NIGEL MANSELL

An oval racing novice, reigning F1 world champion Mansell rocked up in 1993 and won the title with four oval victories along the way. After a stellar debut win at Surfers Paradise, a heavy Phoenix practice crash injured his back, but Mansell was undeterred and proved he could win on all circuit types, including short tracks and superspeedways. His title defence was tame by comparison, but no rookie has repeated his feat.