Showing posts with label Clint Bowyer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clint Bowyer. Show all posts

NASCAR’s 5 Most Underrated Drivers

Posted by Genna | Posted in , , , , , , | Posted on 2/24/2009

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Its a known fact that NASCAR commentators, fans, and media tend to focus on “certain” drivers that may or may not be good but they cause a lot of drama and talk. Now I’m pretty certain I don’t need to mention any names- we’re all pretty aware of those drivers I’m talking about.

 

You know the ones I mean too. The ones that are handsome, have famous last names, talk a lot of crap about a certain tire company, and cause a lot of talk when they take out other drivers *you know the ones with the famous last names*.

 

But what about those guys that finish well all the time, contend for championships, and don’t cause all the drama? What about guys that consistently finish in the top 10 and 5 and are all around drama free guys. But nobody wants to hear about those guys?

 

Well I’ve compiled a list here of the top 5 drivers that I think are the most underrated NASCAR Cup Series drivers.

 

5. Clint Bowyer

2007- 3rd in points
2008- 5th in points
46 career top 10’s
17 career top 5’s
2 career wins
15.8 average finish

In his short career in NASCAR, this driver from Emporia, Kansas has achieved a nice looking resume. On top of his cup stats, he currently stands as the defending Nationwide Series Champion. Look out for him in 2009, it could well his breakout year.

 

4. Jeff Burton

1993- ROTY
1997- 4th in points
1998- 5th in points
1999- 5th in points
2000- 3rd in points
2006- Victory at Dover in September was first victory since October 2001 at Phoenix. The Dover win vaulted Burton to the top of the Chase standings, a position he held for four weeks
212 career top 10’s
117 career top 5’s
21 career wins
15.9 average finish

Jeff’s come back year in 2006 was one for the books. He broke a nearly 5 year winless streak with a dominating win at Dover and finally found himself in the Chase for the Cup and back in contention for the championship. He’s never won one, but have no doubt that he will break the curse and go on to win at least one, maybe more, in his career.

 

3. Greg Biffle

2005- 2nd in points
2008- 3rd in points
79 career top 10’s
48 career top 5’s
14 career wins
17.1 average finish

Something that bugs me and undoubtedly many others is the way Greg is always referred to as a “dark horse”. Why is that? The media likes to pretend guys like Biffle are worse drivers than they actually are but this guy won the first two races of the Chase and went on to be a serious contender for the championship, finishing 3rd overall in the standings. Watch out for this guy- he will be a dark horse no more this 2009 season.

 

2. Mark Martin

Mark Martin
1989- 3rd in points
1990- 2nd in points
1993- 3rd in points
1994- 2nd in points
1995- 4th in points
1996- 5th in points
1997- 3rd in points
1998- 2nd in points
1999- 3rd in points
2002- 2nd in points
2004- 4th in points
2005- 4th in points
396 career top 10’s
243 career top 5’s
35 career wins
13.4 average finish

They call him “the Kid” but Mark Martin is far from it. He’s an old veteran to NASCAR but he’s lost none of his edge. In 2005, Martin ran his last full season and finished an impressive 4th place in points. Not bad for an old man who was pushing 50. Now he’s running full time in a Hendrick car with teammates like Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson. With that kind of power under the hood and teammates that have the impressive resumes those guys have, how can he not be in position to win some races, even that elusive championship?

 

1. Matt Kenseth

2000- ROTY
2003- Won championship
2006- 2nd in points
2007- 4th in points
164 career top 10’s
90 career top 5’s
18 career wins
14.9 average finish

You could say Matt came out number 1 because that’s the only finish he’s known this year so far but there is far more to it than that. The boy can drive. I’ll be the first to say I hated to see him win Daytona on a rain call but given those extra 49 laps or so, I believe he could have won on his actual merits instead of the way he did win. It was all luck of the draw, that one was. But Sunday’s race at California was no luck. That was pure, raw talent. Watch for more of it this coming season.

The Worst Firesuits of 2009

Posted by Genna | Posted in , , , , , , | Posted on 2/08/2009

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Over the years there has been a myriad of repulsive firesuits that some of our favorite drivers have been subject to wear. From Jeff Gordon’s original DuPont firesuit to Alan Kulwicki’s Hooters get up, fans and drivers have had to witness some of the worst of color combinations and poor design.

But you can’t really blame a driver for how bad (or good) they look in a firesuit. I mean come on, it isn’t their fault that the sponsor’s colors clash and look generally awful together. And think if they’re so unpleasing to our eyes, what must those drivers feel like that have to wear them week in and week out?

I’ve compiled a list of the worst firesuits of the 2009 season. And its so true that 2009 has been one of the worst seasons for firesuits. Believe it or not, there is a way to make even poor color combinations appear more aesthetically pleasing. It just seems that poor firesuit design is the culprit here.

So I present to you, in no particular order, my nominees for 2009’s Worst Firesuits:

Driver: Mark Martin
Car number: 5
Car make: Chevrolet
Car owner: Hendrick Motorsports
Sponsor: Kellogg’s, Car Quest
Secondary sponsors: Cheez-It, National Guard, GoDaddy.com

What’s wrong with this picture?: Who ever decided that a primarily red firesuit was even remotely flattering? It is actually really distracting and it could be considered a road hazard. Other drivers might stare a little too long, hypnotized by the bright colors and end up putting each other in the wall.

But Martin’s is nothing compared to…



Driver: David Ragan
Car number: 6
Car make: Ford
Car owner: Roush-Fenway Racing
Sponsor: UPS
Secondary sponsors: Valvoline, Oscar Meyer, Coca Cola

What’s wrong with this picture?: Simply everything. To start with, look at that shade of yellow. If the suit itself was primarily brown, it wouldn’t look so bad. Or even white with a little brown, like DJ’s former firesuit. But this, this is just completely inappropriate. And who’s brilliant idea was it to put swirly brown lines along his legs? Why don’t you just castrate him. I mean you’ve already removed enough of his masculinity by putting swirlies around his legs.




It could be worse, just look at…

Driver: Clint Bowyer
Car number: 33
Car make: Chevrolet
Car owner: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsor: Cheerios, Hamburger Helper
Secondary sponsors: BB&T, Penzoil, Shell, DirecTV

What’s wrong with this picture?: Just about everything. Pale yellow doesn’t go with Bowyer’s red skin. The designers attempted to redeem themselves with making the sleeves black but its hard to pull your eyes away from that muted yellow. Its not as if it wasn’t bad enough to look at it on the boxes of cereal, now we have to see it on Bowyer as well. Of course, this one is a slight step up from his 2008 BB&T Suit.

Yellow firesuits can be bad, as we have seen, but few can compete with…



Driver: Kyle “Shrub” Busch
Car number: 18
Car make: Toyota
Car owner: Joe Gibbs Racing
Sponsor: M&Ms, Pedigree
Secondary sponsors: NOS, Interstate Batteries

What’s wrong with this picture?: Besides the obvious? (kidding!) Brown, yellow and…red? I honestly don’t have a whole lot to say other than just “eww…”.


Well M&Ms are no match for…



Driver: Marcos “Kangaroo Meat” Ambrose
Car number: 47
Car make: Toyota
Car owner: JTG Daugherty Racing
Sponsor: (you ready for this? it’s a mouthful) Little Debbie, Kingsford, Clorox
Secondary sponsors: unsure

What’s wrong with this picture?: There aren’t enough words to say how awful this suit is. The color combinations are simply a crime and flames should be limited to the cars. Flames look cool on cars, not so much on arms and legs. Sorry Kangaroo Meat, but your handsome features cannot redeem you now.

Speaking of atrocious color combinations check out…


Driver: Kevin “Happy” Harvick
Car number: 29
Car make: Chevrolet
Car owner: Richard Childress Racing
Sponsor: Shell, Penzoil
Secondary sponsors: DirecTV, Rheem

What’s wrong with this picture?: When Harvick revealed his new sponsor in 2007, Tony Stewart hit the nail right on the head when he presented a photo-shopped picture of Harvick’s head superimposed onto the body of Ronald McDonald. McDonald’s clown outfit was adorned with Harvick’s sponsor logos. While it was amusing, it was a painfully accurate representation of what Harvick’s firesuit looks like. Now, in 2009, not much has changed in that suit. It is still one of the ugliest eyesores on Pit Road this year.

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