Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

Since there has been a lot of back and forth as of late about the greatness of Kyle Larson, and where he ranks among the best ever, I thought I would share a thought someone had while debating at the local watering hole last evening.  During the debate, my friend asked this hypothethical question:

You get to hire any driver in the prime of his career to drive your racecar.  The catch is, you don't know what kind of race it's going to be----dirt or pavement,  winged sprint car or stock car, indy car or late model, midget or modified.  You must pick the driver first and then we'll tell you the race he's going to be in.  Who's your driver? 

My list is about 5 or 6 long is all and Kyle is on it!  It eliminates a lot of guys like Schatz and Kinser from the "better than Kyle list" if you ask the question that way.  When you think about it, you eliminate 99% of the great drivers in all disciplines.  

Kind of a fun way to ask the question.  I have Foyt, Mario, Stewart, and Kyle on my Mt. Rushmore.    Jeff Gordon and Christopher Bell are the alternates.  That's it for me.  I'm sure many of you have seen some great ones that I have not.  Obviously I did not get to watch Foyt and Mario but their legacy and record speaks for itself. 

Foyt and Stewart for sure.   Gordon and Larson would be on my list too.  

Foyt

Andretti

Pauch Sr

 Larson

 Stewart. 

Any one of these drivers can win in anything they drive.  They have proven themselves many times in many different types of Race Cars on Pavement and on Dirt.  All 5 of them in their primes are really realy hard to beat.

Tough one.....

Jack Hewitt, Tony Stewart, Scott Bloomquist and Billy Pauch. 

All time, hummmm, 5 is tough.

Andretti and Foyt have to be in there.

Tony Stewart

Christopher Bell

Jeff Gordon

Guys that I always wished would have gotten the attention they deserved. 

Pauch

Hewitt 

Vogler

Then how to you keep out guys like 

Parnelli Jones

Tony Bettinhausin 

and so many more.

I have my five and not in any order. AJ Foyt, Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Brian Clauson.  I am sure their are lots of others but I will take these five anytime.

We need more sprint car racing at our home track.

Barney Oldfield could probably beat all of them given the same equipment.  He was unstoppable back in his era.

Maybe not top 5 but close to it as far as versatility I would throw Kenny Brightbill in there.

Won a ton in big block mods and also ran well in sprints and LMs.

And performed pretty well in Winston Cup in less then top notch equipment.

The worst president of my lifetime:
Ronald Reagan

Kenny Brightbill was good but he isnt a pimple on Pauch's ass when they were in their prime so NO i wouldnt agree on that one.

Scott Bloomquist? Hmmmm. Don't believe Bloomy has ever won a race driving anything but a dirt late model or a DLM light, aka IMCA style modified.

Please read the topic again.  I know Jack Hewitt and Scott Bloomquist are legends on dirt.  But, that wasn't the meaning of the question asked.  

Any list begins with Andretti and Foyt.  Tony Stewart proved in multi disciplines as well.  Larson willl end up among the greats it seems as he is proving in multiple disciplines.  Specialization nowadays really limits the number of guys that run across multiple divisions.   My last of top 5 would be Rich Vogler.  

100000000000% Agree Foyt and Andretti are the Gold Standard for this list BAR NONE.  Pauch, Larson and Stewart are the Silver Standard.

If you take into account; sprints, midgets, some form of stock cars, road racing, then spice it up with dirt and pavement, the list becomes much smaller.  My five would be drivers that I know who won in those divisions at various levels.  AJ Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones (won in Trans-Am road racing), Lloyd Ruby (won Daytona endurance race with Ken Miles and not sure but I think is won a class at Sebring one year and those guys would never put just anyone in their expensive machines if the driver could not get it done, heck I saw him race a rear engine offy at Nazareth, PA on the old mile and eight dirt track.  Fifth is where it becomes harder for me.  Roger Ward was very good in any car after he "settled down" and he also dusted the road racing set with Ken Brenn's midget at Lime Rock Conn one year, but Roger McClusky was National Champion in USAC Sprints, Championship Cars, and Stock Car divisions I am just not sure how well he did in road racing events. Jimmy Bryan was not bad in all of those divisions as well.  To me my top four are set, just very hard to settle on fifth.

The reason that the "modern day drivers" do not hold up to the standards are two fold, they don't cross over as much because they are making a lot of money running their divisions, and their primary car owners don't want to risk their investment on their idea of a "minor" event, (think Gary Bettenhausen-Roger Penske, Syracuse Dirt Car event) plus YES I AM AN OLD COOT.  I grew up watching a lot of great drivers race a bunch of different cars and events, dirt, pavement, 1/4 miles to 2&1/2 miles, even a few road racing events in my college days (read that as my party/drinking era.) Heck throw a bunch of drag races, indoor events in and I am set.  Thanks for letting me share my thoughts

Rahmer, Dewease, Hodnett

Larson can pound the cushion as hard as he wants.

Dewease is twice his age and still pedaled on by.

Dietrich has been the real yung money this week.

 
 
 
They don't even know how to spell sprint car 
much less chromoly...http://www.ycmco.com