INDYCAR, NASCAR Drivers Pick All-Time Favorites From Opposite Series

Ask the current field of INDYCAR drivers who their favorite NASCAR driver of all-time is, and they will give you a definitive answer: a driver who they could consider a little bit as one of their own. Ask the current NASCAR Cup field of their favorite INDYCAR driver of all time, and the names flow with no clear favorite. Part of that probably has to do with age — with about 40 Cup drivers and their ages spread out over 25 years, they span a couple of generations of INDYCAR and who they might have watched. But INDYCAR? Most of them know seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, who competed in the series from 2021-2022, and they have a relationship with him. The key word in this question was “favorite” and not “best.” Drivers tended to give answers based on who they watched or who they knew. So ahead of this weekend’s Phoenix doubleheader, here are the responses from the current INDYCAR driver field when I asked who was their favorite NASCAR driver: 10 votes – Jimmie Johnson6 votes – Dale Earnhardt3 votes – Tony Stewart2 votes – Jeff Gordon1 vote – AJ Allmendinger, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Foyt,  Dario Franchitti, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson, Richard Petty, Martin Truex Jr., Rusty Wallace Here are some of the responses: Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske, No. 3: “It’s hard for me to go past Jimmie Johnson, especially now after building a friendship with Jimmie over the last few years. Being able to see what he did when I was younger, and then now being a friend with him is very cool. So he’s probably my favorite.” Josef Newgarden, Team Penske, No. 2: “I was a Jimmie Johnson fan, so he’s going to be at the top of my list.” Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing, No. 14: “Tony Stewart.” Does he consider A.J. Foyt a NASCAR driver?: “You know, he’s won enough in NASCAR. He is a NASCAR driver. He’s won the Daytona 500. It’s just the that era of racing is so before my time. Growing up, I loved watching Tony. I like Jeff [Gordon], loved Dale [Earnhardt Jr.]. Active drivers like [Kyle] Larson.” Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren, No. 5: “Some of the stuff Kyle Busch says is pretty funny. I don’t follow NASCAR, but I’ve definitely seen some of those interviews.” Alex Palou, Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 10: “I have to say AJ. [Allmendinger]. He was my teammate in Daytona [for the Rolex 24] and as a person, he’s wild. He’s a bit crazy, but I love him. So I’m rooting for AJ from now until forever.” Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global, No. 27: “Jimmie Johnson. Actually, Dale Earnhardt Jr. because I grew up running his number and still love his number. And just legendary family. There’s a lot of them, though.” Did he have 8 or 88?: “Actually, both. I started with 8, then I ran 88 because someone took 8 when I was karting and I just always wanted to be Earnhardt Jr.’s number.” Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren, No. 6: “Ooh. Favorite all time? Dale Earnhardt.” Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing, No. 9: “Jimmie Johnson. Man, he’s my good friend and seven-time champion. It doesn’t get any better than that.” Not included in the voting, but here’s what a couple of FOX’s INDYCAR talent had to say on the subject: Will Buxton: “Jeff Gordon. That’s an easy one. I’m of that age where growing up, Jeff was the man and, having been lucky enough and honored enough to get to know him over the years — he is just as great a guy off the track as he was a racer on the track. They always say, don’t meet your heroes — but when it’s Jeff Gordon, absolutely meet your heroes.” James Hinchcliffe: “I was a big Jeff Gordon fan when I was a kid. And then when Jimmie came in I felt like there was a passing of the torch there. So I sort of transitioned from Jeff to Jimmie. So I guess you could say I’ve been a Hendrick guy.” *** You’ll notice on the INDYCAR list of favorite drivers, only three (Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson and Ty Gibbs) are active full-time drivers, and they only got one vote. Now compare that to the list of the current NASCAR drivers’ choices as far as their favorite INDYCAR driver. Two active drivers top the list. 5 votes – Scott Dixon, Scott McLaughlin3 votes – Mario Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dan Wheldon2 votes – Helio Castroneves, Sam Hornish, Rick Mears, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Tony Stewart1 vote – Bryan Clauson, Conor Daly, Dario Franchitti, Tony Kanaan, Arie Luyendyk, Juan Pablo Montoya, Will Power, Graham Rahal, Paul Tracy, Justin Wilson, Alex Zanardi Here are some of the comments: Kyle Busch, Richard Childress Racing, No. 8: “I would say today my favorite INDYCAR driver is Josef Newgarden, just because I know him a little bit, spent some time around him a little bit. All-time though, you’ve got to look at A.J. Foyt, Juan Pablo Montoya, Alex Zanardi. Those were some pretty badass names back in the day.” Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9: “The only one I have ever gotten to know personally is Scott McLaughlin. So I would say him. He’s always been pretty cool every time I’ve been around him, and I enjoy pulling for him.” Brad Keselowski, RFK Racing, No. 6: “I always liked Will Power. When I was at Penske, he was always great to me, and I root for him when I watch.” Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsport, No. 5: “Scott Dixon. Of my generation, he’s the goat. And then I’ve gotten to be his teammate a little bit at the Rolex 24 and just through my Ganassi days, I’ve always liked seeing Scott do well.” Ryan Blaney, Team Penske, No. 12: “I’m really good friends with, you know, Scotty Mac and Josef and getting to know [David] Malukas a little bit over the last few weeks. It’s either between Scott or Josef. Scott, he lives here. We golf a lot together, so I probably pull for Scott a little bit more than Josef, but I always want to see those guys do well.” Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11: “I was probably a Rick Mears fan — not a huge fanatic, but when I watched the Indy 500, he was always the guy rooted for.” Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, No. 45: “I think, for me and what I watched, I’ve got to go with Scott Dixon.” Joey Logano, Team Penske, No. 22: “Driving at Team Penske, you think of Rick Mears and what he’s done for our company. He’s definitely up there. It’s hard not to say Mario Andretti as well. I’d say those guys are some of the all-time greats, obviously.” AJ Allmendinger, Kaulig Racing, No. 16: “All-time, I’d have to go with my ex-teammate there, Justin Wilson. Sad that we lost him, obviously, but being his teammate, he was one of the best that I’ve ever seen in my life.” Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, No. 23: “Scott McLaughlin. He’s the best ever to do it, best to ever have the hell of a start to the 2025 Indy 500.” You don’t tease him about that, do you?: “You can. I’m a sarcastic person, probably most sarcastic in the garage. And I’ll push your buttons. But that one, obviously, there’s a there’s a line that you don’t cross, and I gave it about two hours, and then I started pushing his buttons.” Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.