Most underrated drivers of all time - complimenting the ESPN 25 list discussion

I copied this from my post on the ESPN list post - kind of like to see a twist on what the "establishment" had to say.

One of the MOST underrated drivers I have ever witnessed driving was Max Papis. He drove a Ferrari 333SP at Qualifying lap times for almost two hours trying to catch a sick Riley and Scott Olds that was two laps ahead at the 22 hour mark at the Rolex 24 about 15 years ago. He passed cars with racing lines that defied Physics! He was at the bus-stop chicane when the Olds crossed the finish line. Truely real drama on the racetrack - THAT is why I love racing. Thanks Max!

Randy Pobst

Thread/

Tommy Byrne...

Nelson Piquet. 3 titles and he still doesn't get discussed among the greats. A master of the mind game, too.

Sir Jack (Blackjack) Brabham, 3 titles, designed, built and drove a car to win the World Championship. This will never happen again. A gentleman's gentleman, polite and a man for the people.

Has anybody else noticed these idiotic best ever threads always have about 90% of those selected are picked out of the past 5 years, what ever happened to the elder statesmen.

Jim Hall

How about Allen DeCadinet?

Didn't he win an European FIA championship in a car he designed, built and piloted? Some time in the mid 70s to early 80s? He has to have something on his resume to get the TV jobs he has.

It seems all I do is question Aussiemg's facts - I was wrong with the first one...

DeCadinet did not win a Formula One World Drivers Championship, nobody but Sir Jack has ever designed, built and driven a car to the World Drivers Championship.

http://www.jackbrabham.com/

Be very careful you are messing with an Aussie icon

aussiesmg wrote: Be very careful you are messing with an Aussie icon

Mark Webber

Jean Alesi or Rubens Barrichello...

In reply to aussiesmg:

Sorry - mixed my championships!

I did some research on Alan cause i was wondering what his credentials were - You have to admit - while Sir Jack's accomplishment is truely astounding - winning any hotly contested championship in a car you designed and built HAS GOT to be very rewarding!

I am quite partial to Bruce McClaren but he was a kiwi, wasn't he?

In reply to Rusty_Rabbit84:

Rubens - absolutely!

There are many occasions where he could have won races if it weren't for team orders.

Yes he was, as was Denny Hulme who died at Bathurst doing what we all wish we could be doing when our time comes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denny_Hulme

another F1 champ by the way

While I have followed Mark from his days in Formula Ford in the Yellow Pages car and he is a great driver, he is not yet an icon. But he is a Formula One winner....woohoo

Allan McNish, Patrick Head, Mark Weber, Peter Solberg, Juan Pablo Montoya

Henry Ford

seeker589 wrote: In reply to Rusty_Rabbit84: Rubens - absolutely! There are many occasions where he could have won races if it weren't for team orders.

Plus he has a vagina making him the most successful woman racer of all time.

Cole Trickle

slefain wrote: Cole Trickle

I know Cole Trickle. He always goes to the outside!

At least Cole got to cross the finish line with Nicole Kidman

John Watson.... I can remember reading R &T accounts of him loosing a lap ( tire) near the start of a F1 race and (without cautions) un-lapping himself and going on to win the race.. IIRC he did this on 2 different occasions ( early / mid 60's )

aussiesmg wrote: At least Cole got to cross the finish line with Nicole Kidman

i learned what drafting was thanks to sugar packets...

Rusty_Rabbit84 wrote:

aussiesmg wrote: At least Cole got to cross the finish line with Nicole Kidman

i learned what drafting was thanks to sugar packets...

I learned from Rocky Balboa, using spoons.

Lots of the old ASA guys had great talent...Bob Senneker and Dick Trickle come to mind as truly great short track racers. Pretty much anyone who races on dirt will be ignored in the grand scheme of things. Who knows what a talent like Steve Kinser or Danny Lasoski could have done in another series? Ron Hornaday has been showing lately just how talented he really is, but his time in Cup never worked out. And his career of late hasn't been good, but I've never seen a NASCAR driver as smooth as Bobby Labonte.

And am I the only one here who'd pay money to see Kinser try his hand at drifting?

Mike Sorokin. 1/3rd of the "Surfers."

Maybe not of all time but Perry McCarthy never really had a good shot at F1

There is something to be said for Paul Mumford as well wining exactly half of the World Challenge races you enter is pretty respectable