Ask the current field of INDYCAR drivers who their favorite NASCAR driver of all-time is, and they will give you a definitive answer: A driver who they could consider a little bit as one of their own.
Ask the current NASCAR Cup field of their favorite INDYCAR driver of all time, and the names flow with no clear favorite.
Part of that probably has to do with age — with about 40 Cup drivers and their ages spread out over 25 years, they span a couple of generations of INDYCAR and who they might have watched.
But INDYCAR? Most of them know seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who competed in the series from 2021-2022, and they have a relationship with him.
The key word in this question was “favorite” and not “best.” Drivers tended to give answers based on who they watched or who they knew.
So ahead of this weekend’s Phoenix doubleheader, here are the responses from the current INDYCAR driver field when I asked who was their favorite NASCAR driver:
10 votes – Jimmie Johnson
6 – Dale Earnhardt
3 – Tony Stewart
2 – Jeff Gordon
1 – AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Foyt, Dario Franchitti, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Richard Petty, Martin Truex Jr., Rusty Wallace
Here are some of the responses:
Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, No. 3: “It’s hard for me to go past Jimmie Johnson, especially now after building a friendship with Jimmie over the last few years. Being able to see what he did when I was younger, and then now being a friend with him is very cool. So he’s probably my favorite.”
Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is a favorite among INDYCAR drivers.
Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, No. 2: “I was a Jimmie Johnson fan, so he’s going to be at the top of my list.”
Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing, No. 14: “Tony Stewart. Do you consider A.J. Foyt a NASCAR driver? “You know, he’s won enough in NASCAR. He is a NASCAR driver. He’s won the Daytona 500. It’s just the that era of racing is so before my time. Growing up, I loved watching Tony. I like Jeff [Gordon], cherished Dale [Earnhardt Jr.]. Energetic drivers like [Kyle] Larson.”
Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, No. 5: “A number of the stuff Kyle Busch says is fairly humorous. I do not observe NASCAR, however I’ve undoubtedly seen a few of these interviews.”
Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 10: “I’ve to say AJ. [Allmendinger]. He was my teammate in Daytona [for the Rolex 24] and as an individual, he is wild. He is a bit loopy, however I like him. So I am rooting for AJ from now till without end.”
Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti International, No. 27: “Jimmie Johnson. Truly, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a result of I grew up operating his quantity and nonetheless love his quantity. And simply legendary household. There’s lots of them, although. Did you’ve 8 or 88? Truly, each. I began with 8, then I ran 88 as a result of somebody took 8 once I was karting and I simply all the time wished to be Earnhardt Jr.’s quantity.”
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, No. 6: “Ooh. Favourite all time? Dale Earnhardt.”
Not surprisingly, Dale Earnhardt has lots of followers amongst present INDYCAR drivers.
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 9: “Jimmie Johnson. Man, he is my good buddy and seven-time champion. It does not get any higher than that.”
Not included within the voting, however right here’s what a few FOX’s INDYCAR expertise needed to say on the topic:
Will Buxton: “Jeff Gordon. That is a straightforward one. I am of that age the place rising up, Jeff was the person and, having been fortunate sufficient and honored sufficient to get to know him through the years — he’s simply as nice a man off the observe as he was a racer on the observe. They all the time say, do not meet your heroes — however when it is Jeff Gordon, completely meet your heroes.”
James Hinchcliffe: “I used to be an enormous Jeff Gordon fan once I was a child. After which when Jimmie got here in I felt like there was a passing of the torch there. So I form of transitioned from Jeff to Jimmie. So I assume you might say I have been a Hendrick man.”
You’ll discover on the INDYCAR record of favourite drivers, solely three (Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs) are energetic full-time drivers, they usually solely bought one vote.
Now examine that to the record of the present NASCAR drivers’ decisions so far as their favourite INDYCAR driver. Two energetic drivers prime the record.
5 votes – Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin
3 – Mario Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dan Wheldon
2 – Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish, Rick Mears, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Tony Stewart
1 – Bryan Clauson, Conor Daly, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Arie Luyendyk, Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Energy, Graham Rahal, Paul Tracy, Justin Wilson, Alex Zanardi
Listed below are a few of the feedback:
Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, No. 8: “I’d say as we speak my favourite INDYCAR driver is Josef Newgarden, simply because I do know him somewhat bit, spent a while round him somewhat bit. All-time although, you’ve bought to take a look at A.J. Foyt, Juan Pablo Montoya, Alex Zanardi. These had been some fairly badass names again within the day.”
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9: “The one one I’ve ever gotten to know personally is Scott McLaughlin. So I’d say him. He is all the time been fairly cool each time I have been round him, and I take pleasure in pulling for him.”
Six-time INDYCAR champion Scott Dixon was tied for probably the most votes amongst NASCAR drivers’ favourite.
Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, No. 6: “I all the time preferred Will Energy. After I was at Penske, he was all the time nice to me, and I root for him once I watch.”
Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsport, No. 5: “Scott Dixon. Of my era, he is the goat. After which I’ve gotten to be his teammate somewhat bit on the Rolex 24 and simply by my Ganassi days, I’ve all the time preferred seeing Scott do effectively.”
Ryan Blaney, Staff Penske, No. 12: “I am actually good associates with, , Scotty Mac and Josef and attending to know [David] Malukas somewhat bit over the previous couple of weeks. It’s both between Scott or Josef. Scott, he lives right here. We golf rather a lot collectively, so I in all probability pull for Scott somewhat bit greater than Josef, however I all the time wish to see these guys do effectively.”
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11: “I used to be in all probability a Rick Mears fan — not an enormous fanatic, however once I watched the Indy 500, he was all the time the man rooted for.”
Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, No. 45: “I feel, for me and what I watched, I’ve bought to go along with Scott Dixon.”
Scott McLaughlin has many admirers on from the NASCAR circuit.
Joey Logano, Staff Penske, No. 22: “Driving at Staff Penske, you consider Rick Mears and what he is performed for our firm. He’s undoubtedly up there. It is laborious to not say Mario Andretti as effectively. I would say these guys are a few of the all-time greats, clearly.”
AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing, No. 16: “All-time, I would need to go along with my ex-teammate there, Justin Wilson. Unhappy that we misplaced him, clearly, however being his teammate, he was among the best that I’ve ever seen in my life.”
Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, No. 23: “Scott McLaughlin. He is the most effective ever to do it, finest to ever have the hell of a begin to the 2025 Indy 500.” You do not tease him about that, do you? “You’ll be able to. I am a sarcastic particular person, in all probability most sarcastic within the storage. And I will push your buttons. However that one, clearly, there is a there is a line that you do not cross, and I gave it about two hours, after which I began pushing his buttons.”
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports activities. He has spent a long time protecting motorsports, together with over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting Information, NASCAR Scene journal and The (Daytona Seaside) Information-Journal. Comply with him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
