NASCAR's Top 10 Twitter Personalities

It's all the rage.

Celebrities and athletes getting one-on-one contact with their fans.

NASCAR is no exception.

From tweeting during driver's meetings to telling us what they're up to after they've left the infield care center, our favorite drivers, broadcasters, and personalities keep us up-to-date with everything and anything we can imagine.

Sometimes we know a bit too much about them, but it also brings them down to our level.

So thank you, Twitter!

Honorable Mention

Rutledge Wood (@Rutledge Wood, SPEED TV)

Kyle Petty (@kylepetty, former driver, TV personality)

Elliot Sadler (@Elliot_Sadler, driver No. 19 Stanley Dodge, SPEED TV personality)

10. Michael McDowell (@Mc_Driver), NNS driver

Michael refers to everyone as “Mc” in his tweets. He updates his fans on what he's eating, how much he's working out, where he's going, and how much it bothers him to be a “start and park” driver.

His followers were the first to know he lost out on his ride for next year. He has already tweeted he signed a deal for next season but can't release the info until Jan. 1. I'm sure he'll tweet at midnight.

9. Brian Vickers (@brianvickers83), NSCS driver, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota

Brian tweets behind-the-scenes pictures from the shop and photo shoots (including the 2010 season promotional photos, which have already been taken) as well as links to NASCAR stories.

During Championship Week in Las Vegas, he was often giving a play-by-play of the events as they occurred and where he could be found.

8. Wendy Venturini (@WendyVenturini), SPEED TV reporter

Wendy tweets before, after, and during SPEED broadcasts and always tells her fans who she'll be interviewing next.

Since she only reports on the weekends during race season (and a special here and there), her non-race related tweets are often about her family, whom she is close with (according to her tweets).

Her tweets also support Venturini Motorsports (@VenturiniMotor), her family team that currently has three cars in the ARCA series.

7. Kelly Bires (@KellyBires), NNS driver, No. 88 Hellman's Chevrolet

The newest member of the JRM family, Kelly is new to my follow list.

Since it's the offseason, it's a good chance to get to know the up-and-comer who is replacing Brad Keselowski (@keselowskiweb) this season.

Since following him, I've read about his commercial flying woes, visit to the dentist, his testing in Phoenix, and the crazy JRM holiday party. His Twitter future is bright and I look forward to the season to begin to see what he has to say!

6. Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN), ESPN NASCAR reporter

Marty tweets often, sometimes so fast I can't keep up—but I love it.

The best part is his fan interaction. He tries to reply to every fan and acts as a TV guide for when his interviews will be on. He is honest as can be—including tweeting from a bar, along with “tweet photos” of the whiskey he's tweeting about—which makes him feel like the guy next door.

However, he only tweeted once about being voted one of Sporting News' 50 Most Beautiful People! I'll RT that any day!

5. Jeff Gluck (@Jeff_Gluck), reporter NASCAR Scene and scenedaily.com

Jeff tweets immediately before he asks a question during media events and then asks his followers how he did.

I enjoy his tweets because they are minute-by-minute and he leaves nothing out. He's almost the fan representative at media events and, despite the 140 character limit, makes us feel like we're there. Who said what, what kind of facial expression was made, who laughed, who cried, etc.

Most recently he took to his Twitter for a new column idea where his fans ask him questions via e-mail and will answer them in the column. He also uses Twitter to post links to his articles as soon as they are posted.

4. Michael Waltrip (@mw55), owner Michael Waltrip Racing driver, No. 55 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota

If you've ever watched This Week in NASCAR or anything besides a NASCAR race, you know Michael is a bit quirky.

His tweets are just the same. He tweets during TWIN broadcasts, while he's calling the Craftsmen Truck Series races, or after his car catches on fire. But he's most famous for his tweets about his home life, like when his dog ran away, what movies he watches when he can't sleep, his plane breaking down, and his Twitter conversations with fellow NASCAR personalities such as Hermie Sadler and Kenny Wallace.

3. Hermie Sadler (@HermieSadler), SPEED TV Reporter, former driver

Hermie gets personal with his tweets when he's not talking about NASCAR.

Want to know the score of his daughter's basketball game? It's on his Twitter. Want to know where he'll be after the race is over? It's on his Twitter. But Hermie is also great for his RaceDay on SPEED commentary while the show is on break.

It was a tough choice between him or his brother Elliot (@ElliotSadler), who also has a great Twitter feed.

2. Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace), SPEED TV reporter, NNS driver, No. 28 US Border Patrol Chevrolet

Kenny is famous for his Twitter ramblings and use of the exclamation mark.

Sometimes you need to pay attention to what he's trying to say because his enthusiasm is so intense.

He tweets during broadcasts and informs his fans about Wallace family events. I could write an entire page about his tweets, but you need to check them out for yourself.

1. Juan Pablo Montoya (@jpmontoya), driver, No. 42 Target Chevrolet

Juan Pablo is infamous for his tweets. He tweets every morning when he takes his kids to school, what he eats for lunch, when he's playing with his model helicopters (and crashing them), and when it's time to go to bed.

Interestingly enough, he doesn't tweet about on-the-track incidents with other drivers, but rather about his own performance.

His tweeting was taken to another level during Championship Week in Las Vegas when he tweeted from everywhere—the Chasers for Charity Jimmie Johnson Roast, the limo when he drove to pick up his wife (he fell asleep), his hotel room, the Stewies, and even from inside his car during the Victory Lap when it wouldn't start. If you want to see another side to JPM, follow him on Twitter!