Best Driver in bad equipmet

[just a fan]

The board seems kind of slow so I thought I would try and provoke some conversation without ticking off too many people. I have always heard fans say "If _______ had equal equipment as Johnson/Stewart/Gordon they could win regularly". Along that line who do you think is the best driver stuck in bad equipment?

My vote is for Robby Gordon. I know he blew some chances in pretty good equipment but I think he could compete if driving a top level car. He has been competitive in most every series he has driven and no doubt can drive.

Any thoughts?

[scott b]

Bobby Labonte and Regan Smith are both better drivers than their finishes show, IMO.

I would agree on Robby, too.  He tore up a lot of cars early in his career, and rubbed some people the wrong way (no pun intended).  Being an owner/driver has settled him down a lot, I think he's matured to where if you put him back in good equipment he'd give you better and more consistant finishes than he did early on.

Good topic.

[south jersey girl]

I don't know...I think if Robby had better equipment he just might be wrecking in the front of the field instead of the back.

Regan Smith has been running pretty well this year now that Furniture Row is alligned with RCR

[SMOKEN14]

Without a doubt Kasey Khane He has always been in second rate equipment in my opinion has has made the most of what he is giving

[DougS]

  Being an owner/driver has settled him down a lot, I think he's matured to where if you put him back in good equipment he'd give you better and more consistant finishes than he did early on.

Did you watch the Pocono race last year? Robby and Stremme had thier own personal demo derby. No way I ever say that Robby has "calmed down" That guy is a high strung monster drinking adrenalin fixated ego maniac.  He's a dick in person, I've run across him three different times. He had his shot in other people equipment and was more mediocre than JR is now.

I will agree on with you Scott on Bobby and Regean. But the reason why Bobby doesn't do better is he's to good on equipment. No spine to take the car to the ragged edge of speed.

I'll take AJ out of the RPM crew before Kasey. All his dodge stuff was the best that Everham had. To bad it wasn't up to par with Chevy Ford and Toyota.

Another driver who just needs oppertunity. Travis Kvapil.

[scott b]

Did you watch the Pocono race last year? Robby and Stremme had thier own personal demo derby. No way I ever say that Robby has "calmed down" That guy is a high strung monster drinking adrenalin fixated ego maniac.

Yes, and I seem to remember a little issue with Marcos Ambrose and the NASCAR scoring crew at the Nationwide race in Montreal... 

So yes, when he does goes off, he still loses it big time... but he has more good weeks where he brings the car back to the garage in one piece now than he did early in his stock car career.

[CodeBlueEMT]

 Personally, I think ALL the equipment is bad. Very few drivers have figured out how to drive these cars in their present form.

 

[Tyyrus]

AJ or Regan Smith (with Better Roush Equipment) 

[shooter]

buckshot jones

[HUDSON HORNET]

buckshot jones

[FS_Amy]

Tough question, because there are so many variables-look at Junior.  Great equipment, but cannot communicate with his crew cheif what to do with it.  Without chemistry and the team around you, the car by itself does little good.

So I have to go on past success, because the others are unknowns.  Bobby Labonte and Kenny Wallace come to mind, because both have been successful in the past with better equipment than they have now.

[CodeBlueEMT]

 Amy, I agree with you about Bobby Labonte. Won a championship in 2000, then went downhill from there. He was in good equipment with JGR. Maybe some of you more technically minded folks can answer this question:

 Did NASCAR make any major aero package changes after 2000? I've always thought something was changed on the cars and that's why Bobby (and plenty of other guys) never got a handle on the changes. He just wasn't comfortable driving the car anymore. Just my opinion.

 Now, we've got the COT and the list keeps getting longer.

 

[scott b]

On the money side, I think the level of sponsorship from Interstate Batteries failed to keep up with what some of the rivals were spending as the decade went on.  When Kyle took over the #18, M&M's came aboard at the same time and the team started running up front again.

[OregonSHRFan]

Amy, I agree with you about Bobby Labonte. Won a championship in 2000, then went downhill from there. He was in good equipment with JGR. Maybe some of you more technically minded folks can answer this question:

 Did NASCAR make any major aero package changes after 2000? I've always thought something was changed on the cars and that's why Bobby (and plenty of other guys) never got a handle on the changes. He just wasn't comfortable driving the car anymore. Just my opinion.

 Now, we've got the COT and the list keeps getting longer.

 

Not sure the exact year that JGR went from Pontiac to Chevy but it was along that time frame. There were also alot of nose issues, each manufacturer wanting slight modifications to get their "advantage". Didn't they also change the height of the spoiler around that time too?

[Brian623]

 I believe A.J. right now gets the most out of the least. In the reverse of this question, I assume Jr. gets the least out of the best money can buy.