NASCAR had been a sport of undeniable domination by a single driver and team for most of its history. From Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt to Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson – these were periods of utter control and domination by a single driver.
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However, since the retirement of Jimmie Johnson, or more accurately, his last Cup Series win in 2016, that trend has not found another taker.
The GOATs of NASCAR got their legendary status for that very reason – being able to beat all other drivers, day in and day out. To be able to rack up wins every season, and to win multiple Cup Series when others couldn’t even win one.
Names like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon are so famous because they racked up numerous wins. For instance, Richard Petty was the first to win 7 Cup Series titles. He also holds the record for most wins in NASCAR with 200.
Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson also won 7 Cup Series over the span of their careers. Both drivers also racked up 76 and 83 race wins, respectively. Additionally, Johnson also holds the record for most consecutive Cup Series, having won 5 in a row.
Gordon is the last on this venerable list. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, and now Vice-Chairman, won 4 Cup Series in his career. He was the one who dislodged Dale Sr from his perch while racking up 93 wins in his career. That stat puts him in third place in NASCAR history.
Today’s NASCAR is far more evenly placed, in comparison. Will we see someone break the records set by these 4 brilliant drivers? Hard to predict.
Jeff Gordon doesn’t make the cut in the fan’s GOAT list
Austin Konenski, a NASCAR writer for Sportsnaut, posted a tweet asking a question to NASCAR’s large community.
Who are your top-5 NASCAR drivers of all-time (in order)?
I am very intrigued about the public’s view.
— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) December 5, 2022
He probably wouldn’t have expected these answers – which strikingly ignore Jeff Gordon
1. Richard Petty
2. Martin Truex Jr
3. Dale Earnhardt Sr
4. Chase Elliott
5. Bill Elliott— Elites Reviews (@Elitegamer21005) December 5, 2022
1. Earnhardt
2. Pearson
3. Petty
4. Tony Stewart
5. Kevin Harvick
(All did it mostly without cheated up cars, unlike Gordon and Johnson!)— Phillip Sterling (@PSterling9512) December 6, 2022
1. Bill France – Need I say more?
2. Dale Earnhardt – 7x Champ
3. Richard Petty – 7x Champ, introduced NASCAR to the general public
4. Junior Johnson – Founder of the aerodynamic "draft"
5. Alan Kulwicki – Probably the last true owner/driver Champion— Schrodinger's Cat (@ProbabilityCat) December 6, 2022
1. Tony Stewart
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Kurt Busch
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Martin Truex Jr. https://t.co/PAOioOB1hf— 𓆉AnsemZane𓆉 (@LucarioNights) December 6, 2022
Two lists
My personal top 5
-Erik Jones
-Matt Kenseth
-Brad Keselowski
-Mark Martin
-Kurt BuschActual top 5
-Jimmie Johnson
-Richard Petty
-Dale Sr
-Cale Yarborough
-David Pearson https://t.co/LkzyWd9mXE— 𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑽𝑬 (@Jonesfan43_4) December 6, 2022
Jimmie
Dale
Pearson
Petty
Tony https://t.co/1UAlIGnJn5— Kytt Dohm (@kytt_dohm) December 6, 2022
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Was Gordon’s star-studded career really not worthy of a place on a top 5 list? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Written by
Edited by
Akash Pandhare