The 2021 Running NASCAR/IMSA/other racing things thread

Noah Gragson got caught in a wreck when David Starr cut a tire; Gragson claimed Starr didn’t cut a tire and took him out, then doubled down on his bullshit. Starr is running for Carl Long, who posted this on Facebook.



Here’s a couple other Joy tweets from about the same time yesterday.




Gragson is absolutely the most punchable driver in NASCAR right now.

 

As the people on this thread know, David Starr is not some random backmarker. He had a few good years driving for Spears when the trucks were probably the best NASCAR national series.

 

ACO moves Le Mans to August in a bid to escape the coronavirus epidemic, IMSA adjusts by rescheduling two events including Petit Le Mans.

24H Le Mans Postponed to August – Sportscar365
VIR, Petit Dates Changed in Response to Le Mans Clash – Sportscar365

 

Brendan Gaughan of South Point Casino fame is probably the best of the drivers who had enough money to do it right (and yeah, Georgetown basketball, blah blah blah). But he's definitely on a much shorter list than the John Wrecks Weeklys of the world who have more money than talent.

I'm certain there have been "money in the helmet" deals since before Barney Oldfield, but the first one I remember well was Joel Thorne, who inherited his father's fortune at age 10, and tried to buy a starting spot in the Indianapolis 500 in the mid-1930s, only to be told he needed to actually have some experience. He eventually did make the race, and won as a car owner with George Robson in 1946 IIRC. He also threw money at hydroplane racing and stunt airplanes, one of which he flew into an apartment building in 1955.

 

I think Paul Menard is probably the best of the DaddyBoughtTheRide guys. He won a Monster race and had more than 50 top 10s.

 

So, this is a good group to ask:

Who, say, in the last 20-25 years, is/was the best driver in NASCAR that isn't in the best of team or equipment.

I guess it's a way of asking who is the most underrated driver in the sport.

And who that person be currently?

 

Tim Richmond wasn’t a ride-buyer per se, but he did have some family money backing him.

 

Define “best.”

My first instinct would be to mention guys from the modified ranks. Many of them never ran a lot down south. Mike McLaughlin is one who did.

Ricky Craven comes to mind too. He didn’t come south with money and except for Hendrick, he never had a big-time ride, and even then he was in Hendrick’s fourth car.

 

I was always a Ward Burton fan. Never on a "super team" - fun to root for because you never knew where he'd end up on a particular race weekend top 10, bottom 10 (wreck). Wins weren't expected, but you figured you had a shot. Not many drivers like that anymore. Wins ARE expected and if they don't come, they gone.

 

Prior to being picked up by Jeff Gordon and Ray Hendrick, Jimmie Johnson didn’t have any real money. He did off-road trucks and was running for a middle of the pack Busch team. He also was best known for this, not his finishes.

I would have liked to see what Dave Blaney would have done had he spent time in a top-tier Cup ride. He had one really good year for Bill Davis.

 

Blaney was a guy I thought of, but while I've always enjoyed following and watching NASCAR, I can't say I know all that much about the intricacies of the cars and sport.

I was a Ward Burton fan, and enjoyed following Jeff as well. Always felt like Jeff Burton was extremely well-respected by others in the sport. (Nicknamed The Mayor, right? Or was that a knock?)

I felt like, in his first couple of years, that Ryan Blaney was also a talent. And still like following him and Martin Truex now.

 

Jeff was that well respected. Was easily the go-to driver when you wanted a no-BS sound bite in the garage.

As for Ward, Tony Stewart summed it up best: "Every one of these drivers in the garage area, I can speak to because they all speak English, with the exception of Ward Burton. He speaks whatever he speaks. He speaks Ward."