4. But, Lorenzen did it simply because it was something he wanted to do. Elliott earned Most Popular Driver honors through a fan vote. He was the first NASCAR champion to win back-to-back-to-back championships from 1976-1978. Look for this young man to continue to grow in support for years to come. It can be both behind the wheel and behind the scenes. In his new role, Sawyer will oversee all aspects of on-track competition, inspection, rule development and officiating, focusing specifically on NASCARs three national series Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series. Parsons, or as many knew him BP, is still missed to this day. Who could ever forget his infamous "Icky Shuffle" after his win in the 1989 Daytona 500 or his fully chromed out car and driver suit in the Winston from 1997 through 2000. Simply put, Tim Richmond was the first "rock star" of NASCAR. Fast, fearless and controversial, he died of AIDS in 1989, two years after his final race. These days, Lorenzen focuses mainly on the stock market and makes a lot of money using his portfolio. Each one comes to the track wearing familiar colors of their driver, just showing the passion that the sport brings out. Busch races for the Richard Childress Racing team and has a . Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics. But, Gordon has changed the last few years in his career. Smith finished third in the Craftsman Truck Series standings last year, recording three wins, nine top fives and 16 top 10s. He has 25 wins behind the wheel of the truck and is a two-time champion in the series, winning his second title this season. ISC Archives via Getty Images. That nickname goes to Jeff Burton, who is one of the more outspoken drivers in the garage. He heads into his final year tied for ninth on NASCAR's all-time wins list with 60 career victories and 13 consecutive playoff appearances. 1953 - Lee Petty. At the same time, he was one of the more quiet drivers, as he didn't exactly show his emotions when he got angry at other competitors. Busch has termed it the "unwind lap," in that he drives around the track backwards. 5. However, he has become ever popular alongside Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds when FOX does the first half of the season. That is yet to be seen as his career is just getting warmed up. Despite only competing in 20 or less events a year, Allison was one that every driver knew could be a winner at any point. Bodine has a lot of layers as he's competed in all three top NASCAR touring series, but his best success has come in the Camping World Truck Series. Chase Elliott sits in fifth with four wins. Missed one race due to the death of his father. A trusted voice in the garage, Scott used his decades of experience to lead our competition team to new heights during a time that saw a new race format, a new playoff format and a new race car. Blaney has only released two videos so far, but there is an opportunity for more. The older of the Labonte brothers, Terry has enjoyed a guaranteed Hall of Fame career in NASCAR. Rebuilding will be my top priority. He won the Winston Open that year to qualify for the Winston event at Charlotte. 2. I see the hats and the t-shirts and all that stuff is noticed. NASCAR TV schedule: Week of Jan. 16-22, 2023. . I knew any list worth it's salt would have Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and . These days, Elliott is running a partial schedule with the Wood Brothers, but to his legions of fans, he will always be Awesome Bill from Dawsonville. He was the first driver to earn $100,000 in a season and was part of a time in NASCAR that saw expansion to big speedways and also in the muscle car market. Allison remains one of the most popular drivers from the early days and continues the legacy of one of the more famous names in NASCAR. Has won at least one race for 17 consecutive years, tying him for second with David Pearson on the all-time list. 1 greatest moment in the sport. For most of its 75-year history, and particularly since the early 1970s, the focal point of the NASCAR Cup Series has been the season championship. It was simply because he gave the champ a run for his money. It's quite different to see the driver of the No. It's not because Todd Bodine has a bad smell or makes people cry. He still remains a fixture in NASCAR to this day, and his legacy will never be forgotten. It has been a great experience over the years seeing him grow and become a very talented driver.. 43, they know who drove it. In the mid-1990s, Geoff Bodine was having a lot of success as a driver, winning races and earning a lot of respect from his fellow drivers. Lee Petty First three-time Cup champion in series history. I have been a proud member of this extraordinary team for eight years, and I look forward to continuing to help grow the outstanding competition weve seen over the last several seasons, Sawyer said. His run-in with Jeff Gordon in 2006 at Bristol was a hot topic, but it showed that Kenseth was not one to take lightly. Probst, who most recently held the title of senior vice president of racing innovation, oversaw the development and evolution of the Next Gen race car. 1: Woody Arrington: Aberdeen, North Carolina : 2: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award for 15 consecutive. The race winner will receive a gold medal, the runner-up will receive a silver medal, and the third-place finisher will be given the bronze medal in the exhibition race. Here is a list of those five drivers, listed in alphabetical order. He chased the championship across 23 full-time seasons in the sport, falling short on several agonizing occasions. While Elliott took home Most Popular Driver honors for the Cup Series, the award was also given to two star drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series. Rudd would win the race, pull into victory lane and have to be pulled from the car in order to get some fresh air. For Dave Marcis, his racing career spanned over 30 years and saw him win only five times. After running to the front of the field, he and Kurt Busch had an intense battle that saw both bump and beat on each other for seven corners. Probably the first driver to turn car owner and have great success was Junior Johnson. Most Popular Driver - NASCAR Cup Series | Official Site Of NASCAR Skip to content Top Nav Tickets Shop Quick Links: Schedule 2022 Results Clash Schedule Daytona Schedule NASCAR on TV. John Probst has been promoted to chief racing development officer; Dr. Eric Jacuzzi has been promoted to vice president of vehicle performance; Dr. John Patalak has been promoted to vice president of safety engineering; and Brandon Thomas has been promoted to vice president of vehicle design. As long as the fans buy the products, his popularity is secure. The following year, Busch found himself on the wrong end of the lawliterally. Let's count down the 50 most popular drivers in NASCAR to find out. Cassill, 33, drove the No. Although his NASCAR career didn't see victory lane in Cup competition, Wallace admits his proudest moment was finishing second behind Dale Earnhardt in his final victory. Some drivers have their peers come for advice, sometimes for issues in the race and sometimes it's advice outside the race. 6. 9.2 Part-time drivers. The fans have grown to appreciate this young talent, and have also been introduced to a new way of celebrating a win. That race has been nicknamed "Won From Above" simply because of how all the numbers lined up. Elliott cruised to the regular season championship and made it all the way to the Championship 4 by winning five times and earning 12 top fives, 20 top 10s and three poles with a Cup Series-leading 857 laps led. Popular because he was tough, something many of today's drivers have taken to heart. NASCAR Wednesday named former driver and long-time official Elton Sawyer its senior vice president of competition, replacing Scott Miller, who will assume the newly formed role of competition strategist. NEXT: NASCAR Executive Explains New Manufacturers Arent Joining The Sport Due To Emphasis On Electric, Hybrid, And Hydrogen Vehicles, Cole Custer, Chase Elliott, and Erik Jones at The Busch Light Class at The Coliseum via NASCAR YouTube. The winner of the most awards is Bill Elliott with 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. 1957 - Fireball Roberts. Sawyer joined NASCAR in February of 2015 as managing director of the Craftsman Truck Series. It wasn't the collision on the backstretch, nor was it the wreck entering Turn 3. 1958 - Glen Wood. Patalak, who has worked at the NASCAR R&D Center since 2005, oversees NASCARs safety team, researching, developing and approving driver and vehicle safety systems. At the same time, then-Joe Gibbs Racing driver Tony Stewart announced he would leave the organization to start his own team. The cooling system in his car failed, but he was in the lead at Martinsville despite the temperatures beyond miserable. That's what earned him induction into the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame. Elliott continued his career with his own team in the mid-1990s but got a resurgence in 2001 when he signed with Evernham Motorsports to bring Dodge back to NASCAR and also bring back the No. His 50 career wins are not his biggest credit but more of what he discovered in NASCAR that still continues today. He's not just racing for him and his wife, he's racing for his family. The list in no alphabetical order features some expected names. The list also includes Christopher Bell, reigning champion Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney. 6-keys: media/spln/nascar/reg/free/stories, at Thomas joined NASCAR in 2019 following time as a crew chief and engineer with Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Petty Enterprises, Red Bull Racing and Hall of Fame Racing. This list includes Justin. 24 Chevrolet at the track with his three-year old daughter, Ella, and also his new son, Leo and wife, Ingrid. The list in alphabetical order includes Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR Twitter By today's terms, these would lead to what we now call "start and park" teams. 8. 2 of 20. 6. He has been credited as being one of the biggest in the safety movement following Dale Earnhardt's death in 2001. As will young NASCAR stars Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, and Ryan Blaney, who look to claim glory as they climb the NASCAR rankings. NASCAR on TV; Drivers; In a series first, NASCAR will award medals to the top three finishers in a Cup race. Long continued to race, but after an engine fiasco at the Sprint All-Star Race a few years ago that saw him penalized $250,000, we didn't hear much from him. NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (as of February 1998), List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners, List of members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, The Inside Groove.com Historical NASCAR Image Gallery, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NASCAR%27s_50_Greatest_Drivers&oldid=1130570646, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, * = Deceased before February 1998 ceremony, ** = Deceased after February 1998 ceremony, This page was last edited on 30 December 2022, at 21:21. Following his lengthy driving career, Elton held key leadership positions for several race teams and here at NASCAR for the last eight seasons. Another member of the Alabama Gang, Bobby Allison's career is one that is among the finest in NASCAR. Burton also is one that doesn't sugar coat what he feels and will speak his mind. Joey Lagano, 1939 GMC Pickup. Roberts' career was most significantly defined on the original NASCAR speedway, Darlington. Earnhardt and co-host Mike Davis raise the bar with unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and fascinating, first-person insight into the life of a broadcaster, celebrated racer. Petty just took a different path and saw the sport grow to what it is today. He was also involved in the finish of the first Daytona 500, despite being two laps down to the leader. He won 26 times between 1961 and 1967 and never ran a full schedule (although he finished third in points in 1963). That is determination. In that capacity, Sawyer oversaw race event management, transportation and NASCAR official training and development. Despite the treatment working, later that year he was readmitted to the hospital because of complications. But, he was the first name read for the 2011 class of inductees, as his statistics and demeanor were more than enough to get the respect of his peers and the fans. 7. But, it was his death the following year that really showed how well he was liked. The list in alphabetical order includes Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr. RELATED: Jeff Burton Explains Why He Believes Joey Logano Is The Most Valuable Race Car Driver In The Sport. Kyle, Richard and the entire Petty family were devastated when such talent and such charm was robbed from NASCAR. First, the current top 10, alphabetically, as voted by fans at Nascar.com/mostpopulardriver/ Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick,. Danica Patrick 10. The 1999 champion, Dale Jarrett, is on this list not just because of his popularity among the fans and the drivers. After more than 40 years around race cars week after week, its time to step back and look at the next chapter of my life in motorsports, Miller said. Busch has divided NASCAR fans since the early days of his career. But, it was the first Craftsman Truck race at Daytona that put his popularity and his will to live on the map. Don't forget to vote!: https://t.co/jUZfQDZWSa pic.twitter.com/D1v14X8TYG. His crazy antics in the garage are well known just as much as his ability to drive the race car. Probst joined NASCAR in 2016, providing senior oversight of an engineering group that develops and incorporates new technology into all aspects of NASCAR competition. He debuted on the NASCAR national series scene in 1983, racing in what is now the Xfinity Series. I have been a proud member of this extraordinary team for eight years, and I look forward to continuing to help grow the outstanding competition weve seen over the last several seasons, Sawyer said. He finished second in the points three other years. Jacuzzi, who manages aerodynamic engineering for NASCAR, joined the sanctioning body after working as a computational aerodynamicist for Corvid Technologies. His career ended in 1960 after a crash at Daytona, but he has forever been credited as being one of the pioneers of the sport we know today. Johnson won six NASCAR titles as a car owner, three each from Cale Yarborough (1976-1978) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-1982, 1985). To be known as a Winston Cup champion became a much-coveted honor. We started sponsoring him when he was eight years old. Or, could it have something to do with his most famous sponsor, Hooters? In 1998, his lone victory showcased Rudd's refusal to yield. Chandler Smith will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in a third Chevrolet entered by Kaulig Racing. 1954 - Lee Petty. Richard Petty Honorable Mentions FAQ Who are the wealthiest NASCAR drivers? Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Elton Sawyer named to NASCARs top competition position, Chandler Smith to attempt Daytona 500 for Kaulig Racing, Landon Cassill wont return to Kaulig Racing Xfinity car full-time, NASCAR to award medals to top three finishers of Busch Clash, MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. to run Xfinity race at Bristol, MORE: Stewart-Haas sets crew chief lineup, MORE: Chandler Smith to attempt Daytona 500, MORE: NASCAR to award medals to top three finishes in Clash. In NASCAR, he became arguably the most popular driver of the 2000s by winning 49 career Cup Series races from 1999-2016. Sure, he eventually caved in and did drive the truck. View Fullscreen. He was also the champion in 1962 and 1963. There has never been, nor ever will be again, another Dale Earnhardt. Who knows where Reutimann's popularity will go, but you can bet he's living his own dream in NASCAR. His unfortunate death a year later from pneumonia following a scary crash with Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson cut short a promising career. When he joined NASCAR in 2016, Scott lent immediate credibility to the position. The result was typically a win, a wreck or an exploding engine.
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