3) Dale Earnhardt
Earnhardt will forever be notorious in the NASCAR world. This is a great compliment to how great this driver was. Not only was he a great driver, and unique in his look; but the circumstances of his death on track were terrible. Earnhardt died during a crash in his last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Earnhardt won 76 races at Cup Series level and seven championships, which to this day are still tied as the most in history.
Dale Earnhardt
2) Jimmie Johnson
Having made his debut in the Cup Series in 2001, he took the baton as the best driver on the track (replacing Earnhardt after his untimely death). Johnson finished the 2000s with 47 wins at NASCAR’s highest level, the most of the decade, taking 83 checkered flags across his career. Johnson’s win percentage is also pretty great, the best of anyone starting their career since 1980 (with 100 or more races on record).
Jimmie Johnson
