NASCAR BIW: Dale Jr. Most Talented Cup Driver? | FIOMattyH's Blog

I got involved in a debate with Tim Montemayor of Sporting News Radio and sportingnews.com over whether or not Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most talented driver in the Cup circuit. Over the last week or so, we have gone back and forth on his radio show and via email. So, I am now going to lay out my argument for all of you right here at FIO.

It is really hard to judge a guy's talent. So, let's get a few things out of the way that none could really argue. First, Dale Jr. is without a doubt the biggest name in NASCAR racing, maybe even in American Motorsports. The proof of this came when he joined a team already composed of Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, and Junior now is the guy out front.

Since neither Monty of I actually know Dale Jr., we have to come up with some kind of scale to determine what his talent truly is. I tend to judge sports figures by their stats. Stats do not lie, and for us fantasy owners, stats are like our religion.

I will add that when ESPN does shows about who is the best driver or most talented driver, they tend to scale their grades by guys who can win in any kind of vehicle in any kind of conditions, or with any team. Mario Andretti always rates high on these types of shows because of his ability to win in any kind of vehicle. With that being said, Tony Stewart pops into my mind as a guy who can win in any kind of racecar. His accomplishments in NASCAR aside, the guy has won a major championship in every style of racing in which he has ever entered. In fact, Stewart is the original open wheel NASCAR invader as a former IRL champion. But enough of that, let's judge for ourselves based on Junior's career stats.

First, a look at the other drivers who were rookies in 2000 with Junior... (Read the full article here: NASCAR BIW: Dale Jr. Most Talented Cup Driver?)

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