Feb 18, 2016; Daytona Beach, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (88) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (24) race during the Cam-Am Duels at Daytona race one at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
NASCAR has teams but is it really a team sport? While that might be a debate for another day, today we will debate which current team offers the best driver duo.
One of the biggest debate that NASCAR’s fan have is which driver is the best. Naturally this debate centers around the fact that each fan loves one driver and they then try to defend that driver until they are blue in the face. Wins, championships, consistency, these might all be talking points when determining the best driver.
Well, what if we were trying to determine the best two drivers on one team? What if we were trying to determine NASCAR’s best 1-2 driver punch? Then the conversation opens up a little bit because then fans are forced to put another driver on the same level as their favorite driver.
Which teammate would you pair with your favorite driver?
Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
No. 8 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne
Kicking off this ranking is a duo with a lot of promise that seems to be trending in the right direction. Now that Greg Biffle is out the door at Roush Fenway Racing, all of the focus will fall on these two young drivers.
The good news for these two drivers is that the end of the 2016 season was a lot better than the start of it. By the end of 2016 both drivers had developed consistency when it came to qualifying and they were starting to see better finishes as a result.
Unfortunately, neither of these drivers have accomplished much in the Cup Series and that’s why they land at the bottom of this list.
Sep 9, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Ryan Newman (31) during practice for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
No. 7 – Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon
One of these drivers is the picture of consistency while the other is finally starting to come into their own.
Ryan Newman joined RCR in 2014 and almost won a championship that season. He has been to the playoffs twice in the last three seasons, all while not winning a race. Newman’s consistency makes him a value to any driver duo.
Austin Dillon on the other hand is just beginning to find his own consistency. Dillon made the playoffs for the first time in 2016 and he did so without winning a race. Dillon should be able to build on his 2016 success in 2017.
While Newman seems to have leveled off, he has leveled off in a solid spot. The pairing of him with a driver on the rise makes a solid duo.
Aug 28, 2016; Brooklyn, MI, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (42) during the Pure Michigan 400 at the Michigan International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
No. 6 – Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray
Coming into 2016 Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray were essentially tied with Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon. Coming out of 2016 Larson and McMurray pulled ahead thanks to Larson picking up his first Cup win of his NASCAR career.
To this point Larson is the biggest star on our ranking. His win in 2016 at Michigan was a long time coming in the Cup Series and it should be a sign of things to come in 2017. Larson should be expected to return to the playoffs this season.
McMurray is much like Ryan Newman when it comes to consistency. While Newman might edge McMurray in the consistency department, Larson more than edges Dillon. Larson has the potential to be a future face of NASCAR which makes him a valuable part of any 1-2 punch.
Nov 18, 2016; Homestead, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (78) looks on during qualifying for the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5 – Martin Truex Jr. and Erik Jones
This is a tough duo as one driver is holding the other down while the other driver is propping his teammate up. From an experience stance, Jones should be on the bottom of this list as a rookie coming into his first NASCAR Cup Series season in 2017. However, the success of Truex is pushing this duo into the top-five.
If Truex was paired with Kyle Larson, they could easily be a top-three duo. If Jones was paired with Trevor Bayne, the would easily be last on this list.
This duo is dangerous because in the short-term Truex can carry them to where they need to be. In the long-term Jones could develop into a quality driver which would turn this duo into one of the best in all of NASCAR. They might be fifth on the list entering 2017 but come the end they could be a whole light higher.
May 29, 2016; Concord, NC, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch (41) during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4 – Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch
This is the part of the rankings where things will start to get interesting. The top-four teams on this list are head and shoulders above the bottom four, but there isn’t a lot of space between themselves.
The team of Harvick and Busch is a team with a pair of championships between them. If not for the move to Ford, this duo might have ended up higher on the ranking. The shift to Ford puts a bit of uneasiness in front of the team at the start of the season. There are sure to be some growing pains this season but there is no telling if it will impact the on-track performance.
If the question of struggles with Ford wasn’t in the air, this duo would be a couple of spots higher on this ranking. Nevertheless, it’s hard to go wrong with a pair of drivers that have won races consistently over the past few season.
Sep 10, 2016; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (48) takes a selfie with driver Chase Elliott (24) after the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
No. 3 – Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott
Is there ever an issue with having a seven-time NASCAR champion on your team? Of course not is the answer here.
Jimmie Johnson might be the best driver on this ranking, he by far has the best resume. Johnson’s seven championships easily make him a favorite to win his eighth in 2017. The issue here is Chase Elliott. Elliott has yet to win in the NASCAR Cup Series and because of that it’s hard to place this duo ahead of the top-two on this ranking. Heck, if SHR remained with Chevy, it would have been hard to place them ahead of Harvick and Busch.
Earnhardt Jr. fan might take issue with Elliott getting the nod here over Earnhardt but it really was an easy decision. Earnhardt himself hasn’t won since 2015 and with his potential health issues in 2017, Elliott was the safe choice to go with at this time.
Nov 19, 2016; Homestead, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Matt Kenseth (20) talks with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (18) during practice for the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
No. 2 – Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth
Matt Kenseth got the nod here over Denny Hamlin because of his championship. Had Carl Edwards still been in NASCAR he would have been placed here given his success in 2016 and it’s possible that they could have challenged for the No. 1 spot.
JGR will once again enter the season as the team to beat given their success in 2015 and 2016. The loss of Edwards will be a bit of a blow but unless another team steps up, JGR will still most likely lead the series in wins this season.
Busch and Kenseth are both past champions, they both currently race for the best team in NASCAR and they are both coming off of solid 2016 campaigns. As of right now there is only one duo in all of NASCAR better than these two and it’s only by the smallest of margins.
Nov 20, 2016; Homestead, FL, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Joey Logano (22) and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (19) wreck during the Ford Ecoboost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
No. 1 – Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski
Team Penske is only a two-car operation and it’s for that reason that they can’t overtake JGR as the best team in NASCAR. The consistency of Team Penske is at the top of the series right now and it’s for that reason that they are No. 1 on this list.
If Team Penske was made up of two Logano’s and two Keselowski’s they would easily be the best team in NASCAR, surpassing JGR.
Sure, Logano doesn’t have a championship but he has been to the final-four in the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Heck, he would have been there three years in a row if not for the actions of Matt Kenseth in 2015. Keselowski has consistently been there with wins over the last few seasons, going toe-to-toe with Kyle Busch for the most wins for the better part of 2016.
Is this duo the best bet for winning a championship in 2017? That debatable as Johnson and Kyle Busch might have the edge. However, when it comes to consistency, Team Penske is where it’s at and that’s why they are No. 1 on this list.
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