>it's geographically based, but racing isn't like that
Well it can be if you live in North Carolina. You best believe the Concord people don't always get along with the Mooresville people
I originally read that as "Mooseville" and then decided you needed Bullwinkle on the welcome sign.
Also, I guess this makes sense, but I truly don't know which drivers/teams you're referring to.
This is a huge point. Ryan Newman lives a mile down the road from where a lot of my family lives so I’ve always liked him. Ryan blaney was a good friend of one of my good friends so I was glad to see him win the championship. For those of us in the lake Norman area, I become a fan if I have a positive experience with a driver in person.
Yeah exactly. I'm not looking to bandwagon. And I have built an affinity for the 4 team over the years. I briefly considered switching to Briscoe or someone, and while I'll cheer for him as well (and the rest of the SHR guys), Berry is the rational and consistent choice.
Its interesting to me to see who the Harvick fans are going with after this year. My mom and one of my best friends are both Harvick fans. My friend has already settled on going with Noah Gragson. My mom is torn between Gragson, Chastain, and Buescher. I think both of them also considered Berry as options. He's got a lot of potential.
They didn’t let Harvick down, his career was just over and he couldn’t win anymore. Every driver goes through a drought at some point, some of them longer than others, and some have their drought at the end of their careers.
He couldn't win anymore. Seriously?!?! Oh man. You must not watch a lot of Nascar.
SHR is in shambles, did you not just see what Tony Stewart just says a few days ago? Harvick carried that team on his back. And almost won a few races last year. Yes, he is old, but he could and should have won some races.
We were in elementary, middle, and high school together. His dad is pretty cool, and they used to let me tag along so I could also go to his Legends races when my dad wasn’t going to watch.
For one year in 7th grade. Josef went to private schools every other year. I lived in the neighborhood beside Josef and played bball and road gas scooters together. It was spelled Joseph back then, and what I always new it as when we ran around the neighborhoods together. Not sure when he started spelling it different. We did not keep in touch after 8th grade.
https://preview.redd.it/3yn68xsntdhc1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2bf6168cb1f0a5609e1cd071e2a404cbd209f840
Bubba and his wife met like me and my wife did. So we chose him. Plus he plays drums and video games. Blaney likes Star wars and is dry funny. And they are best friends so it works out.
They met in high school in Spanish class. He would cheat off her papers and do projects together (same as me and my wife who was Valedictorian and I was as middle of the road as you can get haha. ). At first she wasn't into him like that then they got to know each other and the rest is history.
Harvick?
I had hot passes one year and his pit crew was nothing but awesome to me. Was hooked as a fan for life after that.
Berry? I’ve been having a hard time with Kevin retiring. Josh seems like a good dude that drives aggressively and has a feisty attitude too. Looking 4WARD to this season!
First time watching Nascar in 14 years, catching the end of the Fall Martinsville race.
Don't really have a favorite as my old drivers have since retired. (Smoke, Edwards)
Last lap.....some guy I've never heard of absolutelty rips the outside wall to earn his spot in the playoffs.
Been pulling hard for him ever since.
Yes I have driven Toyotas for over three hundred miles. On one I didn't change oil after 125,000 miles, drove next 175,000 miles and sold it with over 300,000 miles.
I grew up watching Dale and Dave race around Ohio, and when the storyline about Blaney and Jr being buddies/neighbors when Blaney was first coming in I immediately latched on to him as my next driver due to all those factors. I’m a Bubba fan because of the bromance.
Daniel Suarez: he's from my mom's home city of Monterrey. I'm a proud Texan, but I also carry a lot of pride of my Monterrey heritage.
Ross Chastain: rooted for him once he joined Trackhouse Racing. The more I learned about his background as a blue-collared farmer, the more I admire him and the more I appreciate having representation of the common folk in the sport.
I'm still not entirely sure how I picked up Mark Martin as my driver, but I was very very young and it may have been recognizing Valvoline and Winn-Dixie as his sponsors. Got lucky there if that's the case!
For Chase Elliott, it was watching him beat a whole slew of Cup drivers in the 2014 Darlington Xfinity race. I'd never been able to really connect with another driver during Mark's retirement tours but I saw a spark in Chase that day and loved it.
For Bubba Wallace, it was pushing and pushing and pushing until he finally broke through, especially after his Roush Xfinity ride went belly up. And I really feel him on the mental health side of things.
In 2016 when Jr was injured Bowman filled in for many of the races. I was pretty impressed with how he ran in many of those races. His backstory of small team driver at TBR and BK Racing was also intriguing. I didnt know who I was going to follow after Jr announced his retirement but was happy when they gave his seat to Bowman. Its been great since
I used to be a Jimmie Johnson fan and looked up to him when I was a kid. Once he retired, I was a fan of mostly anyone who didn’t win a race or championship. That eventually got me to guys like Chastain and Buescher and those are my guys now.
Told the story before but I’ll tell it again. My family has always been around racing, my one grandfather worked on stock cars with Ralph Earnhardt and the other was just a general fan. My parents weren’t particularly fans and we were more college football and nfl on the weekends family.
Then two years ago I came home for spring break and we were eating Sunday dinner at my grandparents (the side that my grandfather was just a general fan) and he was watching a race so I sat down with him to watch and talk while dinner was being cooked. He mentioned a guy that was the “melon man” I thought the nickname was funny and kept the name Ross Chastain in my mind. Fast forward a week and I’m back at college with nothing better to do on a Sunday so I decided to watch the race that day, it’s just so happened to be COTA where Ross got his first win, been hook ever since.
Followed Suarez when he came to the US because I am Mexican. He joined Trackhouse, I support Trackhouse, and they signed Chastain, so I support both drivers.
I stopped watching NASCAR when Dale Sr. died. A few years ago i started watching with my then 3 year old son, his favorite color is blue and his favorite number is 5...
I picked Tony Stewart originally because my grandfather liked him, but the more I watched the more I liked his brashness and the f it attitude he had on track but the countless donations and things he did outside of the track. My likeness just grew more and more as I got to know about him.
After he retired, I struggled picking a driver. I like Briscoe, Larson, and Blaney. Blaney is my number 1 guy right now, but I don’t have that absolute confidence or likeness that I had right off the bat for anyone as much as I did for Tony. Those 3 are close, though.
Loved Jeff Gordon as a kid. After he retired I like Kurt Busch because I really respected how he changed for the better and learned to control his anger. After Kurt, I've gravitated toward Ross because he seems like the guy that's just "not supposed to be there" but he is and doing well. I've also liked Keselowski for years now and that was reignited when RFK came to be.
Grew up in a divorced home. Due to distance, didn’t get to see my Dad often. The only thing I knew about his work was it was in a town called DuPont. Coincidentally around the same time Jeff Gordon started driving the Dupont 24 car. I was a fan of Jeff because 5yr old me thought he was my dad’s boss.
Well, I was an Earnhardt fan growing up because I grew up in the Charlotte area and had a very similar upbringing.
With Bubba, I really appreciate how honest he is about his mental health while competing in a sport where you are never supposed to show any weaknesses. I will always appreciate how he led the charge to bring down the confederate flag at tracks as well.
I began following Ryan because of his podcast and the more I followed him, the more he seemed to be just a super cool dude.
Last year, I watched the Daytona 500 for the first time ever despite growing up less than 45 minutes from the track. I was not super into it, but it was newly-dating-guy's birthday and I didn't make any fancier plans. I ended up rooting for the 99 car because it was lavender and I could always see it. He came in 7th after going way to the back, so I was not sad. After a few more races (mostly caught the highlights), I found I wasn't really a Suarez girl.
I decided that Joey Logano has a good, strong Italian name. I didn't know about his history as a young tyrant. I did know about his work with his young fans.
We watched the coverage of the Nashville (?) pregame show where they had all the drivers in the announcers booth/on the ground in the garages. It was a great introduction to some of their personalities. I "picked up" Blaney, Cindric, and Reddick that day.
I spent most of last season rooting very hard for one last win for Harvick. I like to root for Keslowski (despite his awful profile pic) just because he's an owner-driver and because he pushes for his team to win even if it costs him points (unlike a certain Monster driver).
Honestly all really good observations. If you’re looking for a driver to root for, I’d say just keep watching. Eventually you’ll find yourself rooting for a driver to win, or not to win, and you’ll realize who your favorites are. It’s definitely ok to have more than one.
I used to be a hard Jeff Gordon fan back in the Sr. days as a kid. My dad used to be a Roush guy so he'd root for Mark Martin (or whom as I got older realized he probably will end up the best driver to never win a championship) and Jeff Burton.
Once Jeff retired, it's been a hodgepodge of drivers but as of late I've mainly rooted for the remaining old guard of drivers to get what might be their last win. Still can't bring myself to root for Denny but out of the new batch would be Blaney mainly for his incredibly dry wit. Dudes got jokes.
I started as a Kyle Petty fan because my grandfather drank Mello Yello. I then became a Dale Jr. fan because I just thought he was a cool guy. I then would pull for his teammates and anyone who drove for JRM. Currently I'm pulling for Martin Truex Jr(we are both from Jersey) and Erik Jones. Because I also pull for whoever drives the 43.
Ross Chastain - drove junk for years, kept his nose to the grindstone and got a chance in good equipment and ran with it. Doesn’t take any bs (see Noah gragson) and will race the devil out of any and everyone.
Kyle Busch - I’ve been a fan of the sport long enough to know I need to admire greatness. I hated Jimmie and Jeff for the longest time but overtime knew I was watching some of the GOATs of the sport. I hated Kyle for so many years but when it became apparent he was leaving JGR I wanted to see him succeed to stick it to them. It was fun to dislike him for so many years to the point I wanted him to win so I could hate. Doesn’t make sense but he became one of my favorites.
Brad K - followed him from the JR Motorsport days. His success in bringing RFK back to relevancy demands respect.
Kyle Petty: NGL, it was 50% his name and 50% the fact the Mello Yello car looked so badass.
Elliott Sadler: I'm a Virginian, plus he was an underdog in the 21 car.
Denny Hamlin: Another Virginian.
Bubba Wallace: When he got into it with Denny at Daytona I liked his "take no shit" attitude. Also, another underdog in the 43 car. Doesn't hurt that he's a fellow African American.
Same for Kyle Petty for me, except that it was his Hot Wheels car. Since I was about 5 or 6, that was the coolest shit I’d ever seen. Still my favorite paint scheme.
Well my dad was an Earnhardt Sr fan so I became a Jr fan growing up. When Jr retired I went over to Chase because he was young guy on the same team. He’s also from my state so that helps
Man-everybody focuses on Chase and nobody on the actual, "spiritual" successor to the 24 legacy: Willy B. No hate on Chase though, I just think that the moment he moved to the 9 car he gave up his right to be called Gordon's successor.
I was given an orange push toy Tony Stewart Home Depot car when I was little and by the time I realized who drove the 20 HD car, it was Logano. Preece caught my eye initially due to his Flex Tape cars for JD Motorsports but also because he is from the Northeast like myself (and Logano but that is just a funny coincidence). I also like how I have a much easier time meeting Preece and having him sign my ever growing collection of memorabilia (I have an addiction plz help). I also like Stewart Friesen because he races a big block at my local track and lives in the Northeast. He also happens to be Canadian which is an added plus. I also like Christian Eckes due to him being from the Northeast. (Noticing a theme?). I also am a Joe Graf Jr fan because we are both from NJ (which is in the Northeast). I know he isn’t the greatest driver ever but him and his family are so nice. I’ll also toss in Alex Labbe and basically any of the Canada Series guys but they are all part time.
I started following NASCAR in 2020 & was on the fence about Hamlin cause he's from Richmond originally. I wanted to root for the local guy but damn he can be a cry baby, lol, & that wasn't sitting right with me for awhile. (I love owner Denny)
Soon before the 2022 season, Chastain is running a lot of iRacing... and I got to race against him at Darlington a few times.
Personally, it was a test for myself, "how long do you dare keep him behind you \[cleanly\]" ... and IDK, I just thought that whole experience was so cool. Then, watching how 2022 played out - it was a no brainer to hop on rooting for him and Trackhouse.
I got to tell him last season, "don't forget about those of us in C Fixed" and he smirked, lol.
For me, this was proof of the "let it just happen" approach for finding a driver to root for.
One of us! One of us! One of us!
Was watching COTA 2022 while I was dipping my toe back into NASCAR and thought, “huh, that 1 car looks pretty sweet” and the motherfucker won the race. So I’m a Trackhouse stan now.
I’m a fan of all Wisconsin drivers, to varying degrees. Kenseth will always be my #1, Trickle is my favorite driver that I’ve never seen, as for the rest I’m more likely to buy their merch than other drivers and I follow most of them on social media but I’m less passionate about them.
Aside from them I follow drivers from other countries or drivers who raced in other disciplines or if they have some kind of quirk that makes them kinda unique (typical things like road course ringers or really specific things like being an 8,317th generation watermelon farmer). Usually there’s overlap, like JP Montoya, Jenson Button, Dinger, Conor Daly, SVG, Andy Lally. Female drivers are cool too.
For me, the list of drivers I don’t like or wouldn’t support is much shorter. I guess I’ve always picked drivers that go against the grain so to speak. Most of all, I think I like guys that won’t put up with other driver’s BS. I’ve been a Rusty Wallace fan as long as I can remember. He and Geoff Bodine some of the few that wouldn’t put up with Earnhardt’s “shit” on track. We were all also Allison and Bonnett fans since we live in Alabama. When Rusty retired, I was kinda lost for a while. I really wanted to pull for the Blue Duce. But it wasn’t easy.
Then some kind named Busch came along and I didn’t care for him either, but I didn’t like very many Hendrick drivers at all. Went he jumped in the 18 car, I though this could really be something. And boy was it a roller coaster. 2011 was a hard year to be a Kyle Busch fan. But we stuck in there with our boy. Finally in 2015, for the first time in my life, I got to see my favorite driver win a Cup championship. I saw videos of Rusty winning. But this one really hit home with me because of all of the ups and downs. But over that time, I personally grew a lot. Looking back on it, I see a lot of similarities between the younger me and the younger KFB. I wasn’t nearly as cocky (I don’t think). So I’m some cheesy way, we kind of came around to understanding the world around the same time. Our first kids were even born a month apart (but I didn’t break both of my legs).
That being said, I respect the hell out of all of these guys, even the ones who’s personality I don’t care for. I came to appreciate Jeff and Jimmie much too late. And as much as I couldn’t stand Harvick (almost from the time he got in the 29), I respect him as well. I much prefer him in the booth than behind the wheel.
Sorry for the novel.
TLDR: Rusty because he didn’t put up with crap and was outspoken. KFB because KFB.
My original favorite driver was Rusty Wallace, specifically in the iconic black and gold No.2, which led to me being a Penske stan. Fast forward to today and I'm still a Penske stan, and Blaney's my favorite of the bunch.
When I decided I was going to start following the sport in 1996, I watched happy hour before the Daytona 500. Terry Laborite seemed level-headed and he didn’t have the stereotypical southern drawl (I had problems understanding Ward Burton), so I decided he was my driver. Turned out to be a good pick since he won the championship that year. Fast-forward to2006. He’s retiring so I needed to find someone new. A rookie named Denny caught my eye so I locked in on him. Fast-forward again, and good ol’ James had somehow become the president of Doucheville so it was time to find another one. Now I have a small group that I root for based on their personalities. My Sundays are no longer ruined when one driver has a bad day.
Growing up, I was a rusty fan. Got out of nascar for a few years due to my work schedule and when I got back in it, it was Logan’s first year in the cup series so I chose him.
My first driver I started paying attention to at all was Adam Petty. After what happened, I didn’t watch for a long time. When I did pick it up again, I went all in on Kurt Busch. When it was announced he was getting the 45, I was beyond happy. Then after his retirement, it felt natural to continue to root on the 45 and join Team Reddick. Who also happens to be a local kid. That’s my story.
I cheer for drivers who kinda got knocked down and I want them to get back. I started cheering for Suarez after Gibbs axed him and same with Hemric after RCR. Almirola I started cheering when everything in DEI crumbled and he had to restart in the trucks. Always want these guys to come back and win to show it was wrong to axe them.
I was a Dale Jarrett fan. When he was retiring in 2008, I needed to pick a new driver. We like Toyota and Kyle Busch was setting the world on fire that year, and here we are 15 years later. I'm actually happy he switched from Toyota, everything feels rejuvinated in Chevy.
My sister worked and became friends with Noah Gragson’s aunt. By pure happenstance we happened to be visiting my other sister in SLC when the West series was competing at Utah Motorsports Complex. My sister contacted Noah’s aunt, we met her at the track and sat and watched the race with his family. He won and we were able to go with them to meet him after his TV interviews. Amazing kid and have been following him ever since
No allegiance to anyone in particular, just like good racing. Grew up a Jr fan but after his retirement never really latched onto another driver or team in particular.
Dad was a Sr fan, so I was a Jr fan. I knew that Jr and Blaney were close, and around the same time Blaney had the podcast so he was one of the only drivers you could consistently hear/see some personality from outside the car.
I also love Blaneys cars, easy to find quick. But that wasn't really a criteria, just a bonus!
I needed a new driver as a kid after Rusty left so I became a Kahne fan. I even had my Aunt paint his car on my bedroom wall and I used to get sponsor decals and stick them on there.
But I also became a huge Joey fan because I'm from CT and would go meet him when he would come back to his hometown to do events.
Kahne kind of fell off (and rooting for a Hendrick driver was not allowed in my parents house 😂) so it became Joey as my guy.
Realized he was one of the most talented multidisciplinary drivers in the world. And he handled the adderall thing like a champ. Later realized I have a lot in common with the guy in terms of self doubt and being self-critical (listen to Allmendinger’s Dinner With Racers episode for more detail. He talks about this a lot).
As a kid, loved Edwards’ backflips and the Aflac duck, so I was sold on him. Once he retired, I was lost for a bit until I started listening to Glass Case, and that sold me on Blaney. Chastain is because I’m a Florida guy and he’s our representative
My main driver now is bc he’s Mexican and I’m Mexican. When I was young though it was really whose car looked to me like Jimmie, Kasey Kahne, Biffle. I would also say now I like Buescher since he is from Texas like me.
DW was my guy ever since I was 4 in the infield of Daytona watching the pretty orange car win the Daytona 500. Rode that all the way until 2000 and was sort of lost.
Picked up Harvick, Jr, Stewart, and obviously Johnny Benson. None were my guy but they were all favorites.
Then I gravitated to Keselowski. Liked his honest interviews loved seeing him win at Dega. I didn't like him feuding with Carl. He ain't gonna kill my boy. Liked seeing him develop into a good cup driver and not a one hit wonder. Loved the battle between him and Ambrose in maybe the best final lap of all time. Big fan of Brad not being a little shit and appreciating the hard racing.
Then he's in the chase, in title contention, and he is THE guy to finally beat Jimmie heads up. Supported him through the thick and thin at Penske. That run where he had three straight wins including two crown jewels was maybe his last great memory at Penske.
Now he's co-owning the most improved team of the last two years. Love to see it. Means I got a guy and a team to support for the foreseeable future.
I root for other drivers like Bubba, YRB, Preece, Briscoe, and Chastain (his farm is like 30 mins from me don't be angry) but gun to my head any given week I want Brad to get a Daytona 500 and a title before any one of them.
I met Jordan Anderson in like 2011 a few years before he got into the NASCAR ranks so I'm gonna root for JAR because of that. Austin Dillon was a I need a new guy after Mark Martin retired and he was going to be a rookie I had paid attention to in Nationwide series.
I was born in 1990 and grew up loving Rusty Wallace (my name is also Rusty). When he retired I sort of fell out of the sport. One of my best friends I met during college, was around the dirt racing scene and was friends with Kyle Larson. I did some volunteer work at the Iowa Speedway roughly a decade ago, where my friend was at and was hanging out with Kyle. Got to meet him a few times back then and just started following his career then.
i started watching every race in 22 and i wanted to pick a driver who:
a) drove a chevy (I watch pretty much every major motorsport that isn't F1, and Chevy generally has a program in every racing discipline)
b) didn't have a long legacy of success or drive for a powerhouse team
c) had good paint schemes and didn't suck
So I pretty quickly landed on Chastain, even before he won at COTA. By the time he had developed a distinct driving style and got into beef with almost every driver I was sold. And it helped that he was a relative outsider to NASCAR, which I liked because i'm not from any area where NASCAR is traditionally popular.
He raced at the track I was announcing at. So I got to know him and his family. They always treated me very well so I stayed with supporting him through to NASCAR
When I was a kid, I met Keselowski at an autograph signing during his first year at Penske so I naturally chose him as my favorite. His vision for the sport and outspokenness have made me even more of a fan of his, along with what he does for our veterans.
my dad. he was a huge sr fan and after dales death my dad became a jr, gordon, and harvick fan and i followed those 3 growing up and now that the last one of those 3 retired from cup im starting to follow chastain and josh berry. i still do try to go to every race Jr is in when i can and pull for him though
Obligated to root for Jeb since he's spawn of GOAT Ward Burton. Habitually root for underdogs and like Spire's vibe. Underdogs but they're trying, and getting better (I'm an RFK fan in the same way). Corey and Carson are both controversial but (imo) naturally talented. They make some mistakes, they're messy, but they're fast too. I think it's fun.
I had all but stopped watching especially after Mark Martin retired (his diecast was my favourite as a kid). Then suddenly Rick Allen utters the words “TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HE DID”, I started watching again, and it’s been all trackhouse since then!
I grew up a Junebug fan because of my dad. Once Junebug retired, I just followed Blaney because of the Wood Brothers iconic scheme and his Body Armor schemes (which are some of the best schemes).
I used to watch Jimmie Johnson cause just because he was from California. As I’ve become more of a sports fanatic, I’ve learned to love athletes with charisma. And followed them to whatever team/affiliate they’re with. Unless they were on a team for a while and I’ve grown attached. For example, Cordarrelle Patterson is the reason I’m a Vikings fan. Great dude, hard working, everyone loves him. But he became a journeyman and I couldn’t switch teams that much. Brian Dozier, awesome athlete, even better guy, and hilarious. I rooted for whatever team he was on, but now he’s gone, I picked the Orioles since it’s still the only game I’ve ever been to (when I was little). Now that Jimmie Johnson is retired (kinda?), I find myself drawn to Ross Chastain, I like his story with the watermelon farm and he’s funny, but also spices up stuff on the track, I take it people have mixed opinions of him. But it’s fun to watch.
TLDR: I’m drawn to certain personalities.
Earnhardt, cause he was the best when I became a fan... Then came 2001.. Harvick replacing 'Big E' in the #3, becoming the #29 then later the #4. Then Harv' retired... I then went to a new face and a kick ass reputation already!! Team,Trackhouse! Ross Chastain #1, same sponsor, different driver, and I like Ross because he's real, it hasn't been handed to him or passed down like a few in the sport that have no business in a race car.
I used to be a Davey Allison fan when I was a kid, then the disaster happened. Then it Was DW because my dad's always been a DW fan. I kinda drifted out of watching NASCAR for a while and when I came back Bubba was driving Richard Petty's car so that was an easy fit. When he started driving for MJ and Denny I was hooked for good. Reddick is up there for me as well, for that reason. And he always has the best paint scheme on the track. Over the years I just grew to love Blaney because he's young, super talented, and is a nerd. Here I am - Bubba and Blaney, with a side of Reddick.
So it's all pretty arbitrary in the end.
Less recently, I started with my favorite manufacturer. Kept an eye on rookies, and get behind one or two.. I'm also in a pool, so I'm invested in how well they are doing and want to see them succeed.
Currently have had Byron and Reddick in my garage since they went cup full time. I also like Bell (lost out on the draft for him), and now im rooting for Smith and have him added to my garage....
Although they have different manufacturers, I've come to enjoy those drivers for different reasons when they are on track.
There are other drivers I like as well based on how I have seen them on track, like Hamlin, Harvick, Kes, Briscoe, Wallace.. I can't root for half the field every week. But I am happy to see them win or finish well.
I just have different reasons to enjoy most all drivers... except Logano and Dillon. I can't stand those two.... Not even a little bit.
I was a Gordon fan because as a kid he won a lot and had a colorful car (reason my dad told me anyway). He retired, never was a huge chase fan for some reason. When Byron took over the 24 I liked his personality so I went with that.
After Byron retires I'll probably hop to the next 24 driver.
Uhh I plead the 5th
Jk. Always thought he was super talented when he was in awful equipment, and love his dirt racing. I really started liking him during that Xfinity finish at Bristol in 2013. I knew Gordon was retiring soon and id need a new driver.
As for Ty, he’s just a wheelman and I like his aggressiveness. He’s super talented
I don’t have a massively strong allegiance anymore. But I do mainly support Blaney.
Before him it was labonte, schrader, jr, kenseth, newman. Still enjoy seeing Kenny win dirt races. Wish Matt still drove but I get it.
Modern day though I support multiple dudes and wouldn’t mind seeing a handful of guys be successful. I’m much more focused on xfinity lately and am a big creed supporter. Can’t wait to see the drama on track this season. Xfinity been the best series for a few years now imo.
Earnhardt, Harvick, KFB, Allgaier, Santos III, TBD.
So Dale was because I was 8 and yeah. Harvick for obvious reasons. KFB, other than his antics I loved how he just wanted to win and actually signed and threw his hat at me while we were next to each other in the queue leaving the track one day. Allgaier, got to know him when he was in ARCA. Santos because I grew up in the same town and knew each other well before leaving home and now get to see him race the little 500 and other USA stuff. And now I'm doing the research to see who I'm rooting for as the next wave of drivers come in.
LaJoie always seemed like a good dude and I thought it was hilarious when his car was wrapped with his face so I started following him. Buescher’s Fastenal sponsorship got me to follow him as I’m from the town Fastenal is based out of. Same reason I was an Edwards fan when he raced.
When I was younger I like Ryan Newman because he was winning a lot of poles and I thought it was cool that he was so fast.
Then when I got back into the sport about 5 years ago I became a fan of Ryan Blaney. I learned that he liked Star Wars and so do I. I really liked his personally from listening to the podcast he was on. He was in the #12 just like Newman, his main sponsor was Menards which is based in Wisconsin where I’m from and shop there all the time, and his car was a fluorescent yellow which is a color so really like.
At the end of the day it’s a combination of things, but it’s really best to watch the races, find a car you like, and see if you like the drivers personality and want to root for them.
Went to a Bristol race back when I didn’t really follow anyone. I liked Harvick and a few others but didn’t really have a favorite. Then Ryan’s intro musical was a metalcore song as he was introduced and that was what initially turned be on when he was in the 21. Been a fan ever since.
I was probably 6 or 7 and my friend was a NASCAR fan. He was showing me his die casts. I liked Mark Martin's 1994 die cast the best because he had Reeses on the decklid and I liked Reeses. I was sold. Mark Martin fan for life.
I moved away from home and across the country to live with my brother in September 2003. He was a Nascar fan and said he watched it every Sunday. Since I was living with him for the time, I watched my first race and thought… who ever wins this race, that’s who my driver will be. That race was the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire. Jimmie Johnson won that race. I had no idea what I was about to witness in the years coming but I was glad I watched it all. Side note: The main thing I really remember about that race was that it was the last race to race back to a caution flag. And seeing Dale Jarret sitting on the backstretch facing oncoming cars.
Harvick was a California guy. i liked johnson forever cuz my dad liked johnson and i was too young to understand. right around 2011 i started seeing this Harvick name all throughout the races and i started watching. went to my local track come to find out its his home track. knew a guy that used to work on his cars and still talks to him. and he seemed so human. like you can sit and watch him race for hours then sit down in a waffle house with him after
Growing up in an Earnhardt family, naturally Jr. was my favorite driver (even though his career was tumultuous and largely uneventful) but when I saw that young kid that was only a few years older than me making waves and winning in only his 3rd Xfinity race, I knew Logano was my guy. Similarly, I saw Chastain running well a few times in Xfinity and saw something in him there too. When he went to the 42 I never expected him to have the career or the media attention that he’d be getting but I knew there was something to watch in him.
I was a Junior fan and really only focused on Cup but started watching the Xfinity and Trucks around 2014 and picked Bubba as my other driver. Having 23XI in the sport helps because i’m from NC and MJ is MJ
5 has been my lucky number since I was a little kid. My first fight was over the number in little league. So in 96 when I got in to nascar I immediately followed the 5 - and it helped that he was a championship contender in a cool Kelloggs car and was from Texas. I've stuck with every driver in the 5 ever since.
I was a Richard Petty fan as long as I can remember - I was 9 in 1976 and forced to go to a wedding on the day of the Daytona 500. Still pissed I missed watching the race given the legendary finish. Parents telling a 9 year old what to do - how could they???!!
1983 my mom bought a Ford Thunderbird. The best running T-Bird was Bill Elliott so I became a fan. The 1985 season REALLY solidified me rooting for Bill. If anyone remembers the media buzz around winning the Winston Million pretty hard not to get sucked into the hype.
Never really had another #1 driver as Bill moved into retirement - Kasey Kahne sort of but not to the same level I backed Awesome Bill.
Then Chase came along - been following his racing back to karting and watched every race he was in as he came up the ranks. So I am a Chase fan today. I drive a Toyota but don't really have any Toyota driver I root for. Root against most of them - especially Denny and Ty.
Cbell started racing in Micros and I ran them when I was in high school as well after quarter midgets. When he started winning midget races left and right he became my guy in USAC and I’ve been following him ever since.
I picked Brad Keselowski out as a major prospect right when he started at JR Motorsports, before the hype was there. When he won Talladega ‘09, I quickly made him the heir to my Jeff Gordon fandom.
Back in his Xfinity days he would regularly play Xbox and PC games and party up with fans and I got to play Friday the 13th with him
Coolest experience I had ever had with a driver and his personality immediately won me over.
I like Truex because he used to drive for Jr and seems like a good dude with a good attitude. I predicted his championship win and was supposed to put some money on it while in Vegas. I bet on the 500 instead and won by picking Kurt Bush as a contingency bet... I regretted not betting on him for the championship that year.
I posted this on a different thread, but this is mine:
I hadn’t had a favorite driver for a while and wasn’t really keeping up with the sport much, outside of when they came to town. But I saw a Facebook post about some guy being the highest finishing African-American driver ever in the Daytona 500, and his post-race press conference was going live, so I ended up watching it
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E9x4n_WA8A4&pp=ygUvQnViYmEgd2FsbGFjZSAyMDE4IGRheXRvbmEgNTAwIHByZXNzIGNvbmZlcmVuY2U%3D
This isn’t the full conference, just the highlights, namely his mom storming the stage, but this is what made me a Bubba fan. He was vulnerable, and relatable, and generally seemed like a cool guy. I didn’t get to meet him until late last year at Texas, but he was just as great in person.
His spotter being on Door Bumper Clear got me listening to that, and they got me from being someone who watched Cup races occasionally into someone who watches every race of all three series and listening to 5 different NASCAR podcasts each week. So I can blame Bubba for my newfound (re-found?) love of the sport, since I had finally found a driver to connect to.
Initially picked Kyle Busch because he was in the 5 (I was a Terry Labonte fan growing up basically because my dad picked him for me), and also because I liked how aggressive Kyle was.
I kinda like Denny as well now because I love his personality and he knows how to do a really good burnout.
Went to my first race at Pocono years ago and saw the the unsponsored #15 Premium Motorsports entry was having quite the slow day. Saw "Chastain" on the window banner and thought it was an interesting name. Watched him for nearly the entire race, fighting like a dog for 35th.
Years later hear about this guy that entered the truck series a few races late but was going to try for the playoffs anyway. Who would it be but the same Chastain guy I remembered. Went to Pocono again and watched him dominate. That was when I first thought to myself "That guy is going places".
Several years later he's in the #1 for Track house, and he's really caught my eye. Byron was always my guy from the first year he started racing cup, but only because he took the #24, my favorite number.
Going into Fall Martinsville 2022 I was already halfway on the Ross bandwagon, but seeing what he did on the last lap absolutely threw me over the edge. I've been a diehard Chastain fan ever since.
I was a Dale Jr fan starting in 98 because my old man was a diehard Sr. fan. When Dale passed my dad said with RCR and that team and was a Harvick fan until his departure from Chevy. In 2012 I started watching dirt racing more and more and following Kyle Larson. Through his K&N days, Arca, Trucks with Turner Scott and all that. So when Jr. Retired I migrated to a full time Larson fan. But let me just say, its not the same. I'm a full believer that you'll really only ever be a FAN of one driver. I see all these posts asking "who should I root for" etc. Which is weird, should be organic. But the way I followed, supported and felt watchin Jr. race, is something that i'll never again replicate I don't think. I was there when he won the 500 in '14 and it was one of the greatest moments ever. I've flown to Oklahoma to watch Kyle run the Chili bowl and going to Indy this year to watch him at the 500. Even with that, I don't think the level of passion and enjoyment will ever be what it was for Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. I even painted my [basement](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV861NIAViW-FwOblq1OcQXq-P983ITtspI5D-o1y36rvvDKhxVv7hNvtbUgzf1pAu-NHFv0sIyiXOliaezDjE54MtKxdJqqsAkaFuoUsaUgmBcz9eBWkInsz6K33xKGWvxD828owqnFqve3VFVmcC-sQ7g=w1481-h1111-s-no-gm?authuser=0) to match his car!
When I first started watching NASCAR (2002), Michael Waltrip was my driver. Not really sure why other than he was handsome and funny, and DEI was fun to watch back then. Then Kasey Kahne came on the scene and I was a huge fan of his because he was really talented and really cute. Once Kahne retired, it was difficult but I finally settled on Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman.
I usually end up liking the people that make an immediate splash in the sport. Like Kyle Busch finishing P2 in his Busch Series debut only losing to Kenseth (who was the eventual cup champion the same year), or Larson who immediately competed for wins in trucks despite being an unknown part time driver at the time.
I root for both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch; initially because the charm of their villain personas stood out from the crowd of safe, bland personalities and I never really felt like any of it was too personal—sometimes a certain amount of bite is just for fun. They're fun to hate and they're fun to root for at the same time.
Hamlin in particular won me over with his infamous "I beat your favorite driver" comment, and after that I began following him more and listening to his podcast which really adds a layer of depth that I didn't know was there before. Couple that with the transparency of the Netflix series for his previous season, and I was firmly on the Denny train. Also, DennyDelivers makes such great memes that I naturally gravitated towards their favorite driver, too.
I think my favorite is definitely Hamlin; love him or hate him, he's an icon of the sport who is somehow one of the highest achieving drivers and simultaneously an underdog every year in that he has never won a championship. That's a story that's really fun to watch.
Jimmie as a kid bc I loved the color blue and the lowes scheme. Now Byron and Blaney. I just stopped watching nascar for a few years and came back, Byron for HMS ties and Blaney bc all of my nascar friends love him.
My grandfather liked dale and since I spent alot of time with him. Then dale jr but once he retired I stopped watching for a bit. The chase Elliott just kinda fit. He raced for jr in xfinity, he's in a Chevy, he's from Georgia, I'm from Georgia. Just kinda worked out
When I first started following in 2008 I gravitated to Jamie Mac because I thought he was an underrated "5th wheel" on a powerhouse team who always ran pretty well but always got the short end of the stick.
When I needed a new driver in 2018, Jones fit the mold but even better - Erik was both faster and more unlucky, always running top 10 as a 21 year old on a powerhouse but something would always go wrong. I felt he was criminally underrated and, like Jamie, a cool guy. But unlike Jamie, I felt strongly (and still do) that he had the talent to be a champion. And it was fun to briefly think that my favorite driver would be a championship contender for a long time, which I never got with Jamie.
Every year was a roller coaster with Jamie Mac and even more so now with Jones. 2020 was the most painful year of my sports fandom existence. But it's turning around and I'm strapped in.
My dad was a Dale Jarrett fan, so that's who I latched on to. When he retired with MWR, I began to root for David Reutimann and then Martin Truex.
I've prepared for MTJ to retire after this year so I've now found myself rooting for Brad, Buescher, and Bell (He's and Okie and so am I).
I picked Dale Jr. because my dad was a Dale Sr. fan and I wanted to be like him but not exactly, which is what Dale Jr. was to Dale Sr. As we've both grown over the last 25 years or so, he's always been who I want to be in the next 10 years (He's almost exactly 12 years older than me). I've stuck with him not because of the racing success (or lack there of at points), but because of who he is and what his story represents to me.
I picked Keselowski because my ex met Joey Logano so I kept it in Team Penske.
Then I transitioned to Reddick because he was driving the #8 and I met him at a Cheddars. Hard to break a bond formed over croissants.
I was simply drawn to the black three car as a little kid. As my mom tells it, I would get pretty pumped up whenever Bob Seger would come on during a Chevrolet truck commercial. I reckon I correlated the commercial with the bowtie on Sr.'s hood and that was that.
Didn't know who to pull for after Sr. died, but when Harvick won in Atlanta that cemented me sticking with him and the team from there on out.
I checked out of NASCAR for a while in the 2010s, but when I came back around I found myself pulling for Bubba too. I admire his grit both on and off the track as well as his candor regarding mental health.
Josh Berry's emergence in Xfinity coincided with me tuning back into NASCAR. There again I admire his grit in getting to where he is now and like the way he goes about things. Stepping into Harvick's spot at SHR made me even more of a fan.
In 2008 I turned on a race for the first time. I think it was towards the end of the race. I didn't know who to root for. I knew of Gordon, Johnson, & Dale Jr. but didn't want to pick them just because of their popularity. I told myself I'd become a fan of whoever won the race. Carl Edwards won. Never heard of him, but I stuck to what I said. I decided to watch again the following week, pulled for Carl. He won again. That's when I officially became a fan of both Edwards and NASCAR. It was the Vegas race in '08. That turned out to be a great year for Carl.
William Byron drives the 24 car. That is literally all he needs, though his iRacing background is neat and he seems like a pretty cool guy in general.
Kyle Busch is such a good heel. Every sport needs its guy who won't back down or take shit, and KB leans into it to spectacular effect.
I was a fan in the early 2000’s and loved Jeff Gordon because everyone hated him and loved Jr because he was cute.
Stopped watching around 2006ish and figured I’d never watch again.
In 2020, my husband had the Daytona 500 on and I figured I’d just pick a car to root for during the race. On a whim, I picked the #8, Tyler Reddick.
Well then the Newman crash happened and I was hooked, covid happened and it was the first sport back. During covid broadcasts I kind of fell in love with Joey Logano, because he was hilarious and basically everyone hated him.
It’s now 2024, my living room is covered in sheetmetal, diecast cars, a tire and other random pieces from races we’ve gone to. I am now 100% more invested than my husband 😂
My first NASCAR race I followed was the 2022 Daytona 500. Mid-way through I see a car who’s scheme I like run up around the Top 10 but the announcers are barely talking about it. I look up the driver and realize that it’s his first (official) NASCAR cup series race too.
I thought it would be pretty neat to root for a driver who’s first cup series race was also my first cup series race, so to speak. I also like an underdog, and Todd seems like a pretty nice guy.
I grew up a kid loving the JG rainbow warrior scheme, and then as I got older I liked the young hotshot with the cool red Dodge (Kahne) and then stopped paying as much attention in the 2010s.
Now that I’m back into it, I have really enjoyed Blaney as being a laid back guy who seems to be funny and a little more progressive than a ‘good ol boy’ which appeals to me as a West Coast guy.
Was always a JR fan. After he retired I went with Blaney since he won with the Wood Brothers and has the same taste in country music. Coolest dude in the garage in my opinion.
I started following FRR back in the Regan Smith days. I really loved the idea of a team doing their own thing their unique way. Followed them all the way through the MTJ days and begrudgingly followed the team to Toyota and JGR.
Then once Trackhouse started up, I figured they were somewhat similar to FRR and it got me back to my Team Chevy roots. They were a startup team trying to do things differently originally. Once they bought the Ganassi shop out that sort of went away a bit, but I decided to stick with them. I really like the way Marks thinks about things.
I'd been wanting to get into NASCAR properly for a while a few years ago (as I watched pretty much everything else with 4 wheels that moved at the time) but I didn't know who to root for. Then I saw a photo (and later video) of him with my favourite F1 driver (Sebastian Vettel) and that sealed the deal for me.
Later found out a tiny bit of our stories are similar. Moved to Connecticut from Ireland when I was younger and then south (to Florida, instead of Georgia) a couple years later. Totally unintentional haha.
Loved Gordon and Smoke as a kid. I don't remember what interview it was but Tony was falling over about how good he thought Larson was and was going to be. Started paying attention to him after that and sure enough the dude is an animal.
Became a Gordon fan because when I started watching he was the only driver who wasn’t a “Good O’l Boy”, won a lot pissing off the “Good O’l Boys” and 1990s Pepsi marketing.
My Dad was a Jeff Gordon fan, and he hated Kyle Busch in his Hendrick days, so I gravitated toward him. Then he started winning a lot, so it cemented my like for the guy. I like to see underdogs win as well, so I'm always cheering for them as well. I always love seeing a first time winner.
Dad was a big Gordon fan when I was growing up. I never liked nascar but it was always on. I finally started watching snd became a Gordon fan.
Read an article one day that Rick Hendrick had signed this 14 year old kid Chase Elliott to a development deal. Apparently it’s Bill Elliott’s son. “That’s pretty cool” was about the extent of my interest.
Fast forward to 2014, I’m a Chevy salesman and Chase makes an autograph appearance at my dealership. My GM knows I’m a race fan and asks if I want to go to the personal meet and greet. I did. Chase was super cool and down to earth. He came to the signing on the showroom and was scheduled to be there for 3 hours. 1 of which was dead. So we chatted with him. Really nice guy. Friendly.
About 6 months later Hendrick announced he’d be replacing Gordon. So now here we are.
Local tracks = Ryan Preece, Kaz Grala.
I've been a Jeff Gordon fan since I was a kid. Since then, I have been a fan of Hendrick Motorsports. It helped that I also followed Chase Elliott from the Trucks to Xfinity and now Cup. So it made it fun to be his fan.
I was the first one in the family following NASCAR, as I was close to getting my license at the time. I’d been wearing #24 in high school sports, and as it turned out, the first race I tuned I for was the ‘97 Daytona 500, which Gordon won. Decided I had a winner, and went with it.
Truex- the first races I watched were 21 Bristol dirt trucks and cup, which Truex dominated and ran really well in.
Blaney: when the Truex retirement discussion started in 22 I decided I needed a younger driver to root for, and I’m a big ford guy, so Blaney just kinda filled that role.
Bell, Buescher, Busch: I’m not really sure why I started rooting for them, it just kinda happened, and I’m ok with that
I like to pick the one who will break my heart for a decade and a half, figured that would help prepare me for real life. Love u James Dennis "The Menace" Alan Hamlin 😘
My favorite was Jeff Gordon. The first NASCAR race I ever watched live was the 2002 Twin 125s way back when I was 5, and Jeff Gordon led the whole thing with that cool ass confetti covered Dupont 200th car, and from that point I was hooked, especially after I learned he was the guy that used to have the rainbow car, and then was concurrently driving the blue and red flame car. Coolest shit ever.
Little did I know he had won his 4th championship just a few months before as well, and that HE'D NEVER WIN ANOTHER ONE FOR THE NEXT 13 YEARS AS I GREW UP WATCHING 😭😭😭
Based on talent.
Hence why KB is, and has been since his start, my go to guy. Followed by Larsen. Then Chastain cause he always does something, good or bad.
I pick by make, then attitude of driver. Bill Elliott was a driver of Ford and seemed like a good guy. When he was past his prime, Carl Edwards save at Darlington impressed me so he became the guy. His abrupt retirement left me scrambling. Fortunately, Ryan Blaney showed up.
>it's geographically based, but racing isn't like that Well it can be if you live in North Carolina. You best believe the Concord people don't always get along with the Mooresville people
I originally read that as "Mooseville" and then decided you needed Bullwinkle on the welcome sign. Also, I guess this makes sense, but I truly don't know which drivers/teams you're referring to.
All of them aside from one or two truck and Xfinity teams are based out of North Carolina
But which team is based in Concord and which in Mooresville? Is this a Sharks vs Jets situation?
Most of the teams are based out of Mooresville or Concord
I can be for drivers as well. I always rooted for McMurray since he was from Missouri, same for Carl Edwards.
Clint was never my favorite but I always rooted for him because he’s from KS
This is a huge point. Ryan Newman lives a mile down the road from where a lot of my family lives so I’ve always liked him. Ryan blaney was a good friend of one of my good friends so I was glad to see him win the championship. For those of us in the lake Norman area, I become a fan if I have a positive experience with a driver in person.
I went to the same school Austin Cindric went to that is literally a mile away from the cmsw, so that’s why I root for him
Went from Sr to Harvick. Probably just sticking with the 4 car. It's gonna be weird.
Josh Berry is a driver though and has worked his way to the Cup Series. Could definitely be worse.
Yeah exactly. I'm not looking to bandwagon. And I have built an affinity for the 4 team over the years. I briefly considered switching to Briscoe or someone, and while I'll cheer for him as well (and the rest of the SHR guys), Berry is the rational and consistent choice.
Its interesting to me to see who the Harvick fans are going with after this year. My mom and one of my best friends are both Harvick fans. My friend has already settled on going with Noah Gragson. My mom is torn between Gragson, Chastain, and Buescher. I think both of them also considered Berry as options. He's got a lot of potential.
Berry and Melonhead
I'm done with SHR. They really let Harvick down last year. I'm just going up enjoy watching for awhile. Kinda sucks
They didn’t let Harvick down, his career was just over and he couldn’t win anymore. Every driver goes through a drought at some point, some of them longer than others, and some have their drought at the end of their careers.
He couldn't win anymore. Seriously?!?! Oh man. You must not watch a lot of Nascar. SHR is in shambles, did you not just see what Tony Stewart just says a few days ago? Harvick carried that team on his back. And almost won a few races last year. Yes, he is old, but he could and should have won some races.
We were in elementary, middle, and high school together. His dad is pretty cool, and they used to let me tag along so I could also go to his Legends races when my dad wasn’t going to watch.
So you went to high school with Taylor swift too?
Yes
I bet that yearbook is worth a shit ton.
Especially if he got them to sign it
I heard on the download that Josef Newgarden went to school with Josh as well.
For one year in 7th grade. Josef went to private schools every other year. I lived in the neighborhood beside Josef and played bball and road gas scooters together. It was spelled Joseph back then, and what I always new it as when we ran around the neighborhoods together. Not sure when he started spelling it different. We did not keep in touch after 8th grade. https://preview.redd.it/3yn68xsntdhc1.jpeg?width=1576&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2bf6168cb1f0a5609e1cd071e2a404cbd209f840
Wow that’s awesome!
Ryan and Bubba kidnapped me and brainwashed me, A Clockwork Orange-style
Did they tie your eyes open and make you watch them race? Great movie me brother
No they made me watch them play metalcore covers
Bubba and his wife met like me and my wife did. So we chose him. Plus he plays drums and video games. Blaney likes Star wars and is dry funny. And they are best friends so it works out.
How did he meet Amanda? I don’t think I know that story.
They met in high school in Spanish class. He would cheat off her papers and do projects together (same as me and my wife who was Valedictorian and I was as middle of the road as you can get haha. ). At first she wasn't into him like that then they got to know each other and the rest is history.
Only Fans?
Harvick? I had hot passes one year and his pit crew was nothing but awesome to me. Was hooked as a fan for life after that. Berry? I’ve been having a hard time with Kevin retiring. Josh seems like a good dude that drives aggressively and has a feisty attitude too. Looking 4WARD to this season!
First time watching Nascar in 14 years, catching the end of the Fall Martinsville race. Don't really have a favorite as my old drivers have since retired. (Smoke, Edwards) Last lap.....some guy I've never heard of absolutelty rips the outside wall to earn his spot in the playoffs. Been pulling hard for him ever since.
My name is denny and I have driven Toyotas for 35 years. So naturally I am a denny hanlin fan
Chances are, it could be the same Toyota from 35 years ago
Yes I have driven Toyotas for over three hundred miles. On one I didn't change oil after 125,000 miles, drove next 175,000 miles and sold it with over 300,000 miles.
Watch this actually be Denny Hamlin lol
No I'm just a denny fan
I root for WBR/Harrison Burton, the Carolina Panthers and the Charlotte Hornets. Because I like pain. I eat it like candy.
The best is ahead for Harry! One way or the other, I believe in the kid.
I grew up watching Dale and Dave race around Ohio, and when the storyline about Blaney and Jr being buddies/neighbors when Blaney was first coming in I immediately latched on to him as my next driver due to all those factors. I’m a Bubba fan because of the bromance.
Daniel Suarez: he's from my mom's home city of Monterrey. I'm a proud Texan, but I also carry a lot of pride of my Monterrey heritage. Ross Chastain: rooted for him once he joined Trackhouse Racing. The more I learned about his background as a blue-collared farmer, the more I admire him and the more I appreciate having representation of the common folk in the sport.
First cup series championship for Colorado
I'm still not entirely sure how I picked up Mark Martin as my driver, but I was very very young and it may have been recognizing Valvoline and Winn-Dixie as his sponsors. Got lucky there if that's the case! For Chase Elliott, it was watching him beat a whole slew of Cup drivers in the 2014 Darlington Xfinity race. I'd never been able to really connect with another driver during Mark's retirement tours but I saw a spark in Chase that day and loved it. For Bubba Wallace, it was pushing and pushing and pushing until he finally broke through, especially after his Roush Xfinity ride went belly up. And I really feel him on the mental health side of things.
Jeff Gordon because his rookie season I was 5 and you couldn’t not be a Gordon fan if you were 5 when he just started lol
 In 2016 when Jr was injured Bowman filled in for many of the races. I was pretty impressed with how he ran in many of those races. His backstory of small team driver at TBR and BK Racing was also intriguing. I didnt know who I was going to follow after Jr announced his retirement but was happy when they gave his seat to Bowman. Its been great since
I used to be a Jimmie Johnson fan and looked up to him when I was a kid. Once he retired, I was a fan of mostly anyone who didn’t win a race or championship. That eventually got me to guys like Chastain and Buescher and those are my guys now.
Good picks
Told the story before but I’ll tell it again. My family has always been around racing, my one grandfather worked on stock cars with Ralph Earnhardt and the other was just a general fan. My parents weren’t particularly fans and we were more college football and nfl on the weekends family. Then two years ago I came home for spring break and we were eating Sunday dinner at my grandparents (the side that my grandfather was just a general fan) and he was watching a race so I sat down with him to watch and talk while dinner was being cooked. He mentioned a guy that was the “melon man” I thought the nickname was funny and kept the name Ross Chastain in my mind. Fast forward a week and I’m back at college with nothing better to do on a Sunday so I decided to watch the race that day, it’s just so happened to be COTA where Ross got his first win, been hook ever since.
Followed Suarez when he came to the US because I am Mexican. He joined Trackhouse, I support Trackhouse, and they signed Chastain, so I support both drivers.
I stopped watching NASCAR when Dale Sr. died. A few years ago i started watching with my then 3 year old son, his favorite color is blue and his favorite number is 5...
I picked Tony Stewart originally because my grandfather liked him, but the more I watched the more I liked his brashness and the f it attitude he had on track but the countless donations and things he did outside of the track. My likeness just grew more and more as I got to know about him. After he retired, I struggled picking a driver. I like Briscoe, Larson, and Blaney. Blaney is my number 1 guy right now, but I don’t have that absolute confidence or likeness that I had right off the bat for anyone as much as I did for Tony. Those 3 are close, though.
Smoke is his idol, smoke was my idol. And he’s a redditor (I’m so sorry)
Loved Jeff Gordon as a kid. After he retired I like Kurt Busch because I really respected how he changed for the better and learned to control his anger. After Kurt, I've gravitated toward Ross because he seems like the guy that's just "not supposed to be there" but he is and doing well. I've also liked Keselowski for years now and that was reignited when RFK came to be.
Dale Sr fan. Then obviously a Jr fan. Now I basically root for the Chevy guys and dislike Hamlin more than anyone else.
HAIL MELON!
Same! I'm surprised you're the only one who has mentioned that so far!
Grew up in a divorced home. Due to distance, didn’t get to see my Dad often. The only thing I knew about his work was it was in a town called DuPont. Coincidentally around the same time Jeff Gordon started driving the Dupont 24 car. I was a fan of Jeff because 5yr old me thought he was my dad’s boss.
Well, I was an Earnhardt fan growing up because I grew up in the Charlotte area and had a very similar upbringing. With Bubba, I really appreciate how honest he is about his mental health while competing in a sport where you are never supposed to show any weaknesses. I will always appreciate how he led the charge to bring down the confederate flag at tracks as well. I began following Ryan because of his podcast and the more I followed him, the more he seemed to be just a super cool dude.
Last year, I watched the Daytona 500 for the first time ever despite growing up less than 45 minutes from the track. I was not super into it, but it was newly-dating-guy's birthday and I didn't make any fancier plans. I ended up rooting for the 99 car because it was lavender and I could always see it. He came in 7th after going way to the back, so I was not sad. After a few more races (mostly caught the highlights), I found I wasn't really a Suarez girl. I decided that Joey Logano has a good, strong Italian name. I didn't know about his history as a young tyrant. I did know about his work with his young fans. We watched the coverage of the Nashville (?) pregame show where they had all the drivers in the announcers booth/on the ground in the garages. It was a great introduction to some of their personalities. I "picked up" Blaney, Cindric, and Reddick that day. I spent most of last season rooting very hard for one last win for Harvick. I like to root for Keslowski (despite his awful profile pic) just because he's an owner-driver and because he pushes for his team to win even if it costs him points (unlike a certain Monster driver).
Honestly all really good observations. If you’re looking for a driver to root for, I’d say just keep watching. Eventually you’ll find yourself rooting for a driver to win, or not to win, and you’ll realize who your favorites are. It’s definitely ok to have more than one.
I like Reddick and Cindric the most for their personalities. Same for the other guys in my flair from the lower series
I used to be a hard Jeff Gordon fan back in the Sr. days as a kid. My dad used to be a Roush guy so he'd root for Mark Martin (or whom as I got older realized he probably will end up the best driver to never win a championship) and Jeff Burton. Once Jeff retired, it's been a hodgepodge of drivers but as of late I've mainly rooted for the remaining old guard of drivers to get what might be their last win. Still can't bring myself to root for Denny but out of the new batch would be Blaney mainly for his incredibly dry wit. Dudes got jokes.
I started as a Kyle Petty fan because my grandfather drank Mello Yello. I then became a Dale Jr. fan because I just thought he was a cool guy. I then would pull for his teammates and anyone who drove for JRM. Currently I'm pulling for Martin Truex Jr(we are both from Jersey) and Erik Jones. Because I also pull for whoever drives the 43.
Ross Chastain - drove junk for years, kept his nose to the grindstone and got a chance in good equipment and ran with it. Doesn’t take any bs (see Noah gragson) and will race the devil out of any and everyone. Kyle Busch - I’ve been a fan of the sport long enough to know I need to admire greatness. I hated Jimmie and Jeff for the longest time but overtime knew I was watching some of the GOATs of the sport. I hated Kyle for so many years but when it became apparent he was leaving JGR I wanted to see him succeed to stick it to them. It was fun to dislike him for so many years to the point I wanted him to win so I could hate. Doesn’t make sense but he became one of my favorites. Brad K - followed him from the JR Motorsport days. His success in bringing RFK back to relevancy demands respect.
I thought his accent was funny (Ward)
Kyle Petty: NGL, it was 50% his name and 50% the fact the Mello Yello car looked so badass. Elliott Sadler: I'm a Virginian, plus he was an underdog in the 21 car. Denny Hamlin: Another Virginian. Bubba Wallace: When he got into it with Denny at Daytona I liked his "take no shit" attitude. Also, another underdog in the 43 car. Doesn't hurt that he's a fellow African American.
Same for Kyle Petty for me, except that it was his Hot Wheels car. Since I was about 5 or 6, that was the coolest shit I’d ever seen. Still my favorite paint scheme.
Well my dad was an Earnhardt Sr fan so I became a Jr fan growing up. When Jr retired I went over to Chase because he was young guy on the same team. He’s also from my state so that helps
Grew up a Gordon fan, so naturally, whoever took over for him became my favorite. Just happened to be Chase and have stuck with it ever since.
Man-everybody focuses on Chase and nobody on the actual, "spiritual" successor to the 24 legacy: Willy B. No hate on Chase though, I just think that the moment he moved to the 9 car he gave up his right to be called Gordon's successor.
I was given an orange push toy Tony Stewart Home Depot car when I was little and by the time I realized who drove the 20 HD car, it was Logano. Preece caught my eye initially due to his Flex Tape cars for JD Motorsports but also because he is from the Northeast like myself (and Logano but that is just a funny coincidence). I also like how I have a much easier time meeting Preece and having him sign my ever growing collection of memorabilia (I have an addiction plz help). I also like Stewart Friesen because he races a big block at my local track and lives in the Northeast. He also happens to be Canadian which is an added plus. I also like Christian Eckes due to him being from the Northeast. (Noticing a theme?). I also am a Joe Graf Jr fan because we are both from NJ (which is in the Northeast). I know he isn’t the greatest driver ever but him and his family are so nice. I’ll also toss in Alex Labbe and basically any of the Canada Series guys but they are all part time.
I started following NASCAR in 2020 & was on the fence about Hamlin cause he's from Richmond originally. I wanted to root for the local guy but damn he can be a cry baby, lol, & that wasn't sitting right with me for awhile. (I love owner Denny) Soon before the 2022 season, Chastain is running a lot of iRacing... and I got to race against him at Darlington a few times. Personally, it was a test for myself, "how long do you dare keep him behind you \[cleanly\]" ... and IDK, I just thought that whole experience was so cool. Then, watching how 2022 played out - it was a no brainer to hop on rooting for him and Trackhouse. I got to tell him last season, "don't forget about those of us in C Fixed" and he smirked, lol. For me, this was proof of the "let it just happen" approach for finding a driver to root for. One of us! One of us! One of us!
picked him by chance while watching the 2019 madison intl arca race in person and it stuck 🤷♂️
Was watching COTA 2022 while I was dipping my toe back into NASCAR and thought, “huh, that 1 car looks pretty sweet” and the motherfucker won the race. So I’m a Trackhouse stan now.
I’m a fan of all Wisconsin drivers, to varying degrees. Kenseth will always be my #1, Trickle is my favorite driver that I’ve never seen, as for the rest I’m more likely to buy their merch than other drivers and I follow most of them on social media but I’m less passionate about them. Aside from them I follow drivers from other countries or drivers who raced in other disciplines or if they have some kind of quirk that makes them kinda unique (typical things like road course ringers or really specific things like being an 8,317th generation watermelon farmer). Usually there’s overlap, like JP Montoya, Jenson Button, Dinger, Conor Daly, SVG, Andy Lally. Female drivers are cool too.
For me, the list of drivers I don’t like or wouldn’t support is much shorter. I guess I’ve always picked drivers that go against the grain so to speak. Most of all, I think I like guys that won’t put up with other driver’s BS. I’ve been a Rusty Wallace fan as long as I can remember. He and Geoff Bodine some of the few that wouldn’t put up with Earnhardt’s “shit” on track. We were all also Allison and Bonnett fans since we live in Alabama. When Rusty retired, I was kinda lost for a while. I really wanted to pull for the Blue Duce. But it wasn’t easy. Then some kind named Busch came along and I didn’t care for him either, but I didn’t like very many Hendrick drivers at all. Went he jumped in the 18 car, I though this could really be something. And boy was it a roller coaster. 2011 was a hard year to be a Kyle Busch fan. But we stuck in there with our boy. Finally in 2015, for the first time in my life, I got to see my favorite driver win a Cup championship. I saw videos of Rusty winning. But this one really hit home with me because of all of the ups and downs. But over that time, I personally grew a lot. Looking back on it, I see a lot of similarities between the younger me and the younger KFB. I wasn’t nearly as cocky (I don’t think). So I’m some cheesy way, we kind of came around to understanding the world around the same time. Our first kids were even born a month apart (but I didn’t break both of my legs). That being said, I respect the hell out of all of these guys, even the ones who’s personality I don’t care for. I came to appreciate Jeff and Jimmie much too late. And as much as I couldn’t stand Harvick (almost from the time he got in the 29), I respect him as well. I much prefer him in the booth than behind the wheel. Sorry for the novel. TLDR: Rusty because he didn’t put up with crap and was outspoken. KFB because KFB.
My original favorite driver was Rusty Wallace, specifically in the iconic black and gold No.2, which led to me being a Penske stan. Fast forward to today and I'm still a Penske stan, and Blaney's my favorite of the bunch.
When I decided I was going to start following the sport in 1996, I watched happy hour before the Daytona 500. Terry Laborite seemed level-headed and he didn’t have the stereotypical southern drawl (I had problems understanding Ward Burton), so I decided he was my driver. Turned out to be a good pick since he won the championship that year. Fast-forward to2006. He’s retiring so I needed to find someone new. A rookie named Denny caught my eye so I locked in on him. Fast-forward again, and good ol’ James had somehow become the president of Doucheville so it was time to find another one. Now I have a small group that I root for based on their personalities. My Sundays are no longer ruined when one driver has a bad day.
Growing up, I was a rusty fan. Got out of nascar for a few years due to my work schedule and when I got back in it, it was Logan’s first year in the cup series so I chose him.
My first driver I started paying attention to at all was Adam Petty. After what happened, I didn’t watch for a long time. When I did pick it up again, I went all in on Kurt Busch. When it was announced he was getting the 45, I was beyond happy. Then after his retirement, it felt natural to continue to root on the 45 and join Team Reddick. Who also happens to be a local kid. That’s my story.
Chase briscoe recruited me here on Reddit.
He has anxiety; I can relate. It was also talked about at the time I was having severe panic attacks after losing my dad.
I was 15 at the time and I just liked the way Logano looked, that he's tall, he was young at the time (24), and I liked his car/scheme.
I cheer for drivers who kinda got knocked down and I want them to get back. I started cheering for Suarez after Gibbs axed him and same with Hemric after RCR. Almirola I started cheering when everything in DEI crumbled and he had to restart in the trucks. Always want these guys to come back and win to show it was wrong to axe them.
I was a Dale Jarrett fan. When he was retiring in 2008, I needed to pick a new driver. We like Toyota and Kyle Busch was setting the world on fire that year, and here we are 15 years later. I'm actually happy he switched from Toyota, everything feels rejuvinated in Chevy.
My sister worked and became friends with Noah Gragson’s aunt. By pure happenstance we happened to be visiting my other sister in SLC when the West series was competing at Utah Motorsports Complex. My sister contacted Noah’s aunt, we met her at the track and sat and watched the race with his family. He won and we were able to go with them to meet him after his TV interviews. Amazing kid and have been following him ever since
Larson cause I thought what he did was real as hell and funny
Joey's post-Bristol sword video.
No allegiance to anyone in particular, just like good racing. Grew up a Jr fan but after his retirement never really latched onto another driver or team in particular.
Dad was a Sr fan, so I was a Jr fan. I knew that Jr and Blaney were close, and around the same time Blaney had the podcast so he was one of the only drivers you could consistently hear/see some personality from outside the car. I also love Blaneys cars, easy to find quick. But that wasn't really a criteria, just a bonus!
Jeff Gordon called it a career in 2015, and Chase Elliott took over the 24 at that time so I became a fan of his, even when he switched to the 9.
Noah Gragson, Ross Chastain, Kyle Busch, and Carson Hocevar are wheelmen that also entertain me.
I needed a new driver as a kid after Rusty left so I became a Kahne fan. I even had my Aunt paint his car on my bedroom wall and I used to get sponsor decals and stick them on there. But I also became a huge Joey fan because I'm from CT and would go meet him when he would come back to his hometown to do events. Kahne kind of fell off (and rooting for a Hendrick driver was not allowed in my parents house 😂) so it became Joey as my guy.
2008 Meijer 300 at Kentucky…
Realized he was one of the most talented multidisciplinary drivers in the world. And he handled the adderall thing like a champ. Later realized I have a lot in common with the guy in terms of self doubt and being self-critical (listen to Allmendinger’s Dinner With Racers episode for more detail. He talks about this a lot).
As a kid, loved Edwards’ backflips and the Aflac duck, so I was sold on him. Once he retired, I was lost for a bit until I started listening to Glass Case, and that sold me on Blaney. Chastain is because I’m a Florida guy and he’s our representative
My main driver now is bc he’s Mexican and I’m Mexican. When I was young though it was really whose car looked to me like Jimmie, Kasey Kahne, Biffle. I would also say now I like Buescher since he is from Texas like me.
The first race I ever saw was Atlanta in 2005. I mean how can you not become a Carl fan after that.
DW was my guy ever since I was 4 in the infield of Daytona watching the pretty orange car win the Daytona 500. Rode that all the way until 2000 and was sort of lost. Picked up Harvick, Jr, Stewart, and obviously Johnny Benson. None were my guy but they were all favorites. Then I gravitated to Keselowski. Liked his honest interviews loved seeing him win at Dega. I didn't like him feuding with Carl. He ain't gonna kill my boy. Liked seeing him develop into a good cup driver and not a one hit wonder. Loved the battle between him and Ambrose in maybe the best final lap of all time. Big fan of Brad not being a little shit and appreciating the hard racing. Then he's in the chase, in title contention, and he is THE guy to finally beat Jimmie heads up. Supported him through the thick and thin at Penske. That run where he had three straight wins including two crown jewels was maybe his last great memory at Penske. Now he's co-owning the most improved team of the last two years. Love to see it. Means I got a guy and a team to support for the foreseeable future. I root for other drivers like Bubba, YRB, Preece, Briscoe, and Chastain (his farm is like 30 mins from me don't be angry) but gun to my head any given week I want Brad to get a Daytona 500 and a title before any one of them.
I met Jordan Anderson in like 2011 a few years before he got into the NASCAR ranks so I'm gonna root for JAR because of that. Austin Dillon was a I need a new guy after Mark Martin retired and he was going to be a rookie I had paid attention to in Nationwide series.
Kyle Busch because I enjoy cheering for the bad guy.
He smashed a watermelon after winning at COTA. I thought I was cool because I don't like watermelons and smashing them seems like a good use for them.
I was born in 1990 and grew up loving Rusty Wallace (my name is also Rusty). When he retired I sort of fell out of the sport. One of my best friends I met during college, was around the dirt racing scene and was friends with Kyle Larson. I did some volunteer work at the Iowa Speedway roughly a decade ago, where my friend was at and was hanging out with Kyle. Got to meet him a few times back then and just started following his career then.
I root for drivers with connections to Indiana. However, I really like most drivers, I just have a few I root against.
i started watching every race in 22 and i wanted to pick a driver who: a) drove a chevy (I watch pretty much every major motorsport that isn't F1, and Chevy generally has a program in every racing discipline) b) didn't have a long legacy of success or drive for a powerhouse team c) had good paint schemes and didn't suck So I pretty quickly landed on Chastain, even before he won at COTA. By the time he had developed a distinct driving style and got into beef with almost every driver I was sold. And it helped that he was a relative outsider to NASCAR, which I liked because i'm not from any area where NASCAR is traditionally popular.
He raced at the track I was announcing at. So I got to know him and his family. They always treated me very well so I stayed with supporting him through to NASCAR
When I was a kid, I met Keselowski at an autograph signing during his first year at Penske so I naturally chose him as my favorite. His vision for the sport and outspokenness have made me even more of a fan of his, along with what he does for our veterans.
my dad. he was a huge sr fan and after dales death my dad became a jr, gordon, and harvick fan and i followed those 3 growing up and now that the last one of those 3 retired from cup im starting to follow chastain and josh berry. i still do try to go to every race Jr is in when i can and pull for him though
Edwards was the only driver I knew so I started rooting for him
Obligated to root for Jeb since he's spawn of GOAT Ward Burton. Habitually root for underdogs and like Spire's vibe. Underdogs but they're trying, and getting better (I'm an RFK fan in the same way). Corey and Carson are both controversial but (imo) naturally talented. They make some mistakes, they're messy, but they're fast too. I think it's fun.
I had all but stopped watching especially after Mark Martin retired (his diecast was my favourite as a kid). Then suddenly Rick Allen utters the words “TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HE DID”, I started watching again, and it’s been all trackhouse since then!
I was a Mark Martin fan because my dad drove a truck for Winn-Dixie
[this clip](https://youtu.be/QoLYBNLoTRk?si=7WZNb6hsMiImQqVI)
I choose them by the font of their numbers 🤣
I grew up a Junebug fan because of my dad. Once Junebug retired, I just followed Blaney because of the Wood Brothers iconic scheme and his Body Armor schemes (which are some of the best schemes).
I used to watch Jimmie Johnson cause just because he was from California. As I’ve become more of a sports fanatic, I’ve learned to love athletes with charisma. And followed them to whatever team/affiliate they’re with. Unless they were on a team for a while and I’ve grown attached. For example, Cordarrelle Patterson is the reason I’m a Vikings fan. Great dude, hard working, everyone loves him. But he became a journeyman and I couldn’t switch teams that much. Brian Dozier, awesome athlete, even better guy, and hilarious. I rooted for whatever team he was on, but now he’s gone, I picked the Orioles since it’s still the only game I’ve ever been to (when I was little). Now that Jimmie Johnson is retired (kinda?), I find myself drawn to Ross Chastain, I like his story with the watermelon farm and he’s funny, but also spices up stuff on the track, I take it people have mixed opinions of him. But it’s fun to watch. TLDR: I’m drawn to certain personalities.
Bubba did an AMA on here in 2014, and talked about how much he loves the metalcore scene, and that was that lol.
Earnhardt, cause he was the best when I became a fan... Then came 2001.. Harvick replacing 'Big E' in the #3, becoming the #29 then later the #4. Then Harv' retired... I then went to a new face and a kick ass reputation already!! Team,Trackhouse! Ross Chastain #1, same sponsor, different driver, and I like Ross because he's real, it hasn't been handed to him or passed down like a few in the sport that have no business in a race car.
Saw Parker kick ass in ARCA, he had a cool flip at Daytona, Food Country, wasn’t some nepotism kid, seems to not be a robot.
I used to be a Davey Allison fan when I was a kid, then the disaster happened. Then it Was DW because my dad's always been a DW fan. I kinda drifted out of watching NASCAR for a while and when I came back Bubba was driving Richard Petty's car so that was an easy fit. When he started driving for MJ and Denny I was hooked for good. Reddick is up there for me as well, for that reason. And he always has the best paint scheme on the track. Over the years I just grew to love Blaney because he's young, super talented, and is a nerd. Here I am - Bubba and Blaney, with a side of Reddick. So it's all pretty arbitrary in the end.
Less recently, I started with my favorite manufacturer. Kept an eye on rookies, and get behind one or two.. I'm also in a pool, so I'm invested in how well they are doing and want to see them succeed. Currently have had Byron and Reddick in my garage since they went cup full time. I also like Bell (lost out on the draft for him), and now im rooting for Smith and have him added to my garage.... Although they have different manufacturers, I've come to enjoy those drivers for different reasons when they are on track. There are other drivers I like as well based on how I have seen them on track, like Hamlin, Harvick, Kes, Briscoe, Wallace.. I can't root for half the field every week. But I am happy to see them win or finish well. I just have different reasons to enjoy most all drivers... except Logano and Dillon. I can't stand those two.... Not even a little bit.
You could also go the less traditional route and root for an entire team.
His facial hair. Always been hard for Menard
I was a Gordon fan because as a kid he won a lot and had a colorful car (reason my dad told me anyway). He retired, never was a huge chase fan for some reason. When Byron took over the 24 I liked his personality so I went with that. After Byron retires I'll probably hop to the next 24 driver.
Like with almost every other racing series: just liked the paint scheme
Chase- both from Georgia. KFB-dude doesn’t give af and I love it
Uhh I plead the 5th Jk. Always thought he was super talented when he was in awful equipment, and love his dirt racing. I really started liking him during that Xfinity finish at Bristol in 2013. I knew Gordon was retiring soon and id need a new driver. As for Ty, he’s just a wheelman and I like his aggressiveness. He’s super talented
I don’t have a massively strong allegiance anymore. But I do mainly support Blaney. Before him it was labonte, schrader, jr, kenseth, newman. Still enjoy seeing Kenny win dirt races. Wish Matt still drove but I get it. Modern day though I support multiple dudes and wouldn’t mind seeing a handful of guys be successful. I’m much more focused on xfinity lately and am a big creed supporter. Can’t wait to see the drama on track this season. Xfinity been the best series for a few years now imo.
i buy alot of parts from NAPA and they kept giving me chase elliott hats, so that made it easy
Earnhardt, Harvick, KFB, Allgaier, Santos III, TBD. So Dale was because I was 8 and yeah. Harvick for obvious reasons. KFB, other than his antics I loved how he just wanted to win and actually signed and threw his hat at me while we were next to each other in the queue leaving the track one day. Allgaier, got to know him when he was in ARCA. Santos because I grew up in the same town and knew each other well before leaving home and now get to see him race the little 500 and other USA stuff. And now I'm doing the research to see who I'm rooting for as the next wave of drivers come in.
LaJoie always seemed like a good dude and I thought it was hilarious when his car was wrapped with his face so I started following him. Buescher’s Fastenal sponsorship got me to follow him as I’m from the town Fastenal is based out of. Same reason I was an Edwards fan when he raced.
When I was younger I like Ryan Newman because he was winning a lot of poles and I thought it was cool that he was so fast. Then when I got back into the sport about 5 years ago I became a fan of Ryan Blaney. I learned that he liked Star Wars and so do I. I really liked his personally from listening to the podcast he was on. He was in the #12 just like Newman, his main sponsor was Menards which is based in Wisconsin where I’m from and shop there all the time, and his car was a fluorescent yellow which is a color so really like. At the end of the day it’s a combination of things, but it’s really best to watch the races, find a car you like, and see if you like the drivers personality and want to root for them.
Went to a Bristol race back when I didn’t really follow anyone. I liked Harvick and a few others but didn’t really have a favorite. Then Ryan’s intro musical was a metalcore song as he was introduced and that was what initially turned be on when he was in the 21. Been a fan ever since.
I was probably 6 or 7 and my friend was a NASCAR fan. He was showing me his die casts. I liked Mark Martin's 1994 die cast the best because he had Reeses on the decklid and I liked Reeses. I was sold. Mark Martin fan for life.
When he almost beat Kyle Busch in 2014 in like his fourth start I knew
I moved away from home and across the country to live with my brother in September 2003. He was a Nascar fan and said he watched it every Sunday. Since I was living with him for the time, I watched my first race and thought… who ever wins this race, that’s who my driver will be. That race was the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire. Jimmie Johnson won that race. I had no idea what I was about to witness in the years coming but I was glad I watched it all. Side note: The main thing I really remember about that race was that it was the last race to race back to a caution flag. And seeing Dale Jarret sitting on the backstretch facing oncoming cars.
Harvick was a California guy. i liked johnson forever cuz my dad liked johnson and i was too young to understand. right around 2011 i started seeing this Harvick name all throughout the races and i started watching. went to my local track come to find out its his home track. knew a guy that used to work on his cars and still talks to him. and he seemed so human. like you can sit and watch him race for hours then sit down in a waffle house with him after
Growing up in an Earnhardt family, naturally Jr. was my favorite driver (even though his career was tumultuous and largely uneventful) but when I saw that young kid that was only a few years older than me making waves and winning in only his 3rd Xfinity race, I knew Logano was my guy. Similarly, I saw Chastain running well a few times in Xfinity and saw something in him there too. When he went to the 42 I never expected him to have the career or the media attention that he’d be getting but I knew there was something to watch in him.
I dont have a favorite driver per se but I am a Legacy MC and Trackhouse fan. Someone help me pick a favorite 😂
I was a Junior fan and really only focused on Cup but started watching the Xfinity and Trucks around 2014 and picked Bubba as my other driver. Having 23XI in the sport helps because i’m from NC and MJ is MJ
 5 has been my lucky number since I was a little kid. My first fight was over the number in little league. So in 96 when I got in to nascar I immediately followed the 5 - and it helped that he was a championship contender in a cool Kelloggs car and was from Texas. I've stuck with every driver in the 5 ever since.
I was a Richard Petty fan as long as I can remember - I was 9 in 1976 and forced to go to a wedding on the day of the Daytona 500. Still pissed I missed watching the race given the legendary finish. Parents telling a 9 year old what to do - how could they???!! 1983 my mom bought a Ford Thunderbird. The best running T-Bird was Bill Elliott so I became a fan. The 1985 season REALLY solidified me rooting for Bill. If anyone remembers the media buzz around winning the Winston Million pretty hard not to get sucked into the hype. Never really had another #1 driver as Bill moved into retirement - Kasey Kahne sort of but not to the same level I backed Awesome Bill. Then Chase came along - been following his racing back to karting and watched every race he was in as he came up the ranks. So I am a Chase fan today. I drive a Toyota but don't really have any Toyota driver I root for. Root against most of them - especially Denny and Ty.
My grandfather on my mom’s side was a lifelong Earnhardt fan. So it was natural to root for him and Junior.
I kinda think all the drivers are assholes, so I just root for a crazy finish every race.
Cbell started racing in Micros and I ran them when I was in high school as well after quarter midgets. When he started winning midget races left and right he became my guy in USAC and I’ve been following him ever since.
I love road courses - AJ's my guy Reddick has a good personality and makes amazing (if crazy and stupid) moves
My uncle got me to be a Bill Elliott fan. Hence, I’m carrying on rooting for the family.
I picked Brad Keselowski out as a major prospect right when he started at JR Motorsports, before the hype was there. When he won Talladega ‘09, I quickly made him the heir to my Jeff Gordon fandom.
Back in his Xfinity days he would regularly play Xbox and PC games and party up with fans and I got to play Friday the 13th with him Coolest experience I had ever had with a driver and his personality immediately won me over.
I like Truex because he used to drive for Jr and seems like a good dude with a good attitude. I predicted his championship win and was supposed to put some money on it while in Vegas. I bet on the 500 instead and won by picking Kurt Bush as a contingency bet... I regretted not betting on him for the championship that year.
He held off Jeff Gordon for a win by 0.006 seconds in his 3rd start in a car that wasn't even supposed to be his.
I posted this on a different thread, but this is mine: I hadn’t had a favorite driver for a while and wasn’t really keeping up with the sport much, outside of when they came to town. But I saw a Facebook post about some guy being the highest finishing African-American driver ever in the Daytona 500, and his post-race press conference was going live, so I ended up watching it https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E9x4n_WA8A4&pp=ygUvQnViYmEgd2FsbGFjZSAyMDE4IGRheXRvbmEgNTAwIHByZXNzIGNvbmZlcmVuY2U%3D This isn’t the full conference, just the highlights, namely his mom storming the stage, but this is what made me a Bubba fan. He was vulnerable, and relatable, and generally seemed like a cool guy. I didn’t get to meet him until late last year at Texas, but he was just as great in person. His spotter being on Door Bumper Clear got me listening to that, and they got me from being someone who watched Cup races occasionally into someone who watches every race of all three series and listening to 5 different NASCAR podcasts each week. So I can blame Bubba for my newfound (re-found?) love of the sport, since I had finally found a driver to connect to.
Initially picked Kyle Busch because he was in the 5 (I was a Terry Labonte fan growing up basically because my dad picked him for me), and also because I liked how aggressive Kyle was. I kinda like Denny as well now because I love his personality and he knows how to do a really good burnout.
Went to my first race at Pocono years ago and saw the the unsponsored #15 Premium Motorsports entry was having quite the slow day. Saw "Chastain" on the window banner and thought it was an interesting name. Watched him for nearly the entire race, fighting like a dog for 35th. Years later hear about this guy that entered the truck series a few races late but was going to try for the playoffs anyway. Who would it be but the same Chastain guy I remembered. Went to Pocono again and watched him dominate. That was when I first thought to myself "That guy is going places". Several years later he's in the #1 for Track house, and he's really caught my eye. Byron was always my guy from the first year he started racing cup, but only because he took the #24, my favorite number. Going into Fall Martinsville 2022 I was already halfway on the Ross bandwagon, but seeing what he did on the last lap absolutely threw me over the edge. I've been a diehard Chastain fan ever since.
Denny is from Richmond like me. Naturally gravitate to him after seeing the local guy run at his hometrack at a Busch race in 2005.
I was a Dale Jr fan starting in 98 because my old man was a diehard Sr. fan. When Dale passed my dad said with RCR and that team and was a Harvick fan until his departure from Chevy. In 2012 I started watching dirt racing more and more and following Kyle Larson. Through his K&N days, Arca, Trucks with Turner Scott and all that. So when Jr. Retired I migrated to a full time Larson fan. But let me just say, its not the same. I'm a full believer that you'll really only ever be a FAN of one driver. I see all these posts asking "who should I root for" etc. Which is weird, should be organic. But the way I followed, supported and felt watchin Jr. race, is something that i'll never again replicate I don't think. I was there when he won the 500 in '14 and it was one of the greatest moments ever. I've flown to Oklahoma to watch Kyle run the Chili bowl and going to Indy this year to watch him at the 500. Even with that, I don't think the level of passion and enjoyment will ever be what it was for Ralph Dale Earnhardt Jr. I even painted my [basement](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/ABLVV861NIAViW-FwOblq1OcQXq-P983ITtspI5D-o1y36rvvDKhxVv7hNvtbUgzf1pAu-NHFv0sIyiXOliaezDjE54MtKxdJqqsAkaFuoUsaUgmBcz9eBWkInsz6K33xKGWvxD828owqnFqve3VFVmcC-sQ7g=w1481-h1111-s-no-gm?authuser=0) to match his car!
Martin truex Jr. Won the championship with a Denver team. I live in Colorado. Easy as that
When I first started watching NASCAR (2002), Michael Waltrip was my driver. Not really sure why other than he was handsome and funny, and DEI was fun to watch back then. Then Kasey Kahne came on the scene and I was a huge fan of his because he was really talented and really cute. Once Kahne retired, it was difficult but I finally settled on Ryan Blaney and Alex Bowman.
I usually end up liking the people that make an immediate splash in the sport. Like Kyle Busch finishing P2 in his Busch Series debut only losing to Kenseth (who was the eventual cup champion the same year), or Larson who immediately competed for wins in trucks despite being an unknown part time driver at the time.
I didnt have a driver for years after Dale Jr left. But I became a Denny fan from his podcast last year.
I root for both Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch; initially because the charm of their villain personas stood out from the crowd of safe, bland personalities and I never really felt like any of it was too personal—sometimes a certain amount of bite is just for fun. They're fun to hate and they're fun to root for at the same time. Hamlin in particular won me over with his infamous "I beat your favorite driver" comment, and after that I began following him more and listening to his podcast which really adds a layer of depth that I didn't know was there before. Couple that with the transparency of the Netflix series for his previous season, and I was firmly on the Denny train. Also, DennyDelivers makes such great memes that I naturally gravitated towards their favorite driver, too. I think my favorite is definitely Hamlin; love him or hate him, he's an icon of the sport who is somehow one of the highest achieving drivers and simultaneously an underdog every year in that he has never won a championship. That's a story that's really fun to watch.
Jimmie as a kid bc I loved the color blue and the lowes scheme. Now Byron and Blaney. I just stopped watching nascar for a few years and came back, Byron for HMS ties and Blaney bc all of my nascar friends love him.
My grandfather liked dale and since I spent alot of time with him. Then dale jr but once he retired I stopped watching for a bit. The chase Elliott just kinda fit. He raced for jr in xfinity, he's in a Chevy, he's from Georgia, I'm from Georgia. Just kinda worked out
When I first started following in 2008 I gravitated to Jamie Mac because I thought he was an underrated "5th wheel" on a powerhouse team who always ran pretty well but always got the short end of the stick. When I needed a new driver in 2018, Jones fit the mold but even better - Erik was both faster and more unlucky, always running top 10 as a 21 year old on a powerhouse but something would always go wrong. I felt he was criminally underrated and, like Jamie, a cool guy. But unlike Jamie, I felt strongly (and still do) that he had the talent to be a champion. And it was fun to briefly think that my favorite driver would be a championship contender for a long time, which I never got with Jamie. Every year was a roller coaster with Jamie Mac and even more so now with Jones. 2020 was the most painful year of my sports fandom existence. But it's turning around and I'm strapped in.
My dad was a Dale Jarrett fan, so that's who I latched on to. When he retired with MWR, I began to root for David Reutimann and then Martin Truex. I've prepared for MTJ to retire after this year so I've now found myself rooting for Brad, Buescher, and Bell (He's and Okie and so am I).
I picked Dale Jr. because my dad was a Dale Sr. fan and I wanted to be like him but not exactly, which is what Dale Jr. was to Dale Sr. As we've both grown over the last 25 years or so, he's always been who I want to be in the next 10 years (He's almost exactly 12 years older than me). I've stuck with him not because of the racing success (or lack there of at points), but because of who he is and what his story represents to me. I picked Keselowski because my ex met Joey Logano so I kept it in Team Penske. Then I transitioned to Reddick because he was driving the #8 and I met him at a Cheddars. Hard to break a bond formed over croissants.
I was simply drawn to the black three car as a little kid. As my mom tells it, I would get pretty pumped up whenever Bob Seger would come on during a Chevrolet truck commercial. I reckon I correlated the commercial with the bowtie on Sr.'s hood and that was that. Didn't know who to pull for after Sr. died, but when Harvick won in Atlanta that cemented me sticking with him and the team from there on out. I checked out of NASCAR for a while in the 2010s, but when I came back around I found myself pulling for Bubba too. I admire his grit both on and off the track as well as his candor regarding mental health. Josh Berry's emergence in Xfinity coincided with me tuning back into NASCAR. There again I admire his grit in getting to where he is now and like the way he goes about things. Stepping into Harvick's spot at SHR made me even more of a fan.
In 2008 I turned on a race for the first time. I think it was towards the end of the race. I didn't know who to root for. I knew of Gordon, Johnson, & Dale Jr. but didn't want to pick them just because of their popularity. I told myself I'd become a fan of whoever won the race. Carl Edwards won. Never heard of him, but I stuck to what I said. I decided to watch again the following week, pulled for Carl. He won again. That's when I officially became a fan of both Edwards and NASCAR. It was the Vegas race in '08. That turned out to be a great year for Carl.
William Byron drives the 24 car. That is literally all he needs, though his iRacing background is neat and he seems like a pretty cool guy in general. Kyle Busch is such a good heel. Every sport needs its guy who won't back down or take shit, and KB leans into it to spectacular effect.
I was a fan in the early 2000’s and loved Jeff Gordon because everyone hated him and loved Jr because he was cute. Stopped watching around 2006ish and figured I’d never watch again. In 2020, my husband had the Daytona 500 on and I figured I’d just pick a car to root for during the race. On a whim, I picked the #8, Tyler Reddick. Well then the Newman crash happened and I was hooked, covid happened and it was the first sport back. During covid broadcasts I kind of fell in love with Joey Logano, because he was hilarious and basically everyone hated him. It’s now 2024, my living room is covered in sheetmetal, diecast cars, a tire and other random pieces from races we’ve gone to. I am now 100% more invested than my husband 😂
My first NASCAR race I followed was the 2022 Daytona 500. Mid-way through I see a car who’s scheme I like run up around the Top 10 but the announcers are barely talking about it. I look up the driver and realize that it’s his first (official) NASCAR cup series race too. I thought it would be pretty neat to root for a driver who’s first cup series race was also my first cup series race, so to speak. I also like an underdog, and Todd seems like a pretty nice guy.
Started watching races and liked the way they drove
I grew up a kid loving the JG rainbow warrior scheme, and then as I got older I liked the young hotshot with the cool red Dodge (Kahne) and then stopped paying as much attention in the 2010s. Now that I’m back into it, I have really enjoyed Blaney as being a laid back guy who seems to be funny and a little more progressive than a ‘good ol boy’ which appeals to me as a West Coast guy.
Was always a JR fan. After he retired I went with Blaney since he won with the Wood Brothers and has the same taste in country music. Coolest dude in the garage in my opinion.
I started following FRR back in the Regan Smith days. I really loved the idea of a team doing their own thing their unique way. Followed them all the way through the MTJ days and begrudgingly followed the team to Toyota and JGR. Then once Trackhouse started up, I figured they were somewhat similar to FRR and it got me back to my Team Chevy roots. They were a startup team trying to do things differently originally. Once they bought the Ganassi shop out that sort of went away a bit, but I decided to stick with them. I really like the way Marks thinks about things.
I'd been wanting to get into NASCAR properly for a while a few years ago (as I watched pretty much everything else with 4 wheels that moved at the time) but I didn't know who to root for. Then I saw a photo (and later video) of him with my favourite F1 driver (Sebastian Vettel) and that sealed the deal for me. Later found out a tiny bit of our stories are similar. Moved to Connecticut from Ireland when I was younger and then south (to Florida, instead of Georgia) a couple years later. Totally unintentional haha.
I was a jeff gordon fan all of my years following nascar. When jeff retired I was not sure who to go with. Then I said I will go with Chase Elliott.
Loved Gordon and Smoke as a kid. I don't remember what interview it was but Tony was falling over about how good he thought Larson was and was going to be. Started paying attention to him after that and sure enough the dude is an animal.
Became a Gordon fan because when I started watching he was the only driver who wasn’t a “Good O’l Boy”, won a lot pissing off the “Good O’l Boys” and 1990s Pepsi marketing.
My Dad was a Jeff Gordon fan, and he hated Kyle Busch in his Hendrick days, so I gravitated toward him. Then he started winning a lot, so it cemented my like for the guy. I like to see underdogs win as well, so I'm always cheering for them as well. I always love seeing a first time winner.
Dad was a big Gordon fan when I was growing up. I never liked nascar but it was always on. I finally started watching snd became a Gordon fan. Read an article one day that Rick Hendrick had signed this 14 year old kid Chase Elliott to a development deal. Apparently it’s Bill Elliott’s son. “That’s pretty cool” was about the extent of my interest. Fast forward to 2014, I’m a Chevy salesman and Chase makes an autograph appearance at my dealership. My GM knows I’m a race fan and asks if I want to go to the personal meet and greet. I did. Chase was super cool and down to earth. He came to the signing on the showroom and was scheduled to be there for 3 hours. 1 of which was dead. So we chatted with him. Really nice guy. Friendly. About 6 months later Hendrick announced he’d be replacing Gordon. So now here we are.
Local tracks = Ryan Preece, Kaz Grala. I've been a Jeff Gordon fan since I was a kid. Since then, I have been a fan of Hendrick Motorsports. It helped that I also followed Chase Elliott from the Trucks to Xfinity and now Cup. So it made it fun to be his fan.
I was the first one in the family following NASCAR, as I was close to getting my license at the time. I’d been wearing #24 in high school sports, and as it turned out, the first race I tuned I for was the ‘97 Daytona 500, which Gordon won. Decided I had a winner, and went with it.
Personalities in interviews, racing style on the track
Truex- the first races I watched were 21 Bristol dirt trucks and cup, which Truex dominated and ran really well in. Blaney: when the Truex retirement discussion started in 22 I decided I needed a younger driver to root for, and I’m a big ford guy, so Blaney just kinda filled that role. Bell, Buescher, Busch: I’m not really sure why I started rooting for them, it just kinda happened, and I’m ok with that
I like to pick the one who will break my heart for a decade and a half, figured that would help prepare me for real life. Love u James Dennis "The Menace" Alan Hamlin 😘
My favorite was Jeff Gordon. The first NASCAR race I ever watched live was the 2002 Twin 125s way back when I was 5, and Jeff Gordon led the whole thing with that cool ass confetti covered Dupont 200th car, and from that point I was hooked, especially after I learned he was the guy that used to have the rainbow car, and then was concurrently driving the blue and red flame car. Coolest shit ever. Little did I know he had won his 4th championship just a few months before as well, and that HE'D NEVER WIN ANOTHER ONE FOR THE NEXT 13 YEARS AS I GREW UP WATCHING 😭😭😭
Based on talent. Hence why KB is, and has been since his start, my go to guy. Followed by Larsen. Then Chastain cause he always does something, good or bad.
I pick by make, then attitude of driver. Bill Elliott was a driver of Ford and seemed like a good guy. When he was past his prime, Carl Edwards save at Darlington impressed me so he became the guy. His abrupt retirement left me scrambling. Fortunately, Ryan Blaney showed up.