Top NASCAR Drivers

One of the most appealing things about NASCAR is the many different NASCAR drivers out there. Many of them have different personalities, but they all share the same goal of winning the Nextel Cup series. Here's a look at some of the top NASCAR drivers in today's game.

One of the more popular NASCAR drivers today is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Born in 1974, he made it to the main NASCAR series in 2000. He won races in Texas and Richmond that year. However, he lost to Matt Kenseth for the Rookie of the Year award. However, he had achieved success before reaching the Nextel Cup level, as he won the Busch Series title in 1998 and 1999. His best finish in the Nextel Cup was third in 2003. He is one of the more popular NASCAR drivers today because of his hip attitude and style.

Jeff Gordon is another of the top NASCAR drivers today. Born in 1971 in California, he won the 1993 Rookie of the Year award and has won four Nextel Cup titles � he won in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001. Only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. have won more titles than he has. While he has been mocked for being from the West Coast and not the South like many other NASCAR drivers, his laid back attitude and demeanor has made him of the more popular and successful NASCAR drivers today.

Jimmie Johnson is less experienced, but he is another of the top NASCAR drivers today. Born in 1975, he won three races in 2002 in the Nextel Cup, but he lost to Ryan Newman for the Rookie of the Year title. Johnson finished in second place for the Nextel Cup in 2003 and 2004. While he has not been in NASCAR for long, he is already having a great amount of success.

Tony Stewart is one of the more interesting of NASCAR drivers. Born in 1971, he started out by winning the Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown Championships in the USAC in 1995. He won three races in 1999, his rookie year. Three years later he won the Nextel Cup. He is known for being more aggressive and tough than other NASCAR drivers and has even earned a bad reputation for it, but he has calmed down over the years. It may be a signal for future successes for Stewart.

These are just some of the NASCAR drivers out there today. NASCAR drivers all have their own levels of success, they have their own backgrounds and more interestingly their own personalities. It's just one of the parts of why NASCAR is as popular today as it is.

Alan Curmi voted Malta Auto Racing Driver of the Year 2011

Alan Curmi was voted as the Malta Auto Racing Driver of the Year 2011, with Joshua Anastasi a close second. David Anastasi and Patrick Cassar were the other nominees.

Fan’s View: 2012 Drive for Diversity Stresses Quality, Not Quantity

Instituted by NASCAR in 2004, the Drive for Diversity program aims to attract minorities and women to the sport of auto racing as drivers and crew members. Previous classes have yielded as many as 12 drivers into the program, but the 2012 class features just six drivers who will...

Allmendinger leads Michael Shank Racing to win

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

Indoor auto racing returns to Atlantic City

I ndoor auto racing will return to Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City for the 10th consecutive year under the promotion of Len Sammons. Sammons has confirmed that the events will be held on Feb. 3-4. Ted Christopher from Plainville, Conn., will return to defend the “Gambler’s Classic” title he won in 2011 in the headline Three-Quarter Midget division. read more

Christmas, Auto Racing, Lights, and a Baby

When you think of Christmas, auto racing might not come to mind. But the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon has turned a mile long race course into a Christmas display featuring more than a million LED lights. NHPR’s Brady Carlson took his family to see the show and has this report. I’m not really a light kind of guy – in fact, the first thing I do when I host All Things Considered is turn ...