Ranking the 10 Best Active Short-Track Drivers in NASCAR
The Paperclip. The World's Fastest Half-Mile. The Action Track. With nicknames like that, it's no wonder short tracks have become a specialty similar to road courses in NASCAR.
There are drivers who succeed at the arduous ovals and others who simply wilt. Given the fact that two races are held on each of the tracks, mastering them can be the difference for drivers competing for a championship.
Interestingly enough, some of the best at the courses also have multiple titles. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson—who have a combined 10 titles—also have 28 short-track wins between the two of them.
Whether it was recently or earlier in their career, several active drivers have proved themselves as the best at the trying tracks. Leading up to the first race at Martinsville Speedway this Sunday, let's take a look at the top active short-track drivers.
10. Tony Stewart
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His recent success might not be the most notable among fellow contenders, but Tony Stewart is still one of the top short-track drivers. Collecting seven wins during his career on the tracks so far, Stewart has earned his right to be on this list.
Going along with the trend of drivers who have blistered short tracks en route to winning titles, Stewart also has three of his own. In fact, his last win at a short track came at Martinsville in 2011. That was also the last time Stewart won a championship.
It might just be a coincidence. Then again, getting back to Victory Lane at a short track might earn some of Stewart's swagger back.
Five of his seven checkered flags were collected in a Pontiac—yes, they were that long ago—but he still had a top-five finish at Martinsville and Bristol last year. Getting six cracks at the courses this year, Stewart has a chance to secure a Chase berth if he can come away with an eighth win.
9. Kevin Harvick
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At this point, is there a list Kevin Harvick isn't included in? The defending Sprint Cup champion has throttled the rest of the field this season with two wins already.
Don't expect that to end on the short tracks.
He hasn't always enjoyed a lot of success at tracks that are less than one mile, but Harvick still has five victories at the courses. In his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick tallied two top-10 finishes on short tracks and narrowly missed out by finishing 11th in two others.
Coming into Sunday, Harvick has one of the most impressive streaks in the sport, with eight straight top-two finishes. He's trailing Richard Petty, who had 11 straight during his career, but Thomas McKean of ESPN Stats & Info points out why Harvick's might be more difficult:
"Petty paced the field for 33 percent of his laps during that streak, whereas Harvick has been leading for more than 37 percent of the laps during his past eight starts.
Moreover, the competition at the top of the field is possibly tighter. During Petty’s run, an average of 2.3 cars finished on the lead lap each start. During Harvick’s streak, that average is 25.5 cars on the lead lap.
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Harvick has 10 top-two finishes at the tedious tracks over his career, so there's a good likelihood that trend will continue Sunday. Even if the streak is broken, though, Harvick can rest easy knowing he's one of the best in the sport at short-track racing.
8. Brad Keselowski
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In just 31 races on short tracks at the Sprint Cup level, Brad Keselowski has already established himself as one of the best on short tracks.
His first 10 races at the Sprint Cup level were far from spectacular. Keselowski had just one top-10 finish before finally breaking through with a victory at Bristol in 2011. Since that point, he's rattled off two more wins and grabbed a top 10 in half of his last 20 races.
Last season, the Team Penske driver had three straight top-five finishes between April and September. Though he struggled at Martinsville, Keselowski was sensational at Richmond and Bristol. Now a winner at both tracks, he's eyeing a trifecta at Martinsville this weekend.
Hot off a win in Fontana, California, he just might pull it off. After all, he had never fared well at Auto Club Speedway before winning Sunday. Having several years ahead of him, Keselowski can only improve at short tracks in the future to keep climbing up the active list.
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7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4 of 10Unlike the previous two drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a wealth of recent success at short tracks. In fact, he's coming off his first victory at Martinsville last fall and looking for a second straight this Sunday.
That triumph came after placing inside the top 10 in two other short-track races last year. Earnhardt referenced how massive the win at Martinsville was, per Reid Spencer of NASCAR.com:
"Oh, man, we've been trying to win here for so many years. This place is so special to me. I’ve wanted to win here so bad. We brought the good cars. I'm out of breath from celebrating more than driving. It's a real emotional win. ...
I love that [Rick Hendrick's] cars are good [enough] here to get the victory. So this honors them. I'm just real proud to be able to win at Martinsville in a Hendrick car. They always win here.
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The track might as well be known as Hendrickville, with the team claiming 22 wins at Martinsville Speedway. Kasey Kahne is the only active driver with the team to not have a win at The Paperclip following Earnhardt's win.
Of his five victories on short tracks, three of them have come at Richmond. With two races at the other course in Virginia, Earnhardt can look to improve his standing this season. For now, he ranks near the middle on the short list of dominant short-track drivers.
6. Matt Kenseth
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Matt Kenseth has made an entire career out of being a consistent driver on nearly every style of track. His four wins at shorter ovals might not be terribly impressive over his 90 races, but he's taken a top-10 in nearly half of those events.
Early in his career, Kenseth routinely finished near the front of the pack at Bristol and won his first short track race at Richmond. During his championship season in 2003, he took a top-10 finish in four of the six events at the small ovals.
Now with Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has continued that trend of remaining steady at short tracks. Winning another race at Bristol and taking eight top-10s in 12 events, Kenseth doesn't appear to be slowing down any with JGR.
He may not always end up in Victory Lane, but Kenseth is still a driver to watch every time the Sprint Cup heads to Virginia or Tennessee.
5. Kurt Busch
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When Kurt Busch is behind the wheel, he's capable of winning at just about any track. That includes short tracks, where he had his most recent victory that clinched a Chase berth for him last season.
Driving in an era where Hendrick drivers have reigned supreme at the short tracks, Busch has still navigated his way to victories at every course. After beating out Johnson last March at Martinsville, Busch spoke about holding off the dominant driver.
"I didn't know if we'd be able to do it, [Johnson] is king here," Busch said, per former USA Today writer Nate Ryan. "This is an unbelievable feeling."
What that meant for Busch last season was a definitive spot in NASCAR's postseason. Thanks to his record at all three short tracks, driving to Victory Lane at one of the five races before Chicagoland seems like Busch's best chance to make the Chase—again.
4. Denny Hamlin
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Recent seasons have not been kind to Denny Hamlin at short tracks, but the JGR driver is still revered for his success at the courses.
From 2008 through 2010, Hamlin paced the field in six of the 18 races at short tracks. He wasn't able to win at Bristol, but he took checkered flags at Richmond twice and Martinsville three times over that span.
Interestingly enough, his lone short-track triumph since has been at Bristol in 2012.
How much does Hamlin love this style of course? Every year, he holds an event called the Short Track Showdown, which will be held April 23 this season. Let's just say that short-track racing is not always high on every driver's list of things he would love to do for fun.
Domination like what Hamlin showed over a three-year stretch isn't just a fluke at the Sprint Cup level. Look for him to turn things back around in the future and continue to prove he's one of the best short-track drivers in the sport.
3. Kyle Busch
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He hasn't been on the track at all this season at the Sprint Cup level, but fans still know just how powerful Kyle Busch can be at the abbreviated courses. Currently missing time due to a broken foot, Busch won't be able to continue that success at Martinsville.
Racing in 25 fewer events at short tracks than his brother, Kyle has one more win and 13 more top-fives. Both are two of the best in the sport, but the younger brother has clearly set himself apart at short tracks recently.
Toyota Racing president and general manager David Wilson noted just how important the JGR driver is to the sport, per Tom Jensen of Fox Sports:
"We miss him greatly, the impact that he has across all of our driver pools. We like to say Kyle is one of the best at throwing a marker out there and letting all of our guys know what the potential is. ...
It's certainly doable for him to miss a number of races, provided NASCAR grants him the exemption he needs, which we're optimistic about. He could get back in there, win a race and still make the top 30 before the Chase starts.
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Blessed with an ability to collect checkered flags at nearly any track at every level, Busch should be able to clinch a spot at myriad courses. However, his expertise at short tracks might pay off with a shortened season to potentially earn a Chase spot.
2. Jimmie Johnson
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Remember all the talk about Martinsville being Hendrickville? Yeah, well, Johnson is another crucial component to that claim.
The No. 48 car has driven to Victory Lane eight times at the track and has a top-five result in another 10 Martinsville events. That's 18 finishes of fifth or better in 26 races. Oh, and he holds an average finish of 6.23 at the track.
Let that sink in for a second. Over a 13-year stretch, that's utter domination of a single course.
But Johnson's success at the circuits isn't limited to just one Virginia track. Six-Time has also won at Richmond three times and Bristol once. Those 12 victories are second to only one other driver, Johnson's teammate Gordon.
For those who haven't already guessed who the final driver on the list is, that was a pretty good hint. However, any future standings for short-track success will more than likely have JJ at the top.
1. Jeff Gordon
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He's scorched the field at Martinsville, throttled the competition at Bristol and prevailed at Richmond. He also happens to be the only remaining driver to claim a win at the old North Wilkesboro Speedway in the final race held at the track.
Gordon will be riding off into the sunset after this season, and what a ride it's been. The four-time champion has been a picture of consistency throughout his run, holding the third-most wins all time in the sport.
Sixteen of those victories have been claimed at short tracks. Half of those, of course, came at Martinsville. One of the original founders of Hendrickville for Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon has a chance to go out on top at the track twice this year.
Holding onto a win from 2013 at Martinsville and three second-place finishes at short tracks last year, Gordon doesn't appear to be slowing down. A true legend who has won at every track except for Kentucky, it's a given that he would be great at short tracks.
Even in his final season, Gordon is still at the top of the sport in this category.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter. He has grease under his fingernails.
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