NASCAR
Described as the best NASCAR driver of all time to never win the Sprint Cup championship, Mark Martin still won a hell of a lot. Martin won 40 races on the Sprint Cup series and was named to 50 NASCAR’s greatest drivers in 1998. As mentioned, Martin never won the Sprint Cup series, but was a runner-up five times. That…
Isaac, who is currently 19th in All Time wins, is a two time Hall of Fame finalist. Currently nineteenth on the All Time Win list, he died prematurely of a heart attack at the age of 45 and could have conceivably attained more. He did however finish with 37 victories, which is second most for those eligible but not yet…
While he only comes in at number nine on this list, Geoff Bodine may be the greatest Modified racer ever. Bodine compiled the most wins in Modified history, including a ridiculous 55 wins in 84 starts in 1978. In terms of NASCAR, he never finished higher than third on the points standing, but he did capture the prestigious Daytona 500…
A two time winner of the Sprint Cup Series (1984 & 1996) Terry Labonte is another who was named to the prestigious NASCAR’s top fifty driver’s list in 1998. Labonte may have had the two huge wins, but his overall Sprint Cup rankings are a little inconsistent in comparison to some of the others ranked ahead of him. Still, Labonte…
“The Bandit” is one of NASCAR’s most recognizable drivers, winning eighteen races; including being the oldest driver to ever win a NASCAR event when he captured the checkered flag in Michigan at the age of 52. Although Gant never won a points title, he did finish in the top five six times, including second in 1984. He was also the…
One of the most beloved announcers in NASCAR, Benny Parsons was also one of the greatest drivers in history. Parsons won the 1973 Winston Cup Championship, the 1975 Daytona 500 and two ARCA Championships. He also boasted a solid top ten percentage finishing in that bracket 53 percent of the time. Nominated in the first three classes, it is only…
One of the early legends of NASCAR, Jack Smith won 21 races and twice finished in the top five in points standings over a fifteen year career. Should the Hall focus on early stars, this forgotten one could have a legitimate shot. The Bullet Points:Country of Origin: Metropolis, Illinois, U.S.A.Retired In:1964Sprint Cup Wins:21Poles:23Top Ten Finishes:142Top Ten Finishes (Season): Sprint Cup…
Alfred “Speedy” Thompson never finished higher than third in the points standings, but he did so on four separate occasions. Thompson, who raced full time on the Grand National circuit for only ten years, did manage to win 20 races in 197 starts and died in his racecar at a North Carolina fairground after suffering a heart attack one day…
Born Elzie Wylie Baker Jr., he took to the nickname Buddy about as happily as he took to the track. Baker, who won the 1980 Daytona 500 and is a member of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, accumulated 19 wins in 700 races over a 34 year career. The Bullet Points:Country of Origin: Florence, South Carolina, U.S.A.Retired In:1992Sprint Cup Wins:19Poles:38Top Ten…
Had he lived; Davey Allison likely would have been one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers. He was the 1987 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, the 1993 IROC Champion, won 19 races in 191 starts, and was coming off consecutive third place finishes in the points standings when he died in a helicopter crash at Talladega at the age of 32. The…
One of the earliest stars of NASCAR, Curtis Turner had 17 wins in 183 starts on the Grand National Series and another 38 wins in 79 races on the Convertible Series. Despite once being banned for life from NASCAR for attempting to start a driver’s union, a ban that Bill France Sr. lifted after four years, he seems a lock…
Ricky Rudd is the Iron Man of NASCAR, starting the most consecutive races in history with 788. Overall, Rudd made an incredible 906 starts winning 23 races over a 32 year career. He may have only finished in the top three in points once, a second place finish in 1991, but was the 1977 Winston Cup Rookie of the year,…
Marvin Panch started as a car owner on the West Coast. When his driver didn’t show up for a race, Panch took the wheel himself and started a career in which he won 17 races in 216 starts and finished in the top 10 over 58% of the time. He also is member of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers and the…
Derisively called “Swervin’ Irvan” by his competitors; Irvan actually lost out on his best year when he had a crash in practice at Michigan in 1994. Given a 10% chance of survival, he not only survived, but returned to race in parts of four more seasons. He finished with 15 wins in 313 starts, including the 1991 Daytona 500. The…
The brother of Tim and Bob Flock, Fonty began as a moonshine runner in Alabama. He was the 1947 Stock Car Circuit Champion and the 1949 Modified Champion, but while he would have four top five point finishes, he would finish no higher than second on the Grand National. His career totals included 19 wins in153 starts. The Bullet Points:Country…
Neil Bonnett, a member of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers, won 18 races in 362 starts. He is probably best remembered for his perseverance after suffering a life-threatening crash at Darlington in 1990. After rehabbing and a stint as a commentator, Bonnett’s luck ran out when he died in a crash at qualifying for the 1994 Daytona 500. The Bullet Points:Country…
A man almost as famous for the way he died as the way he raced, the movie star handsome Tim Richmond still managed to win 13 races in 185 starts. Richmond was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers despite NASCAR having falsified his drug tests to keep the HIV positive Richmond from racing. The Bullet Points:Country of Origin: Ashland,…
A constant on both the Grand National and Winston Cup circuits for 33 years, Jim Paschal won 25 races, but never finished higher than fifth in the points standings. If longevity is a prime factor, Paschal could have a shot.The Bullet Points:Country of Origin: High Point, North Carolina, U.S.A.Retired In:1972Sprint Cup Wins:25Poles:12Top Ten Finishes:230Top Ten Finishes (Season): Sprint Cup Series:1953:…
Robert “Red” Byron’s career lasted all of fifteen races, of which he won two, due to health issues from injuries he had sustained in World War II. But he made the most of those opportunities, winning both the very first NASCAR modified championship in 1948 and first NASCAR Stock Car Championship in 1949. He has already been a three time…
Bob Welborn never finished higher than fourth in the Grand National and had just nine wins, but Welborn won three consecutive championships on the NASCAR Convertible Series. With NASCAR stating it wants to honor all of it series, Welborn would be a good place to start.The Bullet Points:Country of Origin: Denton, North Carolina, U.S.A.Retired In:1964Sprint Cup Wins:9Poles:7Top Ten Finishes:102Top Ten…