THE NOMINEES

1 AJ Foyt

AJ Foyt combined single-seater racing with tin-tops and quickly became adept at both. His performances in the forerunner to what is now IndyCar, USAC, were simply sensational. He took his fourth USAC title in 1964, the same season he claimed his first NASCAR victory. He would go on to claim four Indy 500 wins between 1961 and 1977, the Daytona 500 in 1972 – oh yes, and he also took time out to win Le Mans in 1967 alongside Dan Gurney in one of the factory Ford GT40s. Following his career behind the wheel, the Texan went on to form his own team, AJ Foyt Enterprises, which continues to make its mark in the frontline of IndyCar racing to this day

3 Mario Andretti

There was something so endearing about Mario Andretti’s ambition to win Le Mans. The 1978 Formula 1 World champion was still competing in the French classic through to 2000 in his quest to add that accolade to success in World Sportscar Championship rounds, the Indy 500 and NASCAR. Ultimately, he failed in his mission to claim success at La Sarthe, but his repeated attempts to conquer Le Mans shows the competitive spirit within the man. Perhaps Andretti’s most significant achievement was being the US’s best export in racing terms. His first F1 outing came with Lotus in 1968 and he went on to drive for Ferrari, but a reunion with Lotus in 1976 was when his star took off on the global stage, winning the World title in 1978 was the crowning glory.

6 Phil Hill

Phil Hill left the USA early to follow his dream. He came to Europe as a mechanic, working for Lotus while racing at the same time. Ferrari took notice of his ability behind the wheel and he was signed to its sportscar programme in the mid-1950s before being transferred to the Formula 1 attack full time for the first time in 1960. After picking up a couple of secondplace finishes during his programme the year before, he claimed the F1 crown in 1961. Hill went on to win at Daytona in 1964, Sebring (three times) and Le Mans (three times) but the urgency had gone out of his desire to compete.

2 Richard Petty

For the American audience to crown its own King is a worthy accolade in its own right. But the seven-time NASCAR champion Richard Petty was one of the first outwardly facing racers who knew the value of his own persona and of getting the fans to go on the journey with him. The son of threetime NASCAR champion Lee, Richard, after finishing second three times, claimed the title spoils for himself in 1964. That was the start of a golden period and the driver, so often associated with STP sponsorship (after promising his mother he would not accept alcohol backing) went on to claim seven crowns.

4 Rick Mears

Rick Mears certainly took his chances when they came. The Sprint racer was picked up by Penske early on in his career and given a chance to deputise for its regular driver Mario Andretti when Andretti was away racing in Europe or around the world. Part of Mears’ deal included the Indy 500, and the Kansas driver stuck the machine on the front row for the showpiece race on his debut in 1978. While that race did not prove a success, he won on the series’ return visit 12 months later. It was the first of his four victories at the Brickyard with his last coming in 1991. He scored three CART championship victories between 1979 and 1982 and was racing competitively at the Indy 500 up to 10 years later.

7 Dan Gurney

Success in domestic sportscar events brought Dan Gurney to the attention of the North American Racing Team, which took him to Le Mans in 1958. He was offered a test by the official factory Ferrari team. He went on to take Porsche’s maiden World championship grand prix victory in 1962. Gurney made history when he took the US-based Eagle to success in the Belgian GP in 1967. His partnership with Carroll Shelby also led to victory at Le Mans in that same season alongside AJ Foyt in the GT40 Mk IV.

9 Al Unser Sr

Another to graduate through Sprint Cars, Al Unser’s family was steeped in racing, with his father and his two brothers also tackling motorsport. Unser took the first of his four victories at the Brickyard in 1970 when he drove for Parnelli Jones Racing. The final victory came after a last-minute deal with Penske to take over from an injured Danny Ongias in 1987. His son Al Junior would go on to become a two-time title and Indy 500 winner and joined him on the grid in 1982.

5 Dale Earnhardt

The seven-time NASCAR title-winner Dale Earnhardt finally took his one and only Daytona

500 win in 1998. It was the crowning highlight of his 76 NASCAR wins. But Earnhardt was a highwater mark in NASCAR. He was either loved or hated by NASCAR fans, but the Man in Black didn’t care. He joined the competition in 1975 but didn’t get a full-time ride until 1979, when he claimed the Rookie of the Year crown. Earnhardt raced through the decades until 2001, where he was tragically killed in an accident at the Daytona 500. The sport mourned the loss of a true great.

8 Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon spent two full years in the second-tier Busch series in 1991 and 1992 before moving into the main Winston Cup series in 1993. His win-at-all-costs attitude still continued to upset the regulars, with Darrell Waltrip stating that Gordon “hit everything but the pace car” in his early races, even though he picked up the Rookie of the Year awards. His first of what would go on to be an eye-watering 93 NASCAR Cup Series wins was in Charlotte in 1994 and it was a winning streak that would take him to four titles between 1995 and 2001.

10 Jimmie Johnson

The Jimmie Johnson story might not be quite finished yet. The Californian is one of three men to have won the NASCAR title on seven occasions but, despite switching to race in IndyCar for the last couple of seasons, the 47-year-old has now stepped back from a full-time ride. Instead, the 83-time NASCAR race winner will cherry-pick some of the highest profile races for 2023 while also turning has hand to team ownership.