Let the debate begin-ESPN best drivers

[PJ]

ESPN - Kinser, Mansell, Garlits, Lauda, and Muldowney set high standards - Racing



I would argue that Shirley and Garlits are too low. Seeing how low Shirley and Big are I would think Force is the only other drag racer that will make the list.

 

[Joker]

There is no way Shirley should be before Big. No way. I'd bet the only other drag racer on the list is Force. Probably top 10 but I bet Nascar guys and Michael Shoe dominate the top 5 and most of the top 10. Though I have to say, in my opinion, The King Steve Kinser is too low. He's raced 29 seasons and won the championship 20 times. Thats a 69% percentage on winning the championship. Thats unreal. Just think what it would have been if he didnt quit for a few years and try nascar.

 

[davey]

Kinser should be in the top 10.

Top 10 will probably be dominated by A. Senna, M. Schumacher, Jeff Gordon, Foyt, Mario A., A. Unser, R. Mears, R. Petty, Earnhardt, and a player to be named later. Maybe Force.

 

[stanman]

Don't fool yourselves... we're lucky that more than one or two drag racers make the list. It's a guarantee that the top 10 will be nothing but open wheel and nascar... the elitist snobbery of the media will probably populate the majority of the top 10 with open wheel (Indy/Cart/F1) drivers.

Muldowney should be ahead of Garlits from a driving stand point. Force will be in there some place. Glidden should but probably won't.

The fact that Steve Kinser is #25 proves the list is joke. He is a top 5er, hands down.

Kinser not only DOMINATED his particular brand of racing for 20+ years but also won in IROC and finished 14th at Indy in his first start. No other driver in the history of motorsports can claim such proficiency in any form of racing!

 

[Lori]

AOL had another article on women drivers in motorsports today. It had a picture of Melanie, Ashley and Danica. There were more pictures of NHRA women if you clicked on and read the story, but most of the article was on NASCAR, IRL, and some other types of racing. However, I was glad to see the NHRA being represented.

 

[PJ]

What about the dirtbike guys Mcgrath and Carmicheal (sp) I don't follow it but they seem to have both won a ton. I see top 10's there.

And that off road guys Ironman Stewart?

I'm glad drag racers are at least on the list. I would think Shirly and Garlits would have been 10-15 range

 

[paoldtimer]

Tony Stewart should definitely be higher on that list. He can drive it all and win in all forms.

Kinser definitely should be higher but because it's only in the sprint car that he has excelled, I'm just glad he made the list.

My all-time favorite driver - Ayrton Senna will definitely be in the top 5 along with AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt and maybe Schumacher.

 

[PJ]

Here's a powder keg.

Gordon or Dale Who will be higher? Stats are pretty close I do believe although I think Gordon has done it in less years.

 

[PJ]

Dale
Starts Championships Wins Top5 Top10 Avg. finish win%
676 7 76 281 428 11.0 11.2




Jeff

Races Championships Wins Top 5 Top 10 Avg. Finish win%
551 4 81 238 322 12.3 14.7

I think in the traditional points Gordon would have had at least 1 more championship.




Good grief my computer is coughing and gaging now, I actually went to a nascar site

 

[davey]

Tony Stewart should definitely be higher on that list. He can drive it all and win in all forms.

Kinser definitely should be higher but because it's only in the sprint car that he has excelled, I'm just glad he made the list.

My all-time favorite driver - Ayrton Senna will definitely be in the top 5 along with AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt and maybe Schumacher.

I think your top 5 is pretty spot on but there has to be room for Richard Petty somewhere. Who gets bumped?

 

[mick]

kinda' fun reading the posts on that website.
obvious drag racing nay-sayers and supporters.
i'd bet $$ some regulars on here are responsible for
a couple of the pro-drag race posts??

 

[PJ]

Oh yeah I'm on there a couple of times pasj739

 

[PJ]

I just saw that Kenny Berstein is one of the voters on this

 

[Joker]

I think the top 10 should be in no order:

Richard Petty- 7 championships and 200 wins

Dale Earnhardt-7 championships (Who knows how many wins he would have had if they ran as many races in his life as they did back when Petty was in
his heydey)

Jeff Gordon-4 should be 5 championships and was probably the most dominating driver of the last 2 decades

AJ Foyt-AJ may be an ass but he's the man when behind the wheel of anything.

Mario Andretti- An Indy car great.

Michael Schumacher- Didnt he win every race he entered? Well it just seemed like it but he was pretty close. total domination mostly.

John Force- 14 championships. 120 plus national event wins. And he is NHRA Drag Racing.

Steve Kinser- The King is just that, 20 WoO Championships. Thats enough for me.

Ayrton Senna-I have to be honest, I dont know alot about Senna.

Bob Glidden- 10 time world champ. Some seasons totally dominated the whole class. Had probably the greatest drag racing rivalry of all time with Lee Shepherd.

 

[Jim]

kinda' fun reading the posts on that website.
obvious drag racing nay-sayers and supporters.
i'd bet $$ some regulars on here are responsible for
a couple of the pro-drag race posts??

It can actually get scary to read some (especially) pro-NASCAR posts.

There's a perception (probably accurate) that Drag Racing is "easier". The "bar to entry" is about as low and democratic as in ANY other form of motorsports.
It is certainly simpler but, I'd bet, the folks at the top of each class, COULD be successful in other forms of motorsports.
Is there anyone who doesn't think an Antron Brown (or Dave Connelly or JEGGY) is "wired" in such a way that he could probably (with a minimal amout of preparation) qualify a Sprint-Cup car or a Trans-Am or even a Formula 1 car?
Racers are racers and the top ones would be top performers no-matter which TYPE they chose.

 

[stanman]

...Kinser definitely should be higher but because it's only in the sprint car that he has excelled, I'm just glad he made the list...

Cheryl,

Kinser didn't just excell in sprint cars. He ran and won in other series too. He was a contender in every IROC race he ran and won one race. And he finish 14th in his first start at Indy. I consider that a lot more impressive than Danica finishing 4th in her first Indy since Kinser had only tested in an Indy car prior to the race.

 

[BF]

I think the top 10 should be in no order:



Mario Andretti- An Indy car great.


QUOTE]

Left out some stuff on Mario:
He won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. He won the Champ Car National Championship four times and was a three-time winner at Sebring. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars – on ovals, road courses, drag strips, on dirt and on pavement.

Note: had to research the drag strip..."He even tried drag racing in 1968 – driving a Ford Mustang – and earned eight more Champ Car victories en route to second place in the Champ Car point standings."

 

[NHRADeuce]

Kinser being that low kinda screws the whole list. I am ok with Big and Cha Cha being that low because there are better and more accomplished drivers in NHRA. I was going to give my top 10, but I couldn't decide who to cut off this list.

My top 11 in no particular order -

Mario Andretti - F1, CART, IROC championships, lots and lots of race wins in many series
Michael Schumacher - 91 career victories, 7 championships - 5 consecutive
John Force - 125 career victories, 14 championships - 10 consecutive
Ivan Steward - 84 career victories and 10 championships
Richard Petty - 7 championships, 200 wins
Steve Kinser - 20 championships, 543 Feature wins
Jeremy McGrath - 102 wins, 12 championships - 4 consecutive and 3 consecutive
Giacomo Agostini - 122 wins, 15 championships
Ayrton Senna - 41 wins, 3 championships
Juan Manuel Fangio - 24 wins, 5 championships (in 8 years of racing!)
Bob Glidden - 85 wins, 10 championships - 5 consecutive

 

[G'ginna]

I think the top 10 should be in no order:



Mario Andretti- An Indy car great.


QUOTE]

Left out some stuff on Mario:
He won the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500, the Formula One World Championship and the Pikes Peak Hillclimb. He won the Champ Car National Championship four times and was a three-time winner at Sebring. He won races in sports cars, sprint cars and stock cars – on ovals, road courses, drag strips, on dirt and on pavement.

Note: had to research the drag strip..."He even tried drag racing in 1968 – driving a Ford Mustang – and earned eight more Champ Car victories en route to second place in the Champ Car point standings."

Mario Andretti also won at LeMans. He was a NASCAR and a European Champion in the same year. He is still the only driver to have won both those championships.

 

[vegasnitro]

Any list that doesn't include Sir Jackie Stewart isn't worth a plugged nickel, so hopefully he will be on there. Won 25% of the F1 races he entered, pioneered driver safety and course safety.

IMO, there is only 1 name that should be on top ... Mario Andretti.