|
Quite an intresting question Joe Fan, and truthfully, in all the times that I have been on racing forums, have not ever seen it ask. Always how would other drivers fair in NASCAR, but never how NASCAR drivers would fair in other series.
First a couple of observations, all of the drivers that you named in sprint cars, came from sprint cars.
Second, Stewart came from the IRL.
Third, Ribbs came from road-racing.
What I'm saying is that each of the drivers that you named had already had experience, in fact, in most cases, had excelled in those forms of racing before they went to NASCAR, so what I'm saying is that since they had already excelled in it, it is kind of invalid to name them.
I think a better question might be, of the drivers in NASCAR, that have never driven in other series, which do you think could excel in other forms of racing. Not trying to be nit-picky, but when the question is ask about whether other drivers could excel in NASCAR, your talking about drivers that have in most cases, no experience in stock cars.
That being said, Bill Elliott took a cart around Michigan, back in the 80s, he was there for a round of the IROC, and when he got out of it he said that it was easier to drive than his stock car. I don't think he would have had allot of problems driving it in a race. He was turning laps just a tic slow than the driver that won the pole for the carts at that race.
I believe the late Davy Allison, Alan Kuwicki and Dale Earnhardt, could have driven almost anything, and Mark Martin could have probally done well too.
floid2000, the year that Petty ran the NHRA was 1965, that was the year that NASCAR banned the 426 Hemi engine. Petty ran a 65 Plymouth Barricuda in what was to later evolve into the Pro Stock Division of the NHRA. His domination of that series was so extensive, that when NASCAR lifted the ban on the Hemi for the 66 season, every driver in that division cheered out of shear joy!
Also, while IROC cars may look like a form of stock car, they are nowhere near similar to a Winston Cup car. Engines are nowhere near as powerful, they weigh allot less, suspension and set-up are completely different, and they do not drive at all like a Cup car, or a Busch Grand National car either for that matter.
|