'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A user posted pictures of Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson, and David Pearson on Reddit and suggested that all five of these drivers would be deserving of the GOAT spot in NASCAR. Fans then took to the comments section of the post and a debate ensued as many backed Gordon.
Petty, Earnhardt, and Johnson hold the joint record for the most NASCAR Cup Series championships with seven each. All three won their championships in different eras (Petty in the 60s and 70s, Earnhardt in the 80s and 90s, and Johnson in the 2000s and 2010s), but never really challenged each other in a title race.
Trending
Jeff Gordon comes next in the list of drivers with the most championships, winning four titles. Gordon won all of his titles in the late 90s and early 2000s but raced in the Cup Series until the end of the 2016 season. Many fans came out and defended how Gordon would have equaled the record seven championships if the playoff system wasn't introduced.
“The craziest thing I'm always reminded of is that without "The Chase" or playoffs, Gordon would have been a legitimate 7-time champ along with Dale and The King. In retrospect, he was by far the biggest victim of the format changes,” mentioned a fan on Reddit in the comments ection of the post.
Another fan supported this argument as he replied, "If you ever read his biography, he sort of implies the same thing. It’s pretty crazy he never bashed the system.”
“Well I’m certain Gordon does get to six. People always say this stuff, but I am super skeptical. I do believe a race here and there would be different, but things by and large would play out in a way that the full season stats reflect,” commented another fan.
NASCAR implemented the chase system (now playoffs) in 2004 where the championship wasn't decided by who scored the most points over the race calendar, but by qualifying and then winning the showdown race at the end of the season.
“I would argue that Gordon was better than Johnson in almost every metric; he just didn't have the same kind of magic during the Chase era that gave Johnson three or four more championships than he deserved,” commented a user.
“Gordon has every single record/volume stat/win/crown jewel whatever you can name over Johnson. And he holds all those records for the modern era too over everyone else. Put Jeff Gordon down for GOAT, BOAT, TOAT,” said another.
A fan tried to settle the debate as he commented, "In my opinion it's: Greatest of All Time: Richard Petty, Most Legendary of All Time: Dale Earnhardt, Best of All Time: Jimmie Johnson, Most Talented of All Time: Jeff Gordon."
Jeff Gordon finished in the top three on four occasions after the playoff system was established and some fans suggested that he would've won the title in those years if the system wasn't introduced.
Hendrick Motorsports co-owner explained what Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson excelled at
Jeff Gordon drove for Hendrick Motorsports for the entirety of his NASCAR career and Jimmie Johnson ran his full-time Cup Series career with HMS. Team owner Rick Hendrick got to work alongside both drivers and mentioned the key factors that made the two special on a podcast in October 2024.
Hendrick said (via Sports Legends of the Carolinas podcast):
“Jimmie (Johnson) was the guy that could pick the car apart. If you listen to drivers a day, they'll say quarter entry, da-da, da-da, da-da. Nobody ever did that until Jimmie Johnson came along. And so he would start running over 200 in a corner, loose and out of control, telling Chad (Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief) what he thought the car did, what it needed, and what it was doing. His attention to detail and his talent, he was unbelievable.” (28:47 onwards)
“Jeff (Gordon) was so talented. Jeff just could outmaneuver and outdrive (everyone). He and Ray (Evernham, Gordon’s longtime crew chief) were like magic,” he added.
Jeff Gordon retired from NASCAR at the end of the 2016 season and is currently the vice chairman of the Hendrick Motorsports.
