Once the fuel load burns down and lightens the load, it’s showtime. After losing Leffler to Ganassi in ‘01, Gibbs went after J.J. Yeley, who won the Silver Crown Championship in 2002 and the 2003 USAC Triple Crown. Gordon moved up to the Cup ranks in 1993 and suffered through crashes and a steep learning curve before winning his first Cup race in 1994. In celebration of Athlon Sports' upcoming 10th annual Racing magazine, we've dug into the archives to uncover some of the most memorable features, profiles and Q&As that have graced our pages. But neither did much outside of the Grand Prix circus tent. Foyt is the ultimate mix of talent and achievement and durability. The dirt track champion has produced mediocre results at best in the Cup Series. In the 1949 season, seven of the eight tracks competed upon were dirt. Leffler’s credentials were impressive, as he came to Gibbs with two USAC Midget titles to go along with his Silver Crown title. But when it comes to accumulated wins, he can’t touch Foyt. Meanwhile great European drivers usually grow up in a structured progression from go karting to Formula One. The Food City Dirt Race marks the first time in more than 50 years since the Cup Series competed on dirt. There is a definite pipeline that leads from short dirt tracks to the Nextel Cup Series. Mario Andretti has wins at the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500 to go along with his 1978 Formula One world championship. Listening to his radio communication, he is constantly making adjustments to meet changing track conditions. These two dirt guys came through NASCAR like General Sherman burned through Atlanta. Don O’Neal 11. The 26 Best Cars For a First-Time Track Driver. With that said, let’s get into the Top 10. The next week, he used another provisional to make the race at Rockingham, where he finished 27th, 56 laps off the pace. Last year at the Silver Crown race at Nazareth, Kasey Kahne ran most of the race in seventh to 10th place. A host of NASCAR drivers have dirt racing backgrounds — Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Alex Bowman to name a few. And he was an amazing sports car and endurance driver. Based on pure raw talent, Brazil’s Ayrton Senna is probably the best racer the rest of the world has ever had. Edwards followed his father’s footsteps, dirt racing across the Midwest in the Silver Crown Series in 2001 and ‘02. There were 501 NASCAR Premier series races held on dirt between 6/19/1949 and 9/30/1970. The dirt track champion has produced mediocre results at best in the Cup Series. That is some drivers are spookily blessed with speed and car control that can only be described as otherworldly. Things improved in Atlanta, as Kinser qualified 23rd but made only nine laps before crashing out for the second time in four races. Keys to Crossover Success Guys who grew up running jalopies on Pennsylvania dirt tracks wind up winning both the Daytona 500 and the Formula One world championships with a successful stop in the winner’s circle at Indianapolis in between. With a quarter of the laps left, he came to the front and won by taking care of his tires and finding the best groove. Bliss has signed a three-year deal with Gene Haas to run the NetZero Chevy, giving him his best opportunity in Cup racing to date. His two years of stock car experience provided Newman a comfort level before making the jump. Tyler Erb 8. Tim McCreadie 5. So, yes, he is the greatest of all time. Seventeen elite drivers are going full-time championship points chasing in 2021. – J. Bourn via Facebook. There was nobody better than Bryan Clauson in the USAC Midget and Sprint Car ranks during the first half of the decade. And despite that immense versatility, Jones doesn’t have a place on my top eight. In his first season in the Busch Series, Leffler won three poles and had one runner-up finish. The composition of the dirt on tracks has an effect on the amount of grip available. On the other side is the guys who are methodical, relentless and determined. A one-fifth track was put inside the football stadium and the event included racing for dirt late models, dirt modifieds and midget cars. He followed that up with wins at Kentucky and Lowe’s. He joined Roush for a run at the Craftsman Truck title in 2003 and won three races. How NASCAR drivers prepare for dirt racing BRISTOL, Tenn. – March 19: Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 Super Late Model, drives during the Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 19, 2021, in Bristol, Tennessee. Blaney ran two full Cup seasons with Davis before joining the Jasper Engines team in 2002. Below are the lists of confirmed and pending drivers for each series within the division. So let’s compare. Traditionally, stock cars have relied on the right front tire and suspension to turn the car. In a NASCAR Cup car, they haul 22 gallons (approximately 150 pounds) of fuel. All of the open wheel dirt track heroes who didn’t make it in Cup cars had less than two solid years of stock car experience before making the jump to Cup. Below is a handy bracket I’ve put together with eight American drivers on one side and eight drivers from the rest of the world on the other. Just keeping track of all the various governing competition bodies around that continent can be daunting. With the NASCAR Cup Series’ return to dirt, next Sunday, multiple drivers found ways to prepare for the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He came into the sport when the test sessions were limited, and the number of tires was restricted during race weekend. With their success, open wheel dirt drivers began looking to Daytona instead of Indianapolis for the future. Because of the heavy fuel load, Silver Crown drivers must nurse their cars so they don’t burn up the right rear tire. And that talent was enough to take him …