How Much Do You Know About These 9 Nascar Drivers?
NASCAR started a long time ago when a ragtag group of drivers decided to run in the famed “Race No. 1” in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1949. Such humble beginnings have so little indication of the global behemoth the company was bound to become one day.
Over time, its popularity increased, and so did the popularity of its drivers. Some of them even became international superstars because of their exceptional capacity to create magic on the racetrack. However, some drivers didn’t get the spotlight they truly deserved. However, today we’ve decided to discuss some of the most underrated drivers of all time.
Chris Buescher
His racing career started in 2009, and it’s still going strong. Some of his career highlights include being the ARCA Racing Series champion (2012), NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie of the year (2011), and the Pennsylvania 400 champion (2016).
Chris Buescher climbed his way up the racing ranks as the NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year back in 2011, right before winning an Xfinity Series title in 2015. Buescher also made the leap to the top division, right after winning the Xfinity Series title.
He also has 20 top-10 finishes in the last few years, which also include a win at the Pennsylvania 400 in 2016. Buescher bounced back from his time off during the pandemic, just to finish 2020 with a career-high eight top-10 finishes in the season. That was double his previous best season in the Cup Series.
Regan Smith
His racing career lasted for a total of 17 impressive seasons, from 2002 to 2019. Some of his career highlights include NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year (2008), NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver (2013), and Southern 500 Champion (2011).
He also initiated his career in the Craftsman Truck Series at only 18 years old and moved all the way up to the Busch Series in the following year. Smith also received the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2008, after he managed to become the first rookie driver on the circuit to finish every race he entered in the first season.
Part of his problem was finding the perfect opportunity, but when he went back, he immediately hit success.
Landon Cassill
His racing career started in 2007 and lasted until 2022. Some of his career highlights include being named NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year in 2008. The truth is, when it comes to Landon, there’s being underrated, and there’s also just not being a factor because you never won.
Well, in Cassill’s case, it might be the latter. However, if there’s one thing he has constantly shown, it’s staying in power. He received the title of NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year in 2008 at only 19 years old.
His struggles mainly revolved around pushing himself away from the middle of the pack. He has 14 finishes in the Top 10 in 144 starts on the Xfinity Series. Where he really showed the most strength was in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he made 324 starts over 10 seasons.
J.J. Yeley
His racing career started in 2004, and it’s still going strong. Some of his career highlights include being the USAC Triple Crown champion (2003) and the two-time National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Non-Winged Driver of the Year (2002, 2003). In other words, J.J. Yeley, short for Jimmy Jack, was the second racer in history to win the United States Auto Club Triple Crown after Tony Stewart in 1995.
In fact, Yeley started off in the Indy Racing League and even managed to get into the top-10 finish at the Indianapolis 500 in 1998. Yeley also made the leap to NASCAR in 2004 and has 54 top-10 finishes from both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Even if Yeley doesn’t have the wins that some other drivers on this list have, he’s still been full-time in a car for the wide majority of his career and was also the driver for Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020.
Jamie McMurray
His NASCAR racing career lasted for 16 impressive seasons, from 2003 until 2019. Some of his career highlights include the Daytona 500 champion (2010), the Brickyard 400 champion (2010), the Sprint Showdown champion (2013), and the Sprint All-Star Race champion (2014), but also the Rolex 24 at Daytona champion (2015).
And, of course, the NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year (2003). Jamie McMurray was the World Go-Kart champion when he was only 15 years old, and seven years later, he brought home NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors.
McMurray fans will never agree with the fact that he’s underrated, and to be honest, they have good reasons not to. He won the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in 2010 but also won the Sprint All-Star Race in 2014. Despite being a constant model of consistency, the Missouri native never managed to punch his way into that well-known level of stardom.
Dick Hutcherson
His NASCAR career lasted only 3 years, and some of his career highlights include being the NASCAR Cup Series runner-up (1965). What’s interesting is that few careers have been as short and packed with as much success as Iowa native Dick Hutcherson, who only raced in the NASCAR Cup Series for four seasons but racked up 14 wins and 73 top-10 finishes in that time.
Hutcherson finished as NASCAR Cup Series runner-up in 1965 and third in 1967, right before he retired to focus on his chassis-building business. In other words, Hutcherson became crew chief for his friend and fellow NASCAR driver, David Pearson, in 1968.
Hutcherson, who was also in the Elvis Presley film “Speedway” in 1968, expanded his entire business and went on to build cars for some of the most well-known race car drivers of all time.
Aric Almirola
His NASCAR racing career was initiated in 2006, and it’s still going strong. Some of his career highlights include the Coke Zero 400 champion (2014), the 1000Bulbs.com 500 champion (2018), and the NASCAR All-Star Race champion (2021).
Even though Aric was born in Florida, he comes from Cuban descent, and he became one of the first NASCAR drivers who came out of the Driver for Diversity program in the early 2000s under the tutelage of a team co-owned by NFL Hall of Famers Joe Gibbs and the late Reggie White.
Almirola has been a constant presence in NASCAR in the decade-plus since he started racing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2007.
Jerry Cook
Jerry Cook’s racing career lasted from 1963 to 1982. Some of his career highlights included being the six-time Modified Tour champion (1971–72, 1974–77), the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2016), and the NASCAR 50 Greatest Drivers.
He had most of his success on the NASCAR Modified Tour, where he was a six-time champion. He won six titles in a seven-year stretch. The only one he missed was in 1973 when he went and raced in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series.
Lake Speed
His racing career lasted from 1980 to 1998. Among his career highlights, there’s the World Karting Champion prize in 1987 and the TransSouth 500 champion in 1988. If we ever do a NASCAR All-Name Team, Lake Speed will definitely be front and center.
Speed has a wonderful backstory. His father, Leland Speed, was a very wealthy investment banker and the former mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, and was also part of a very large contingent of family members who didn’t want Lake Speed to pursue a career in racing.
Naturally, he didn’t listen, and that’s how he became the first American to win the World Karting Championship in 1978. He also kicked off an 18-year Cup Series career in 1980.
By the way, are you a big fan? Because if you are, you might want to check this super cool NASCAR hoodie.
If you found this article interesting, then you definitely need to check out this one, too: 6 Quick and Easy Tricks to Reduce Your Car Costs
