OK, I know every Cup fan could come up with a different list of "The 20 Most Talented Active Drivers in Cup Racing" so I'll throw my list out and look forward to hearing who you think I left off that should be included and who I included that you feel shouldn't have been.
The only caveat is that you must realize there is a difference between listing The 20 Best Active Cup Drivers and The 20 Most Talented Active Drivers in Cup Racing. I'll illustrate that significant difference while presenting the list.
Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have to be the top two on my list. Their winning percentage and championship runs speak for themselves. Johnson gets my nod for number one but boy would I have liked to seen the difference if they had swapped crew chiefs the past couple of seasons.
My next two are Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart. While Kyle hasn't been around long, I give him a slight edge over Smoke.
Carl Edwards gets my nod at number five although his most recent win was certainly tainted with compelling evidence that there was intentional cheating.
Sixth through Tenth in Order: Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Dale Jr., Ryan Newman, and Mark Martin.
I'd put Kenseth, Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Kasey Kahne in the next group but I have to add Juan Pablo, Dario, and Sam Hornish as being arguably more talented than any of those four. While they haven't shown their full talent in a Cup car yet, they proved plenty in open wheel cars to earn spots on this list (which again is not a list of the Top 20 Cup Drivers but instead is a list of the 20 Most Talented Drivers in Cup Racing).
That leaves three spots and my picks are Denny Hamlin, a 3-time Cup race winner and two guys with single victories so far in Cup racing, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers.
Notably Absent: Robby Gordon, Bobby Labonte, Martin Truex, Jr. and ???
I know Robby has tremendous car control and talent but what has he really done with it? As for Bobby, his winning percentage is 12th best of the drivers listed above, but he is with a bad team and on the down side of his awesome career.
So, now it's your turn and I look forward to reading your comments.
Stats, yeah I have stats. Most who have read posts from me know that Jeff Gordon is my favorite Cup driver and Smoke and Kurt are my least favorites, though I respect their talent, and many also know I'm not a die hard Jr. fan but think most who bash him don't realize how good he really is. Anyway, with those thoughts in mind, I did some research and found some interesting statistical evidence that probably won't change most fans thinking about where drivers rank in terms of talent but could be of interest as a topic of conversation at least regarding consistency. So here's what I found:
Top Fives in Points For Last Five Cup Seasons
Jimmie Johnson is the only driver to finish in the Top 5 five straight seasons.
Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, and Jr. have each finished in the Top 5 three times in the last five seasons.
Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin have each finished in the Top 5 twice over that period.
Seven other drivers have one finish in the Top 5 during the past five seasons.
Top Tens in Points For Last Five Cup Seasons
Matt Kenseth joins Jimmie Johnson as the only two drivers to finish in the Top 10 for five straight seasons.
Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart have finished in the Top 10 in four of the last five seasons.
Kevin, Kurt, Jr. Mark, and Ryan Newman have finished in the Top 10 in three of the last five seasons.
Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, and Jeremy Mayfield have finished in the Top 10 twice each in the last five seasons.
Nine others have finished in the Top 10 once in the past five seasons.
What Do Those Stats Prove?
Well, they aren't going to change too many fans minds about why their favorite driver is better than the stats indicate (i.e. the Kasey and Greg fans for ex.) or why some fans are correct that some drivers aren't as good as their fans think (i.e. Jr. Nation) BUT for me it opened my eyes that just maybe Matt Kenseth is a little better than I thought, and belongs in the top tier with Jimmie, Jeff G., and Tony (a place I wouldn't have ranked him prior to this analysis). I think these stats also show that Jr. is definitely in the top ten with Kurt and that Mark Martin is still among the best drivers out there. I also believe Kyle and Carl belong in the top ten but we can't overlook Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer and Juan Pablo and ??? who haven't been around for the entire five years I reviewed. I also think many fans believe Kevin and Ryan and even Jeff Burton should be included but that adds up to more than a top ten list.
As for Jeremy Mayfield, the stats may just prove that he still deserves more credit than most give him.
It becomes very difficult to put together a top ten or top fifteen or top twenty list but I hope the stats at least convince a few of you that beyond the top four of Jimmie, Jeff G., Tony, and Matt that Jr. is certainly in the top ten.
