Drew M

Im just curious to see who you all think the best race car driver is. This can include open/ closed wheel, oval/road/drag racing, dirt/pavement. Basically anything and everything (kind of racing). Obviously includes international drivers, not just American. Also, past/ present, deceased/alive.

ghoffman

My vote is for Mario...

sanchez

Gilles Villenueve

Him or Fangio

sam

bcstonic

:iagree: Mario A.

John Shiels

Mario for types of cars driven. Schumacher or Senna. Fangio era was crazy as they had no protection besides googles :eek: Paul Newman at 78 was as impressive as anyone. :thumbs: Then some are great and never get the right team or equipment. Good question for discussion.


[Modified by John Shiels, 9:14 PM 6/16/2003]

RX7 KLR

Randy Pobst :cool: Does not matter what kind of car, he can win. :thumbs:


[Modified by RX7 KLR, 8:12 PM 6/16/2003]

jackmott

sterling moss

cgh1

Hmmm...tough question

Interesting how there are no WRC drivers mentioned.

My vote's for Schumi or Marcus Gronholm or Senna


[Modified by cgh1, 7:35 PM 6/22/2003]

Gary2KC5

Great Question!!

Certainly guys like Mario and AJ who could win @ indy or daytona were great.

I remember a story about Mark Donahugh (ms edit later) when he was driving for the awesome factory Porsche 917's. The car was producing something like 1100 hp and he was arguing with the Porsche engineers that the car needed more hp! They threw their hands up and ask him, how much do you need. He said something like...I need enough to spin the tires down the longest straight away of the longest track we run.

Senna was one of the best, until that A arm went through his head.

Earnhardt was the best stock car driver, hands down.
You can say what you want about NASCAR but it's where the best drivers want to race. (Fittipaldi, Andretti, Mears, etc.)

Who's the Brit who won the F! championship a few times and then came to the states to win the CART championship? He was good... Nigel Mansel

Who said Jacque Villenue?? No comparison to his dad Gilles.

What about Jackie Ickes, Nikki Lauda, Derek Bell, Hans Stuck, and Al Holbert!

Peter Gregg, Hurley Hayword, Don Garletts, Don Prudome, Kenny Bernstien, John Force, Richard Petty, Carl Yarborogh, Neil Bonnet, gasp! Darrel Waltrip, Brian Redman,...

Bill Dearborn

AJ also drove sports cars back in the 60s and he was on one of the winning teams at the 24 hours of Daytona some years ago. At his peak he may have been the best overall driver in the world. If it had 4 wheels he could drive it well.
Bill

C3-R

Recently read an article, I think in Racer Mag, that bestowed the honor on MArio. He won anf F1 title, Cart a few times when it was a series that really mattered. Drove sport racers, dirt trackers, sprints and stockers.

He has to be the most well rounded driver of the last 50 yrs.

Don't forget he recently got into a CART car and clocked around 200 mph before his horrific crash.

bjm

JIM CLARK

VetteDrmr

:iagree: CART, F1 champion, won Daytona in NASCAR, dirt tracking, enduros,...

In F1 it's harder to pick out the drivers amidst all the tech, but Schumacher truly stands out from everyone else. Look at where Benetton's history before, during, and after Schumi was there. Ditto Ferrari before they got him away from Benetton. One thing I think is way overlooked (and not advertised) with Schumacher is what he does with the team off the track.

Interesting question, and good reading.

Have a good one,
Mike

Mike Schriber

That is a tough one. Some drives are excellent at their type of racing, and some are great at multiple types.

Mario has to get my pick as one of the best around. He raced (and won) F1, CART (including Indy), sports cars, stock cars, you name it.

I think that Schumi is pretty amazing, a race car driver's driver, but it's hard to judge current drivers who haven't finished their carrers yet against people from the past.

There are just so many great drivers, many of them mentioned in this thread. Dan Gurney certainly comes to mind as well.

Mike :flag



[Modified by Mike Schriber, 2:21 PM 6/17/2003]

Jim 47

Great question TH. Personally I'm not sure there is "one" best race car driver, since time and technology have so vastly altered the cars that these high profile guys have piloted.

I do think the each era and type of racing does have it's superstars and possibly one driver that stands alone as "the best". Some of the names already mentioned are these superstars.

I personally knew Mark Donahue and think that he was one if not the most talented drivers of his era. He drove everything from sock cars to F-1 cars, but is probably best know for his success in the Transam series and at Indy. He was a true student of driving and as a engineer had a uncanny knowledge of the engineering and dynamics of a race car regardless of the type of racing involved.

One thing I'm sure of is his relentless persuit of excellence. I've had the opportunity to discuss his approach to racing on several tracks with different cars, and it was truely unique and eye opening for me to understand how he approached his chalanges. It wasn't macho, pedal-to-the-metal, dam the torpedos approach, but one of patience, looking for and using any advantage he legally could, working as team, and fully understanding his car and what it's strengths and weaknesses were. He was a master at getting the maximum performance out of any car, because he wasn't just the driver, he was a part of the development and enineering of the car and he full understood what the car would do when he asked it to do something with his inputs of pedals and steering.

MY vote is for MARK DONAHUE :party:

Jim Helm

63Corvette

AJ Foyt said: "The only real "World Chaampion" is Mario Andretti, because he has won in NASCAR, on dirt, on ovals and on roadcourses, and in Formula 1"

ZR1 MK

There isn't a best driver. There were many great drivers over time at the same level. Michael Schumacher being one the latest greats.
Mike

markmaz

:iagree:

Snuckley

Mario-------he has driven 4 decades of technology with skill and class.

LG Motorsports

Mario. Correct me if I am wrong but ) He hopped in a F1 car at the glen for the first time, and got the pole.

lg