NASCAR’s Top Five nastiest drivers on the track

Behind the gregarious off track demeanor with the mischievous smile is a driver that will take you out if need be.  In front of a camera, ‘Cousin’ Carl’ (#99) comes off as the boy next door, but that boy has a nasty streak in him.  Edwards has even had bad blood with his own Roush Fenway teammates when Matt Kenseth and Carl had a fight of sorts after a race at Martinsville (source: YouTube).  Edwards has had feuds with multiple drivers over the years and though his confrontations aren’t as frequent, Carl still has some nasty race habits that make few friends.The former open wheel great has had less than a stellar career in stock cars, but his constant on-track antagonistic tone has made for a reputation as a nasty driver.  Considering he came from sports that had no fenders, ‘JP’ (#42) learned early on about how to use them to his favor.  His run-ins are too many to list here but he did purportedly get into a fight with Ryan Newman a couple years ago after an on-track wreck (source: Fox Sports).  To put it simply, other competitors are wary when driving near or around Montoya.A relative newcomer to the overly aggressive driving style that gets you on lists like this, Hamlin (#11) has become somewhat of a silent assassin.  Recently, his moves have been hostile and even the conservative Joey Logano wanted a piece of Hamlin after a couple of on-track scuffles that left Logano with a beat up car at the end of the latest Bristol event (source: USA Today).  Hamlin’s off-track issues with NASCAR about comments regarding the new Gen 6 car have Denny in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.View the list »
"The Intimadator" Dale Earnhardt Sr. has an infamous nasty streak

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Some drivers have a mean streak and no matter how many years go by, they never really learn to be anything other than just plain nasty when on the track. The current crop of rude and bad-mannered drivers on the track probably has more than five who rate as nasty but this list sets them apart.

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NASCAR’s past has been littered with less than polite driving skills that resulted in reputations that lived for the ages. Nobody had a worse reputation regarding boorish behavior on the track than Dale Earnhardt Sr. However, there have been many antagonists over the decades in stock car racing that have been ill-mannered and shall we say ‘aggressive’ with their on-track abilities.

Nasty Classics

Darrell Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Cale Yarborough and even way back in the day, Curtis ‘Pop’ Turner would pop, bump and bang a little more than he should.

NASCAR has an edict of sorts that says ‘boys have at it’ and certainly some of them have taken it to heart. Here are the Top Five nastiest on-track drivers currently plying their wares in NASCAR’s top division, Sprint Cup. Note: There are a couple honorable mentions at the end ... or should we say dishonorable.

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  • A relative newcomer to the overly aggressive driving style that gets you on lists like this, Hamlin (#11) has become somewhat of a silent assassin.  Recently, his moves have been hostile and even the conservative Joey Logano wanted a piece of Hamlin after a couple of on-track scuffles that left Logano with a beat up car at the end of the latest Bristol event (source: USA Today).  Hamlin’s off-track issues with NASCAR about comments regarding the new Gen 6 car have Denny in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
  • The former open wheel great has had less than a stellar career in stock cars, but his constant on-track antagonistic tone has made for a reputation as a nasty driver.  Considering he came from sports that had no fenders, ‘JP’ (#42) learned early on about how to use them to his favor.  His run-ins are too many to list here but he did purportedly get into a fight with Ryan Newman a couple years ago after an on-track wreck (source: Fox Sports).  To put it simply, other competitors are wary when driving near or around Montoya.
  • Behind the gregarious off track demeanor with the mischievous smile is a driver that will take you out if need be.  In front of a camera, ‘Cousin’ Carl’ (#99) comes off as the boy next door, but that boy has a nasty streak in him.  Edwards has even had bad blood with his own Roush Fenway teammates when Matt Kenseth and Carl had a fight of sorts after a race at Martinsville (source: YouTube).  Edwards has had feuds with multiple drivers over the years and though his confrontations aren’t as frequent, Carl still has some nasty race habits that make few friends.
  • The former king of nasty, Kyle is your classic bad boy.  Appearing at times to be a Dale Earnhardt wanna-be, ‘Rowdy’ has had many on-track altercations to go with his numerous off-track problems.  His nasty streak came out along with a lack of forethought when he took out Ron Hornaday Jr. in a Truck race late in the 2011 season, which prevented Hornaday (seen here in the OneMain Truck) from a possible championship.  In-turn, NASCAR took Kyle out of racing for a week.  Sponsors have left because of his actions, but he’s toned down his image a little bit to keep his career going.  However, Rowdy’s abrasiveness both on the track as well as off, ranks him as one of the all-time nasty drivers in NASCAR.
  • With an image not unlike Carl Edwards, he could be quite articulate when being interviewed with a pleasant deportment; yet, Kurt has a nasty temper that pours out everywhere and at many inopportune times for other drivers.  Like his younger brother, Kurt has also been suspended for on-track actions.  It appeared he’d become more of a professional after his championship at Roush and then his move to Penske Racing but that eroded over time.  Now, with his temper likely having cost him his spot with Penske, the inner-nasty is in full regalia, circa 2013  ... and ranks Kurt Busch number one most nasty among current drivers. 
  • No list of nasty drivers would be complete without a mention of two notorious and popular drivers: Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.  Stewart has had anger management problems that he’s had to control and now that he pays the bills at his own team, he’s not quite as susceptible to the aggressive moves of the past.  Harvick may be called ‘Happy’ but he’s made more than a few competitors unhappy with his occasional nasty streak, though he’s toned down his tactics of the past.  Harvick (pictured with Stewart) will join Tony and Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.
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, Paso Robles Motorsports Examiner

Daryle Hier has been involved in business as an owner for 30 years with many of them involving the auto industry. He also has been a sports fanatic with motorsports and football as his true loves. Other interests include Hawaii and the California Central Coast. He is a Top 100 writer for...

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