Top 5 Drivers We Love To Hate (in U.S. Motorsports)

[Nazgul]

...according to the man we all love to hate: Robin Miller. You may have seen this already. I read it on SPEEDtv.com after the Denver Champ Car event, and Robin talked about it on Windtunnel as well.

1. Kurt Busch

2. Paul Tracy

3. Tony Stewart (My favortie Cup driver)

4. Jeff Gordon

5. Robby Gordon

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Dan Wheldon, Kyle Busch, & Michael Waltrip, who wins only once in every 150 starts and his gushing commentary on the truck series is as irritating as the fact he's making millions off Toyota.

I love this quote from the L.V. Sun:

Paul Tracy, the longtime Summerlin resident, is on Busch's rear spoiler at No. 2 for running into anything that moves on the Champ Car World Series circuit.

Check out DRIVEN TO INFURIATE from the Sun, they also mention that 40% of the top 5 are from or live in Vegas. Busch (from L.V.) & Tracy (who lives in Summerlin).


I love Bazemore, but I'm sure he could fit in there somewhere.

 

[ReactionTimes]

I love Bazemore, but I'm sure he could fit in there somewhere.

I'm so cracking up at that! Good one!!

 

[Joker]

I cant stand either Gordon but especially Jeff. I love it, at Texas every year they boo him so bad whenever he takes the track and he used to have a really bad record there, crashing most of the time and the place would go nuts. Anybody going to Texas this year? I will be there Thurs thru Mon. I am ready, wish I was leaving tomorrow. I enjoy the NHRA more but I dont have anything against Nascar. If you have never been, you should go atleast once. The amount of people is amazing to witness. I just love camping out all 4 days. Racing, Poker, and Women: My Favorite 3 things!!!

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

I really like Jeff Gordon so I guess that makes me bad?
As far as I'm concerned, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch could hold hands for all top five spots. I can't imagine how any sanctioning body or sponsor would allow either of them to represent them, but that's just me.

 

[d'kid]

Meet Jeff the weekend before his first Winston Cup race at Atlanta, talked almost a half hour, he's a good kid. Tony, I can deal with, don't know enough about the rest on the list to care.

My five "Love to Hate"
Respect them all, but...

AJ Foyt
JR Johnson
Danny Ongais
Rod Fuller (just because short people piss me off )
Garlits (if ya think the broken motor thing with Jeb/Lucy Lee thing was bad... some things just stick with you a life time... thank you that there isn't a 'break rule anymore where the quickest LOSER gets back in)

 

[Bullard Anderson]

1. John Force
2. Jimmie Johnson

I could put Dale Earnhardt Jr. in here but while people love him or hate him, I just don't care period. He does nothing for me!

 

[BF]

I like both Gordons and Stewart as well. I use to not like Tracy at all but the more he runs into Bourdais the more I like him. Now Kurt, he's at the top of my dislike list. I have a great picture taken in the campground at Talladega this spring of a Kurt Busch standup that was "dressed up". I still can't understand why Penske would consider such a driver.

 

[None]

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Robby Gordon
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. IRL

 

[Nazgul]

Enlightning Article

I like both Gordons and Stewart as well. I use to not like Tracy at all but the more he runs into Bourdais the more I like him. Now Kurt, he's at the top of my dislike list. I have a great picture taken in the campground at Talladega this spring of a Kurt Busch standup that was "dressed up". I still can't understand why Penske would consider such a driver.

I have to say that I don't care much for Kurt either. I've always thought he was just a little bit to cocky.
That said... there is a good article in RACER (Sept. 06) on he & his brother (Kyle).

Kurt doesn't blame anyone but himself for what he's become, he states in the piece. He never really had a lot of guidance at Roush in terms of public relations according to the article. - they just put him in a racecar & said go for it. Penske Racing on the other hand is doing much more to help him learn how to deal with media, fans, etc. (public relations stuff), they're grooming him to be more than just a Nascar driver-----something that wasn't done before he joined them. This is according to the writer, not Kurt (he's doesn't blame Roush or anyone else for his shortcomings).

Kyle Petty also says that most people outside of the Nascar fraternity don't know the Kurt he & the others know. Kurt is one of the biggest supporters of the Petty's "Victory Junction Gang Camp" & has been for 3 years. Kurt has donated over $1 million & has been there every year, the kids love him.
Pattie Petty told reporters that "Kurt Busch is one the finest men to come along in this garage area," during an interview at Lowes Motor Speedway.

Kurt is Kurt, but I'll give him the benifit of the doubt since he faults no one but himself & he's working very hard on his image. He'll still be hated for any little thing he does and he realizes this, but I think he's a tremendous talent no matter what.

I'll root for anyone who is remorseful & trying to improve their image or wrong doings. Check out the Sept. issue of RACER if you get a chance... good stuff as always.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

I like the guys the cause the rumbles. Kurt Busch as an example. He is one of the best spoken guys in the sport on camera. NO doubt. I mean I don't pull for Kurt, but I don't dislike him either. My dislike for Jimmie Johnson really stems from watching the in car of his first Daytona 500, with the Car Chassis Number on the Dash, Number 2459 or something like that. The 24 meant a former JGordon car! Nice, come into Cup with a Champs Car. I guess I like the underdogs. Go Robby Gordon!

 

[amanda Speed]

Yeah, Go Robby Gordon!!!

 

[Nazgul]

Yeah, Go Robby Gordon!!!

Sometimes Robby gets on my nerves, but I can't help but like him. Kinda like Michael Waltrip, he can certainly be annoying, but I like him too... maybe it's because Darrell has always been & always will be my all-time favorite Nascar guy?

 

[Joker]

As for Kurt, being a Ford guy I am a huge Roush fan, so I have always pulled for Kurt. He is my second fav driver behind Mark Martin and once Mark retires Kurt will inherit that spot. I will say this about him, he can hit all the other 42 cars on the track, every inch of the wall around the track, have the car beat all to heck, and he will stil finish in the top 5. This year hasnt been really good to him, and I really think his Roush to Penske move was horrible, but I'll bet he wins this weekend.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Justin, Kurt is a driver. I'll give you that. I have always believed that attitude is everything however and when your team owner releases a winning driver because "They are all tired of apologizing for him and his actions" it's a good indicator that he has room in his attitude for improvement. To me, both Kurt and Tony S. are the epitome of "lucky break" athletes who landed huge contracts that went immediately to their heads and created first rate jerks.

But that's just one man's opinion. I really do understand if you like him.

 

[vegasnitro]

To me, both Kurt and Tony S. are the epitome of "lucky break" athletes who landed huge contracts that went immediately to their heads and created first rate jerks.

As someone who grew up watching Tony Stewart in midgets and sprints, long before the fame and fortune, I can say that Tony has not changed one bit in his behavior on track. He absolutely would not hesitate to wreck someone at Salem or Winchester then, the same as he doesn't hesitate to wreck someone at Daytona or Pocono now. He has never really seemed concerned with going out of his way for the media, from his triple crown year in USAC, to the IRL and now to Cup. In a weird way, it is one of the things I admire about Tony, IMO he has NOT let the fame and fortune change him. Is he still a jerk .... maybe ... but at least he is still the same jerk he has always been.

As for Kurt, he has always had a tough row to hoe. He stepped into the #70 Star Nursery car on the Southwest Tour only after the beloved Chris Trickle was tragically shot on the freeway outside Vegas. So he never really had much local support, and after some success in that ride, he got the Roush Truck gig, which everyone in Vegas felt that he didn't necessarily deserve. On some level, everyone felt that success should have been Chris's. Don't get me wrong, Kurt has excelled at every level he has raced and there will be no way to ever know if Chris would have had the same success. Kurt never went out of his way to reach out to the fans of the #70 car, and there were many, and people in Vegas have never forgotten that. It's only the johnny-come-lately Vegas NASCAR fans, and there many, who claim the bash brothers as our own.

 

[none]

Paul Tracey is way up there on my list.
Tony Stewart, I used to not care for, but as NASCAR got more & more P.C. the more I like smoke.He is gonna speak his mind no matter who he pisses off.(kinda like Baze who funny enough I do not like)
Robby Gordon,I literally bumped into at a cart race in Portland one year(we were walking towards each other, both of us looking behind & slamed into each other & he was apoligizing to me for not watching where he was going) we chatted for a bit & he seemed real nice.
Kurt Busch. My fav. NASCAR race was when Jimmy Spencer punched Busch through the window.
Darrell Waltrip I loved as a driver.As an announcer. I CANT STAND him.(quit talking jaws) If I hear Boogity boogity,boggity 1 more time I'm gonna PUKE!
though i gotta admit it was cool when he called Mikeys daytona win on t.v.

 

[BF]

Kurt Busch. My fav. NASCAR race was when Jimmy Spencer punched Busch through the window.
.

The very next week Kurt wrecked Sterling Marlin. Marlin said, "I guess Jimmy didn't hit him hard enough last week." Kurt just seems phony to many of us now that his ears are fixed and he's never seen on TV unless he's smiling. NASCAR even covers for him now. A couple of weeks ago when he went out of the race the announcers said that Kurt refused to be interviewed. A few minutes later they came back and said that he couldn't be found for an interview...um, yeah, right. It's too obvious that he's being coached. He would have been better off to try being himself without the unacceptable behavior. Rubbermaid, a sponsor of his when he "won" his championship, had one of their people quoted as saying, "NASCAR has had many great champions, we wish we had one of them".

 

[Rajunz]

I really like Jeff Gordon so I guess that makes me bad?
As far as I'm concerned, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch could hold hands for all top five spots. I can't imagine how any sanctioning body or sponsor would allow either of them to represent them, but that's just me.

That's funny...............

I agree with everything you wrote. Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch will run over everyone on the track, then run their mouths off blaming it on them....................

Jeff Gordon's always been my favorite since he was the driving Baby Ruth car in the Busch class. Guess I'm bad too!

 

[knightrider]

Don't forget Edwards and Biffle.