NASCAR Then and Now - Ben White [2]
Dale Earnhardt Jr. inherited most of his father’s fans while attracting many more to the sport all on his own.
Chapter 1
Drivers and Teams
Richard Petty, Speedy Thompson, and “Tiger” Tom Pistone dressed in race gear from 50 years ago—open-face helmets, short-sleeve shirts, and blue jeans.
Today’s drivers wear colorful multilayered fire suits that match their cars’ elaborate paint schemes. Shown here are three of the drivers who made up Rick Hendrick’s 2009 “superteam”: (from left) Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Good ol’ Boys vs. Today’s Drivers
As is the case with any endeavor, image is everything. Part of NASCAR’s appeal comes from its storied past, created by the rugged men who battled door handle to door handle each Sunday, often in hastily organized races in open pastures, driving hopped up cars without seatbelts, let alone roll bars or any other safety equipment.
It’s no longer a secret that many of these first stock car drivers learned the art of driving fast running moonshine through the North Carolina and Georgia mountains. The skills honed on winding dirt roads would translate well to driving on high-banked speedways such as Daytona and Darlington. Slowly, over time, a sport that was thought by some to be rough and undesirable transformed itself into something more sophisticated and professional. Corporate sponsorship expanded the driver’s roles beyond the cockpit into product endorsements and public relations appearances. Yes, image is everything, and a driver’s image is crucial to his long-term career. Despite the sport’s many changes, NASCAR drivers throughout the decades all share one trait: the talent, skill, and relentless desire to go fast, race hard, and win.
In 2004 NASCAR launched a new championship system, the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After the season’s first 26 races, the top 12 points finishers become eligible to compete for the title in the final 10 events. Shown here are the 2008 title contenders: (front row, left to right) Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, (back row, left to right) Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Burton.
By 1965 Ford Motor Company had assembled a Who’s Who list of motorsports greats to wheel their Galaxies. Dressed in sharp fire-retardant driver’s suits—attire relatively new to the sport at this time—are Dick Hutcherson, A. J. Foyt, Fred Lorenzen. Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, Curtis Turner, and Junior Johnson. On Johnson’s left are powerhouse team owners Ralph Moody and John Holman.
Champions: Past and Present
It’s the age-old question in racing: Is it the driver, or is it the equipment? History is filled with stories of great drivers who never had the cars to reach the pinnacle of their sport. And there are many examples of so-so drivers who had the luck or the smarts to latch on to a winning team and deliver results that exceeded their talent levels. But the truth is that the greatest drivers almost always end up with the best equipment. Occasionally, it’s the driver himself who builds and leads his own winning team. In most cases, it’s a matter of their talent attracting bids from the best teams.
Regardless of circumstances, it takes a special blend of talent, skill, determination—and maybe just a bit of luck—to make a champion. And it takes all of these qualities in spades for a driver to earn multiple championships and achieve legendary status. Here are eight of NASCAR’s greatest champions from the 1950s to the present.
Richard Petty is known as “The King” for good reason. His 200 wins from 1958 to 1992 are nearly double the total of NASCAR’s second-winningest driver. His seven NASCAR championships are matched only by the late Dale Earnhardt. Smiles have always come easily for Petty, and he has reason to smile here after winning the 600-mile event at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 1975. Today, he remains one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors.
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