NASCAR Power Rankings: My Top 15 Drivers Past and Present

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I love NASCAR Racing.  I finally came out with a list of the top drivers.  It wasn't easy, but I finally did it.  Some of the drivers are from the past; some are from the present.  This is not based upon their success, this is based on my personal preference.  Therefore if you see somebody on here that you don't think belongs its because I like him.  If you think somebody should be on here that isn't, it is because I don't like him.

No. 15: Trevor Bayne

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The new kid on the track, Trevor Bayne has shown great potential.  Starting off your career by winning the Daytona 500 is a great way to begin it.

No. 14: Johnny Benson

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Johnny Benson is best known for his performance in the Truck series.  He won the Nationwide/Busch Series championship in 1995.  He won the Truck Series championship in 2008.  He was the Truck Series most popular driver from 2006 to 2008.  He was the Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 1996.

No. 13: Bobby Labonte

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Bobby Labonte won the 2000 Cup Series championship.  He has 21 Cup Series wins. 

No. 12: Terry Labonte

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Terry Labonte is a Cup Series champion in 1996.  He has 22 Cup Series wins.  He and his brother Bobby are the only brothers to ever win the Cup Series championship.

No. 11: Cale Yarborough

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Cale Yarborough was the first to win three straight title.  He did it in '76, '77 and '78.  He also made two appearances on the Dukes of Hazzard.  Cale has 83 career wins.

No. 10: Kyle Busch

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Kyle Busch was the Cup Series Rookie of the Year in 2005.  He has 20 career wins.

No. 9: Kurt Busch

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Kurt Busch won the 2004 Cup Series championship.  He was the first champion under the Chase format.  He was the Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2000.  He has 22 Cup Series wins.

No. 8: Greg Biffle

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Greg Biffle is one of the biggest underdogs in NASCAR.  His best season was 2005 when he won six races, the most of any driver that year.  He finished second in the final standings behind Tony Stewart.  He has 16 career wins.

No. 7: Carl Edwards

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The back flip man Carl Edwards.  His best standings finish was second in 2008 despite winning the most races that year.  Edwards has 19 Cup Series wins. 

No. 6: Matt Kenseth

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Matt Kenseth was the last Cup Series champion under the old formula despite only winning one race that year in 2003.  He has 18 career Cup wins.  He was the 2000 Cup Series Rookie of the Year beating out fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr..

No. 5: Darrell Waltrip

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Darrell Waltrip is a three-time Cup Series champion and a great announcer.  He has 84 career wins.

No. 4: Bill Elliot

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Bill Elliott is the first driver I ever remember winning the championship, and that was in 1988.  He has 44 Career wins.  He sort of retired a few years ago, but has been running part time every season since then.

No. 3: Dale Earnhardt

Dale Earnhardt Sr. is a seven-time Cup Series champion.  He was the 1979 Cup Series Rookie of the Year and has 76 career wins.  His death was a major tragedy.  I didn't watch another race in the 2001 season after that. 

No. 2: Rusty Wallace

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Rusty Wallace is the second driver I remember winning the championship, and that was in 1989.  He was the 1984 Rookie of the Year and has 55 career wins.  I really wanted to see him get one more win at Bristol before he retired. 

No. 1: Richard Petty

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I don't care how many races Jimmie Johnson wins.  I don't care how many championships Jimmie wins or how many he wins in a row for that matter.  Richard Petty will ALWAYS be the king.  He is a seven-time champion in the cup series. Three of them actually came before the Cup Series was the Cup Series. He has an unofficial win total of 200.  All Hail King Petty!!!