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Is Your Nascar Driver One of the Icons?

Any seasoned Nascar fan knows the stories of several Nascar icons. In reality, this should come as no surprise. After all, don't most baseball fans know about the greatest players, such as Babe Ruth? Don't all serious professional basketball players know about Michael Jordan?

For the relatively new Nascar fan, however, the best Nascar drivers may still be a bit of a mystery. While you may want to learn more about your favorite sport so that you can have informed conversations with other fans, you might not have the time you need to research the sport in-depth, or you simply may not want to put that much work into what began as a leisurely hobby.

If the aforementioned paragraph describes you, you have come to the right place! In the next few paragraphs, you will learn about three of the best-known Nascar drivers. Remember, though, that there are many more legends than this, and you still may need to do a little independent research as you become more involved in the sport.

Nascar Icons of the Past and Present

Nascar icons of the past and present are important to the popularity and success of the sport. One of the legends of the past is Richard Petty. Born in 1937, Petty spent 32 years on the Nascar Winston Cup circuit and experienced 200 career victories. His first race was in 1960 at the Charlotte Speedway, which is no longer in existence, and concluded his career in 1992 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. He won the Most Popular Driver Award nine times.

One of the Nascar icons of the recent past is Dale Earnhardt. Born in 1951, Earnhardt won the Nascar Winston Cup Series seven times. In addition to numerous other accomplishments, he was also the only six-time winner of the Busch Clash and the only three-time winner of the Winston All-Star Race. Earnhardt was killed in a crash on February 18, 2001, during the fourth turn of the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. His son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., has now become a racing icon himself.

Finally, an icon who is still racing is Jeff Gordon. Gordon's first Winston Cup event was in 1992 and was, coincidentally, the same event that marked the beginning of Richard Petty's retirement. He finished the 2003 season with three wins, four poles, 15 top-five and 20 top-ten finishes, and led the series in laps. His achievements continue to grow and will likely do so until he announces his retirement.

All of these Nascar icons have had a profound impact on the sport and are likely to be remembered for generations to come. We wish you luck as you strive to learn about these past and present legends and as you continue to learn about possible icons of the future.

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