can't stand the smug little bas*^rd.
 
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