Jared Turner: Who's the best driver in NASCAR?

By Jared Turner - SceneDaily Staff Writer

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson won his fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in 2009.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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If there was a perfect formula for ranking the top NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers, someone would have done so long ago. So does that mean it’s a waste of time to devise one man’s list of the best active drivers in NASCAR’s premier division?

Of course not. While’s there’s no way of unequivocally saying which driver is the best or most talented, accomplishments speak for themselves.

That is, the best drivers win the most races and championships and perform at the highest level year after year. Bad or mediocre drivers don’t. It’s that simple.

With this in mind, here’s one reporter’s unofficial breakdown of NASCAR’s 15 most skilled drivers, in the order that I believe they stack up:

1. Jimmie Johnson: OK, accuse me of going with the “safe” pick for No. 1. But the last time I checked, Johnson was fresh off winning his fourth straight title – an achievement never before matched and one that will probably never be matched again. How do you go with anyone other than the reigning king of the sport?

2. Kyle Busch: Busch doesn’t have as many Cup wins as some of NASCAR’s top drivers, but the 24-year-old hasn’t been around as long as them either. The fact that Busch already has 62 wins among NASCAR’s three national series bodes well for his future and is a testament to his ability to successfully adapt to different kinds of vehicles.

3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon hasn’t won a championship since 2001, but four titles and 82 wins are hard to argue against. Through the ups and downs of a 17-year Cup career, Gordon has remained among NASCAR’s elite fraternity of drivers. Don’t expect that to change anytime soon.

4. Tony Stewart: Stewart came to NASCAR with an impressive open-wheel resume already in his back pocket and has only added more credence to the claim that he can drive anything with four wheels. Two championships – not to mention an improbable four-win season in his first campaign as an owner/driver this year – make Stewart’s skill irrefutable.

5. Denny Hamlin: Long known for his short-track prowess, Hamlin proved in 2009 that he’s capable of contending for wins at just about any venue on the circuit. He also showed a hunger and aggression that hadn’t come full circle until now. Though he has just eight wins, his perfect four-for-four record of qualifying for NASCAR’s championship playoff earns him a spot among the series’ top five drivers.

6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth endured a rough season in 2009 by his standards but still won two races, including the Daytona 500. The 2003 champ had qualified for the Chase For The Sprint Cup in all five seasons of the format’s existence until 2009. The Wisconsin native’s quiet demeanor and lack of flamboyance on the track make him one of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR.

7. Mark Martin: Often considered the best driver to never win a championship, Martin’s ability behind the wheel – even at the age of 50 - deserves major recognition. He’s enjoyed considerable success in all three of NASCAR’s national series and was a five-time champion of the now-defunct International Race of Champions series, which pitted drivers against each other in equally prepared cars.

8. Kurt Busch: Busch’s championship in 2004 and history of strong runs with two different organizations earn him a place in the top 10. It also doesn’t hurt that he has qualified for the Chase in four out of six years.

9. Carl Edwards: Edwards endured a disappointing 2009, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that he’s just a year removed from a nine-win campaign. Edwards’ propensity for spanking the competition, especially on NASCAR’s intermediate tracks, has reared its head on many occasions. When the Missouri native wins, he usually does so in dominate fashion.

10. Joey Logano: His rookie season wasn’t without a few bumps in the road, but he showed glimpses of the talent that helped him land a Cup ride at Joe Gibbs Racing at age 18. With a couple more years to hone his skills, the now 19-year-old could emerge as one of the sport’s biggest stars.

11. Greg Biffle: Like Edwards, Biffle has displayed a knack for whipping the competition at the 1.5-and 2-mile ovals. Lack of success on short tracks keeps him from a better ranking.

12. Jeff Burton: Burton has done what few drivers ever will – enjoy several seasons of success with a team, struggle for several years and then return to top form with a different organization. Burton is one of a handful of drivers to be reckoned with in both 1997 and 2010.

13. Kasey Kahne: The depth of Kahne’s talent relative to his peers still remains a bit of a mystery after six years in the series. The fact that he has never finished better than eighth in the standings keeps him from a better ranking.

14. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s 11 Cup wins aren’t as many as most of the drivers on this list, but the fact that two of them have come in NASCAR’s biggest races – the Daytona 500 and The Brickyard 400 – warrant his inclusion.

15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: While Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman deserve honorable mention, Earnhardt Jr. gets the nod because he has more wins than the trio combined. Yes, he’s also been in Cup longer, but his 17 wins with a Dale Earnhardt Inc. organization that was second tier at best speak to his abilities. Another bad season at Hendrick Motorsports, however, would result in his purging from the list.