Does NASCAR Have a Greatest of All Time?

Does NASCAR Have a GOAT?

It's a topic of debate in every professional sport, who is the best all time? In NASCAR racing, there are many legendary drivers in the sport's seven decade history, but is there one who's career accomplishments trump the others? 

With the radical changes in technology, venues, championship formats, and safety between 1948 and now, I do not believe there is one all time great in NASCAR. It's not practical or really possible to compare drivers across separate eras of NASCAR, because each decade has seen an entirely different form of stock car racing with different cars, rules, and other factors. However, there is certainly a 'Mount Rushmore' of legends who fans have put on a pedestal. Let's examine some of these icons of the sport, past and present, and compare some of their stats. The following list of drivers is in no particular order.

Richard Petty

'The King' of stock car racing, Richard Petty set records throughout his lengthy driving career that will stand the test of time, and likely never be broken. 200 Cup Series wins, 7 titles, 7 Daytona 500 wins, 10-straight victories, and a 27-win season are just a few. To the surprise of few, Petty was inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. When Petty retired from racing in 1992, he was considered the most successful driver in history, and select few have come close to his legacy since. 

Personally, if I had to name one greatest racer ever, I would say Petty. However, the level of competition during his prime, as well as racing in a less-organized series prior to the 'Modern Era' allowed Petty to race multiple times per week in short races that some do not hold in the same regard as current Cup races. 

Dale Earnhardt, Sr 

The second man to win a record-tying 7 Cup Series titles, Dale Earnhardt, Sr. left a legacy on NASCAR that cannot be duplicated. From his humble beginnings in Kannapolis, North Carolina, Dale Earnhardt would win 76 times in the premier series, including a record 10 wins at Talladega Superspeedway. Earnhardt's greatest successes came in the number 3 car, a number that has become part of racing history permanently linked to Earnhardt, Sr. 

Many fans consider Earnhardt as the sport's all time greatest due to the absence felt after his untimely passing. Earnhardt was killed due to injuries sustained in a crash on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, launching a flurry of safety upgrades and rule enhancements that have saved countless lives since. There is always a tendency to lionize the deceased, and while Earnhardt was a truly special racing talent, he did not win as often as Petty or others. However, my opinion is that Dale is and always will be in the top 5 of NASCAR's all-time most skilled racers.

Jimmie Johnson

The winningest active NASCAR Cup Series racer, Jimmie Johnson and his number 48 team have accomplished something unique in the arena of professional sports. Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports won 5 championships consecutively from 2006-2010, then won 2 more in 2013 and 2016. Johnson is currently tied with Petty & Earnhardt as the only 3 7-time champions. Johnson is currently chasing a record 8th title, and regardless of if he achieves this or not, Johnson will someday be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

While Johnson has the potential to be the only 8-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, I onlu consider him the greatest of his era. While Johnson has won his 7 championships under a variety of rules packages, Playoff formats, and generations of cars, I do not put him above the likes of Petty or Earnhardt. But, I do believe that he is arguably most mentally tough driver of all time, as he rarely loses his temper. 

Jeff Gordon 

Perhaps the most transformative racer in motorsports history, Jeff Gordon took NASCAR racing to a previously unseen level of popularity and pop culture relevance. The 'California Kid' burst onto the racing scene in the early 1990s, and was a consistent winner not long after. 

In a career that spanned 23 years, Gordon won 93 races, 4 championships, and changed the focus of the sport. Prior to Jeff's rise to stardom, team owners preferred drivers in their mid-30s or early 40s. After a 21 year old Gordon's rookie year, more twenty-something year-old racers followed suit. 

Gordon's 93 victories rank third on the Cup Series' all-time wins list, but his legacy does not end there. In the early 2000s, Gordon played an integral part in discovering Jimmie Johnson, and giving the eventual 7-time champ his ride. Without doubt, Gordon has impacted NASCAR history, and in my opinion is a top 5 all-time racing talent. 

David Pearson 

A driver often forgotten by contemporary fans, David Pearson is regarded by many as the most skilled racer ever. When Richard Petty is asked who is the best driver ever, rather than saying himself, he names his past rival Pearson. The South Carolina native won 105 races and 3 championships despite never racing the full season. Pearson was always a threat for the victory whenever he showed up, as Petty and Pearson duked it out hundreds of times. 

With Pearson's recent passing, I wanted to take the time to give the legend his fair share in my list of NASCAR's all time greats. Pearson won his 3 titles despite not competing in every race. Nobody knows how much more he could have won had Pearson ran as many races as Petty. 
   
Kyle Busch

Only the second active racer I would consider as worthy of mentioning on this list, Kyle 'Rowdy' Busch has achieved an impressive amount of winning at such a young age. At just 33 years old, Busch has won 53 times in the Cup Series, 1 championship so far, and 200 races combined in Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks. 

I would consider Kyle Busch a trancendent athlete similar to Gordon due to NASCAR changing rules because of Busch. Back in 2001, NASCAR mandated an 18-year old minimun age requirement for national series competition, pushing back Busch's debut by 18 months. 

In addition, Busch is beloved by some and hated by others for his extracurricular racing activities in Xfinity and Trucks. As a Cup Series veteran, Busch constantly races 2 or 3 times per weekend in Xfinity or Trucks, often winning due to his superior experience levels. Because of Busch winning so many of these Xfinity and Truck races, NASCAR limited the amount of races that Cup Series veterans can compete in. Kyle is only allowed to race 7 Xfinity and 5 Truck races per year. First instituted in 2017, this rule strictly limits how much Kyle or any Cup veterans can race in lower series. In spite of this, Kyle still has 200 wins across all 3 series. 

In my opinion, NASCAR does not have any 1 driver who separates themselves from others as a 'GOAT' figure. NASCAR definitely has its legendary figures who deserve their recognition as some of the all time best, and these all are debated among by fans as the greatest.