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OK, but which drivers do you actually LIKE?
By Dennis Terry
One thing that has become clear to me during my "rookie season" as a blogger, is how many readers use this forum to sound off about the drivers they despise.
Fans of all sports have a favorite team that they root to victory, but NASCAR fans all have at least one driver they love to see smashed into the safer barrier each week whether their driver does well or not.
Most every fan that I talk to at the track always has a personal story of how they became a NASCAR fan and how they started pulling for a particular driver.
In Atlanta I talked to a guy named Tim who is a Rusty fan. Tim said that he went to his first race at Charlotte with three friends who were all Mark Martin fans. Rusty crashed Mark early in the race so this guy bought a Miller Light and a "2" hat. Rusty won the race and he’s been a fan for life. Tim still goes to the races with his Mark Martin buddies.
So, that brings me to my point, I’ve got a pretty good idea of which drivers you dislike… and why. I’m curious about who your FAVORITE driver is and how you made that choice???
March 22, 2006 in Race talk | Permalink
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Comments
Well...
I am a ryan newman fan, and I picked him mainly becuase of his background. A college graduate, and for his love of animals. Oh and he gives me goosebumps when he qualifies! I love that he is a balls to the walls driver, he doesnt usually play possum, he is out there to win.
Posted by: stephanie | Mar 22, 2006 1:25:29 PM
Ricky Craven is my favorite driver for many reasons. The most obvious is that I started watching NASCAR because I heard there was a guy from my home state of Maine that was doing pretty good in it. Many years later now I am hooked and still cheering for Ricky. His comeback story is inspiring and despite all his critics he has won at every level he has competed at from Busch North (Now East), to the West Series, Trucks, Busch, and Cup. I just hope he will get to finish his career out in a competetive Cup ride again.
Posted by: Dave | Mar 22, 2006 1:31:35 PM
I am a Junior fan; Iam loyal and will stick with Junior through bad times and good times. My husband (originally a Bill Elliott fan),is a Kasey Khane fan, we have a good time because both of us like both of these drivers
Posted by: JJ | Mar 22, 2006 1:33:35 PM
I started out as a Jimmie fan in 2004 because I was watchin my first race and he came in second but struggled the entire race. I just figured he was the underdog..I didn't know Jimmie was actually good until a few races later. But I really like Elliot Sadler and Kasey Kahne. I like Elliot cuz he's a good ol' boy (with some crazy hair), and Kahne for his boyish good looks..and Kahne is the underdog. Im always for the underdog!
Posted by: Jen S | Mar 22, 2006 1:34:49 PM
I am a Kurt Busch fan. I picked him a year before he won the championship. The reason I picked Kurt was when he and Jimmy Spencer got into it on the track, and Kurt showed how ticked off he was. I liked seeing a driver show that kind of passion for what he is doing. A driver that showed his emotions.
I think he is a very good driver, and people need to quit expecting him to apologize for doing the same type of things that some of the “veteran” drivers have done. They were all young once……
Posted by: Kristy | Mar 22, 2006 1:36:02 PM
My favorite driver is Matt Kenseth. He is from my home state of Wisconsin. When I was growing up my family would go to slinger to watch the races there. When he made it to NASCAR is when I started to watch racing(not just becasue of him). So it was just natural for me to root for him.
Posted by: Kristi | Mar 22, 2006 1:36:55 PM
Junior's my favorite because the first race I ever watched, he was blunt and said the car was crap, but I think he came in the top-five or something. I like his personality.
Posted by: Erica | Mar 22, 2006 1:46:01 PM
My Favorite driver is Darrell Waltrip. It started when I was a little kid, we taped a Herbie Movie, and when Herbie was done, the last 200 laps of the 1985 Bristol Race was on there and he won. I was only 3 at the time, but I followed him the rest of his career.
Now a days I don't have a favorite driver that I follow with the same passion I followed DW with. I like Ryan Newman I guess the most because of his balls to wall racing. I like Tony because he speaks him mind (although he's been getting way to much Nascar favoritism lately). I also love to watch Dale Jr, Martin Truex, and Denny Hamlin, because they're still cool enough to come race online and I've gotten the chance to run with them all.
Posted by: Jason | Mar 22, 2006 1:47:05 PM
Tony Stewart. I liked his attitude and brash style previous to the 2001 Daytona night race. But when he got black flagged for Benson pushing him below the yellow line for the first driver to get penalized by that rule...I was furious for hours. I have no idea why that upset me so much, but loved the fact that he refused to come in. At least that was some solace. Once they stuck with that decision (and have since let Dale Jr get away with it over and over), I decreed that I would go buy his stuff that week. I did, and have been a hardcore fan ever since.
Posted by: Scott | Mar 22, 2006 2:00:45 PM
Jason...
what do you mean they race online?
Posted by: Jen S | Mar 22, 2006 2:03:56 PM
http://community.webshots.com/photo/548316514/2457521070066757394KMekGF
^^ Me sportin' my driver! JIMMIE!
Posted by: Jen S | Mar 22, 2006 2:09:45 PM
Jen,
Dale Jr & company have their own online racing league. It's a Nascar simulation computer game called Nascar Racing 2003. They actually have the races in their league broadcast over the internet. I've watched Truex Jr. run in that league and the thing is that they do not win every race that they run, as some might think. I've just started to race online and it's a blast racing online with people from all around the country.
I'm a Jr. fan since his rookie year and I wanted to start with some one who was going to be around a long time and be competative. We're in the same age bracket and he seems like the type of guy that you can sit at the bar with and throw a few back with and talk sports. Just a cool cat.
Posted by: Mike | Mar 22, 2006 2:17:28 PM
I have been a Earnhardt fan forever and Love Jr, Truex, and Tony. Though Scott above is wrong Jr has never passed below the line though he has ventured there before so I understand and would suggest that he get over it. I hate JJ, Ryan and Kurt. Thought it was awesome when Spencer popped kurt in his snot box and love watching Ryan start up front and half the field pass him over the next few hours.
Posted by: Dave | Mar 22, 2006 2:18:33 PM
Biffle and the Busches are my top guys. I like the hard-chargers who will race half-sideways on the edge of disaster.
Aditionally, I like Biffle for his plain-spoken honesty, Kyle for his enthusiasm that makes me smile, and Kurt because his complexity and outside the box nature fascinates me.
Then there's Ryan and Kasey, and another 8-10 drivers who I root for in the 3 top series and a bunch more who I simply like.
I don't think that my drivers are without flaws. In fact I have to admit that for some I root for them because of their flaws. LOL
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Mar 22, 2006 2:19:22 PM
whats the url for the online game?
Posted by: Jen S | Mar 22, 2006 2:21:42 PM
My "Moniker" is NOT Kyle Busch But Krista Voda...what a BABE! I started watchin racin on the Wide world of sports, and I didn't really have a favorite, i just liked racin', as I got older and was at the ASA races watchin' Mark Martin, Rusty, Ted Musgrave, I thought it was cool to see "local" guys make it, then along came Dale Earnhardt, and THAT WAS MY GUY!! And since 01, things have not been the same. NASCAR has "neutered" the sport. Lets just say I'm a resident of the Earnhardt nation.
Posted by: Fan # 5 | Mar 22, 2006 2:24:25 PM
My favorite driver is Tony Stewart. I became a Tony Stewart fan during the 2004 Daytona 500. Up until that time, I had been a casual NASCAR fan. However, many of my close friends and family members were Dale Jr. fans. During the 2004 Daytona 500, everybody that I was watching the race with were cheering for the #8 so I decided to pull for the #20....even though I despise anything that is the color ORANGE. (I am a Bama grad and we hate all things Orange...Tennessee, Auburn, Florida) Tony Stewart ended up finishing second to Dale Jr. that day; however, I was hooked on NASCAR racing....and Tony Stewart!
After the 2004 Daytona 500, I began watching all the races and learning about the sport. I also kept pulling for the #20 because I liked his driving style. I also liked the fact that off the track, Tony Stewart is one of the most generous drivers. Luckily, I have gotten to go see Tony race at Indy, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Talladega.
To date, the best race that I have been to was the 2005 Brickyard 400. Nothing beats seeing your favorite driver win at his hometown track and fulfill a life long dream. (I have attended several National Championship games and that race ranks right up there with Bama-PSU and Bama-Miami!)
I have also been lucky to have met Tony on six different occasions. He is extremely nice and has a great sense of humor.
Thus, since 2004, I have gone from a casual NASCAR fan who despised all things Orange to a NASCAR fanatic who proudly wears the Home Depot Orange! However, I do admit that I at first I would only wear Tony Stewart attire that did not contain the color orange. ;-)
Posted by: Smoke | Mar 22, 2006 2:24:54 PM
Yo Smoke...
I feel like this is the year for the Gators...watch out!
Posted by: Jen S | Mar 22, 2006 2:27:03 PM
It's not on any website, it's a disc/program/game that is loaded up on your C drive. Once you get into the game there is an online racing section that you get into. Certain leagues run 'pick-up' races while others need a password to get into and such. This is the actual Jr. league website:
They (Hamlin, Jr., and Truex Jr) don't race all the time because of the schedules that they have but they do show up when they can.
If you've ever seen Dale Jr's DVD they show his house and he's got a room with 4 or 5 computers in it that all of his friends race on.
Posted by: Mike | Mar 22, 2006 2:33:12 PM
I had never really watched NASCAR before until I watched Dale Earnhardt win the Daytona 500, then I seen an interview with Dale Sr. and he was talking about Dale Jr. After the interview I wanted to find out who Jr. was, I happened up on the Busch race in Richmond of 1999. I watched and Jr. won and I've been hooked ever since. If I'm gonna cheer for anybody besides Jr., its gonna be Martin Truex, Jr. or Tony Stewart. Martin is a hellva driver and I wish u and the team the best of luck this year in getting the rookie of the year.
Posted by: becca | Mar 22, 2006 2:33:53 PM
I like Dale Jr cause he lets me rent his house and I get to whoop him online Racing. He needs to stop stealling Beer from my frig though or I will soon pick a new favorite driver. Maybe Martin Truex Jr. He looks good in the 1 car.
Posted by: Truex | Mar 22, 2006 2:34:19 PM
well I am probably the only one left in the world but I am a Ward Burton Fan and yes I know that he isnt driving anymore , I became a fan of Wards back when he was in the Hardees car in the busch series in the early 90's due to the fact that he is one of my high school buddies cousins, and I thought it was great to hear him talk either in victory lane or when he got a top 5 and was interviewed, anyways I have struggled along still a diehard Nascar fan but trying to pick a driver to take his place and have finally settled on Jamie Mcmurray as my favorite but at the same time I like everyone out there except for Kurt busch and Jr ....so whoever wins besides those 2 each week I am happy just as long as it was a good race.
Posted by: Dennis | Mar 22, 2006 2:38:47 PM
I like drivers but just as much fun in this sport is having drivers that you dislike. It has what has made the sport what it was today. You either loved Dale in the 80s and 90s or hated him. If you hated him then you came to see him lose and was probably disappointed but you came back or tuned in again. Same can be said for Jeff Gordon. Dislike has made this sport as much as love for the drivers. It is healthy for the sport. When Dale died though everyone that disliked him transfered that to respect and admiration and stuck with the sport. Don't down play the dislike in a NASCAR fan. I disliked your boy Newman because he can only qualify and win on fuel mileage. I hated watching him win on that crap and now love his weekly slide in his Intrepid to the back. Sucks to have the calculator taken out of racing and actually have to try to drive the car fast to try to win. The passion in that comment though shows what this sport means to me. Dislike has made football's best rivalrys. Skins and Cowgirls (wonder which side of that one I am on) and the dislike can only make a NASCAR fan more loyal to the sport. And on a closing note how is the Intrepid working out for you guys I haven't heard Kahne complain about the Charger!!!!!!!
Posted by: Dave | Mar 22, 2006 2:46:07 PM
I am a Dale JR fan, I honestly didn't know who is was until that fateful day in February 2001. On that day Dale JR & I shared a common thread, perhaps many of you too, the loss of a beloved father taken way too soon. Maybe it sounds silly, but I've rooted for him ever since.
Posted by: Annie | Mar 22, 2006 2:48:28 PM
Hi Dennis-
I don't really dislike any of the drivers. Occasionally one of them will annoy me on any given Sunday, but overall, I like them all. I'm a Jeff Gordon fan and have been since 1994. From my earliest memory, NASCAR has been a staple of my family and household. My mom and step-dad were hardcore Dale Sr. fans and so were my sister and I. My mom even bought a black, 2-dr.-Oldsmobile and put a white #3 decal on the drivers side door of the thing. She kept every cereal box, soda bottle, or knick-knack with a NASCAR theme throughout our house. We watched the races every Sunday, (when the cable wasn't disconnected)...LOL. We were at home watching the Coca~Cola 600 in '94 and Jeff won his first Cup race...he cried and showed how much it meant to him to win at that level and that's all it took. I felt some sort of connection to that emotional side of him. I've been a diehard 24 fan ever since. Never in a million years did I know he would turn out to be a 4-time Champion and win over 70 races. IMO, that's just been a nice bonus.
Being a fan of his has numerous downsides though. People have attacked me personally because he's my driver. You have to endure all the nasty things that are said about him. It's a trip sometimes...but being a fan of his for this long, I've developed a pretty tough skin.
Posted by: Mandy24 | Mar 22, 2006 2:49:11 PM
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