NASCAR is not about the body, it’s about the cars. When you think of “dirty players,” you might think of players like Draymond Green or Ndamukong Suh who impose their will on opponents like school bullies. What about NASCAR competitors? Are you flipping your car on purpose? Are they looking at other cars behind them to try to beat the driver’s speed? To win a race, you have to be competitive. Here are 20 drivers who walk the fine line between dirty and competitive. Has your favorite host been cut? Read on and find out for yourself!
Have you ever known someone who gets better at sports the angrier they get? The same goes for the legendary Michael Jordan. If you piss him off, it can take a serious toll. As for Jeff Gordon, if you make him angry, he’ll end up driving a dirty car. It was a quiet few years after Gordon brought in Jimmie Johnson, but things soon picked up. Once he puts his cards on the table, you can see how brave Gordon is against other competitors.
Richard Petty
We wouldn’t call Richard Petty a dirty guy, but he did some bad things. Call it what you will, but Petty wanted to win, so there was no need to test a car that was a little off the NASCAR standard. He was a profit seeker. Petty drove aggressively to get to the front. Combine that with his willingness to break a few rules here and there and you have a driver worthy of your dirty list.
Joe Weatherly
In his early days, Joe Weatherly was a party animal and garage comedian. He was a monster on the field too, make no mistake. He demanded a lot from his car and his choice was to keep it away. Weatherly, who crashed into another car, had a soft spot for Curtis Turner. He never gave him an inch in any fight on the field. It’s a shame that someone died because of racism.
Tony stewart
Tony Stewart has mellowed out a bit since becoming co-owner of the four-car Stewart-Haas Racing operation, but he still walks the line between competitive and obnoxious. Who remembers Jeff Gordon spinning in the pit lane after Gordon hit him and ran? Stewart isn’t afraid to fight back when things come his way. Stewart once warned drivers that he would abandon them if they stopped him. I don’t know if it’s still true, but I’m not blaming Stewart.
Kyle Busch
He wouldn’t have been convicted of reckless driving if he didn’t own a truck or be married. Fortunately, love changes people for the better. Still, Bush will do anything to win, and that includes getting a little dirty. Experienced drivers have burned bridges with their driving style before. However, they may want to repair those relationships.
Juan Pablo Montoya
If you see the muscle man speeding behind you in your rearview mirror, you might be a little nervous and ready to see what happens if he catches you. The same goes for competitors who see Juan Pablo Montoya approaching. Montoya is not one to back down. Will move it as long as it doesn’t bother anyone. Montoya came to the sport without any respect and laughed at the confrontation.
Ernie Irvan
A ghost holding a trophy next to two women and wondering when the next pardon will come. I’m Swervin’ Ernie Irvan for all you dirt road kings. You don’t think of the name Swervin. Irwan has had several controversial incidents in the past which led to him apologizing at a drivers’ meeting. At the time, it was not very popular on the circuit. If you have to apologize to everyone, you’re not as innocent as you think.
Robbie Gordon
This is Robbie Gordon, the driver who has had issues with almost everyone on the track. Gordon has certainly had to reconsider his position. The range of drivers he has clashed with is not limited to the low-ranking drivers, but also the top ones. Gordon is more of a low-budget driver, but he has done his share of the dirty work. He has even tried to fight drivers on the track! It is unclear whether his driving is the result of overexertion or if it is intentional, but those he has raced against have seen it all.
Dale EarnhardtLook at his face. Does Dale Earnhardt Sr. look like someone you want to upset in a race? Not only should you not mess with him, but Earnhardt will move you if it means gaining an advantage. No wonder he was nicknamed “The Intimidator.”Earnhardt created a certain style with his driving style. Other racers knew they would have to move or prepare for what Earnhardt Sr. had planned for them to get away.
Donnie Ellison
Donnie Ellison starred in “The Alabama Gang.” People probably know him best for battling his brother against Cale Yarborough in the 1979 Daytona 500 (more on that later). He not only fought, he did everything to win a certain position on the track. Allison has 10 Sprint Cup wins despite often using messy and questionable moves.
Carl Edwards
Have you ever met a person who is grumpy but acts innocent when someone yells at them? Carl Edwards in brief. In the garage with his fans, he was a doctor. Jekyll. But it could just as easily have been Edward Hyde. He easily commits premeditated dirty deeds. Tony Stewart’s version at Pocono in 2009 is an example.
Curtis Turner
If you’re called “pop” and not because you’re a father, there’s something wrong. Curtis Turner earned the nickname Pops for his aggressive manner of goading other drivers to make him move. You can then add your name to this list. Turner raced to gain the lead, and when they turned, he drove straight in their direction. Turner hit Fred Lorenzen’s car off the track after a paint change.
Kevin Harvick
After Kevin Harvick’s untimely death, he jumped into Dale Earnhardt’s car, stuck to his driving style and drove away. Harvick is a bit of a rough road for drivers, and Joey Logano has a famous quote that sums it up. “His wife is the one in the family who wears the firesuit and tells him what to do. It’s probably not his fault.” Logano said. He is not afraid to beat other drivers and holds a grudge for a long time. Don’t worry. He usually only pulls pranks on people he thinks deserve it.
Jimmy Spencer
If you caused more damage on the track with your aggressive driving style than you did by winning, then you definitely belong here. Jimmy Spencer wasn’t afraid to run someone over if he felt it was necessary or if he wanted them out of the way. One such move led to a garage altercation with Kurt Busch, during which Spencer ended up punching Busch’s car. His cocky attitude didn’t help matters either.
Kurt Busch
When Kurt Busch first entered the NASCAR world in the early 2000s, he had no allies. As we mentioned in the previous slide, Busch got into a fight with Spencer after the two had a minor collision on the track. NASCAR stepped in and helped him clean up his image, but he still makes aggressive comments and pushes people around from time to time. If they hadn’t stepped in, who knows how far he would have gone.
Ralph Earnhardt
Many people consider Dale Earnhardt the worst driver of all time, but Richard Petty disagrees. In his opinion, that title belongs to someone more difficult to compete with, like Ralph Earnhardt. According to onedirt.com, Petty Sr. said of Earnhardt, “If you thought Dale Earnhardt was tough, you should have raced his dad.” Ralph had no problem slamming someone into a wall or breaking their gear. If anyone comes near him, he will drive him away.
Cale Yarborough
“Cale Yarborough pushed him like the devil was after him,” is the best way journalist Cale Yarborough can describe him. If it looks like this on a racetrack, you better hope you don’t cross it. It was no secret that Yarborough was willing to sacrifice others to gain an advantage. Sometimes it crossed the line between dirty and competitive, but most of the time it was much dirtier.
Goeff Bodine
Goeff Bodine was ruthless. He was ready to take his relative to court because there was a rivalry between them. There are no such dirty words. He didn’t disappoint anyone and had a special lunch so as not to drive us too crazy. He once had dinner with Bill France and Dale Earnhardt only to have France tell them to stay away from each other on the road. Bodin always crossed paths when it came to riding.
Lee Petty
“Lee Petty … didn’t have many fans for his two-faced dirty driver.” Smokey Unique said in an American interview with Zoom book. Younique didn’t mince words when describing Petty, but can you blame him? Petty set a testing limit in the race. He used illegal parts and drove very aggressively. No one at court seems to like him. Dale Earnhardt’s racing days were tough, but his early ones seem to have been tough, too.
Darrell Waltrip
Like many others on this list, Darrell Waltrip was a man who took no prisoners. If you need to control your family, you won’t mind solving the problem. Waltrip thought he was the best, so if he couldn’t be a good driver, he had to move. If you can’t move on your own, you better believe it will help you a little. He was competitive, but he got dirty behind the wheel.
