You know Bman, I've been thinking about something today related to Jeff Gordon's legacy. There's really only one way to compare drivers today to drivers of yesteryears, and that's by ignoring the Chase.
So, you're looking at race wins, right? Gordon has more race wins than Dale, Bobby, Cale, and Darrell. But, he still has less than Pearson and Petty.
He'll undoubtedly score the most points for the entire 2014 season, thus making him a 'spiritual' 7-Time Champion. Boom, record.
You can't count total points in a year where teams knew, before the season ever started, that simply having the most total points in 36 races DID NOT make you the champion, even off in Never-Never-Land or Imagination Station. Chad Knaus and the 48 team adjusted their strategy for testing, putting the most emphasis on the final ten races, because those were the only ones that really counted. Would-be championships are hollow and meaningless, and have zero basis in a realistic discussion of driver talent across eras. You can't possibly know how teams would have strategized and performed had they known the points would not reset with 10 races remaining. Maybe they would have tested at different tracks. Maybe they wouldn't have run experimental parts or setups once they felt they were locked in the top ten in points. Maybe/would-have/should-have/could-have does not guarantee a championship in a different format in retrospect.
We all know that, and yet I just realized something: Jeff outranks Dale Earnhardt Sr in every category now.
That's not true. Dale led 25,684 laps, where Jeff has led 24,126. Jeff has also completed more laps, 215,176, to Dale's 202,888. So, Dale led 12.66% of every lap he had completed. Jeff has led 11.21% of every lap he has completed. I expect that number to continue to decline as Jeff completes his career.
And then Richard Petty's insanely high records are skewed because of how many races he actually ran and the difference in cars. Boom, unfair advantage.
Ok, so let's look at stats where raw totals don't matter. How about win rate and career average finishing position? Over time, no matter how many races you start, your rates can be compared somewhat evenly.
Per Jayski:
Overall all-time winning percentage: [drivers with over 100 starts]:
1. Herb Thomas -- 21.053% (48 wins, 228 starts)
2. Tim Flock -- 20.856% (39/187)
3. David Pearson -- 18.293% (105/574)
4. Richard Petty -- 16.892% (200/1184)
5. Fred Lorenzen -- 16.456% (26/158)
6. Fireball Roberts -- 16.019% (33/206)
7. Junior Johnson -- 15.974% (50/313)
8. Jimmie Johnson -- 14.967% (69/461)
9. Cale Yarborough -- 14.821% (83/560)
10. Ned Jarrett -- 14.205% (50/352)
11. Dick Hutcherson -- 13.592% (14/103)
12. Jeff Gordon -- 12.117% (91/751)
18. Dale Earnhardt -- 11.243% (76/676)
I would probably trim that list to guys with 300+ starts, as that would be around 9-10 full seasons for most eras. That list would look like this:
Overall all-time winning percentage: [drivers with over 300 starts]:
1. David Pearson -- 18.293% (105/574)
2. Richard Petty -- 16.892% (200/1184)
3. Junior Johnson -- 15.974% (50/313)
4. Jimmie Johnson -- 14.967% (69/461)
5. Cale Yarborough -- 14.821% (83/560)
6. Ned Jarrett -- 14.205% (50/352)
7. Jeff Gordon -- 12.117% (91/751)
??. Dale Earnhardt -- 11.243% (76/676)
Jeff Gordon doesn't even have the best win rate in his own generation, as Jimmie Johnson has won nearly 3% more often, just in fewer starts. Johnson is only 22 wins behind Gordon. It's not crazy to think that Jimmie will pass Jeff within 5-7 years of Jeff's retirement. Plus, he already has more actual non-imaginary championships.
But, neither of those guys can compare to David Pearson. Pearson won the race once in every 5-6 starts for his entire career. In today's 36-race Cup season, that would be like winning an average of 6.58 races per year, every single year, for 16 full seasons.
Ok, so how about career average finishing position?
For those with 300+ starts, the list looks like this:
1
Lee Petty 7.602 (427 starts)
2
Ned Jarrett 9.176 (353)
3
David Pearson 11.033 (574)
4
Dale Earnhardt 11.061 (676)
5
Richard Petty 11.267 (1,185)
6
Buck Baker 11.374 (636)
7
Bobby Allison 11.496 (718)
8
Jimmie Johnson 11.75 (461)
9
Jeff Gordon 12.453 (751)
10
Jim Paschal 12.532 (421)
11
Cale Yarborough 12.652 (563)
12
Bobby Isaac 12.854 (308)
13
Tony Stewart 13.072 (544)
Once again, Jeff is behind Jimmie, who is behind most of the all-time greats.
So while the ignorant might put up a fight, there is virtually no doubt remaining that Jeff is the
Best Driver Ever. Again, we all knew that already, but it feels good knowing that it's not just passion that makes you say that. It's the truth.
Your opinion is not a fact, so it can't be the truth.
.
