Champions Traits Story and photos by Dwight Drum
© 2004-7 Dwight Drum Web work by Larsen & Drum
NASCAR Contenders, Youths
Brian Vickers Martin Truex Jr. Denny Hamlin Carl Edwards Ryan Newman David Ragan
Champion Traits Quest
Two active seasons in top sanctions gathering nearly 150 answers from highly skilled motorsports racers to one champion-traits question has produced many thoughts and no simple explanation.
The basis behind the single question is looking for a way to measure the complex human ingredients it takes to produce a top sanction champion. If found there would be a mad rush to buy the formula. As we know life and science works in other ways.
That knowledge didn't stop the question or the answers.
One question never needs asking. It takes a very brave person to have the fire to fly on a solid racetrack. The question asked results in many reasons in many minds. The only consolation to this dedicated quest is the more answers, the better.
That said, smart drivers have a bright way of defining what it takes to be the best. Their thoughts are worthy of attention.
Jamie McMurray Clint Bowyer Paul Menard Regan Smith Aric Almirola Steve Wallace
"They do a lot of same stuff."
Kasey Kahne
"It's all about passion."
Denny Hamlin
"You have to focus on what you're doing."
David Ragan
"Some of them are a lot different from one another."
Carl Edwards
Stephen Leicht Erik Darnell Brad Coleman Richard Jones Danny O'Quinn Brent Sherman Timothy Peters
THE Question: Do you believe that NASCAR champions have common traits and abilities, and if so could you identify a few? Something that sets them apart?
Brian Vickers (Champion)
"Yeah, I definitely think they all kind of get there a little bit different with their own personalities, you know determination, managing distractions, focus. All of those things are very important."Martin Truex Jr. (Champion)
"Well, obviously they can all go fast. That's the first thing. They are all great race car drivers. If you can win in NASCAR at any series, level, division of NASCAR, you're pretty darn good at what you do. I'd say that's the biggest thing. They are just a lot of great racers."
Carl Edwards
"Boy, I don't know enough NASCAR champions personally honestly to say. I know that some of them are a lot different from one another, from the outside appears that way. I don't know about common traits."
Denny Hamlin
"Yeah. It's all about passion. It just depends upon what you're doing. There's no difference in the passion of the racing that I have that Davis Love III has for golf. It's just something we grew up and wanted to do and now we are accomplishing it. It's been a dream come true for me."
Ryan Newman
"Yeah. The biggest thing is you have to have desire. You have to have ability. You have to have the will to achieve your goals. You have to set goals. Those things are common among all champions in all different sports. Between Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison, all those guys, all those guys were in the right place in the right time. That's a lot of it too."
David Ragan
"I believe so. Guys that can get the job done week in and week out, they have some thing maybe fighter pilots and great football players have. A lot of it's a lot of passion for what we do. You ask any NFL football player that's been successful whatever they're doing it's No. 1 on their lives. Anything that's No. 1. Whether you're a star running back or you're an executive for a multi-million dollar company that's No. 1 in sales. You have to focus on what you're doing. It just so happens that we get to focus on trying to go fast and stay out of trouble. It's cool to be able to do what you love to do and then get a paycheck for it."
Jamie McMurray
"I think every time you see a champion and meet a champion they are all about dedication. It's easy to say because they have done well so the team is always behind them, but typically when you see champions they thank their team a lot. That's important."
"I think every time you see a champion and meet a champion they are all about dedication. It's easy to say because they have done well so the team is always behind them, but typically when you see champions they thank their team a lot. That's important."
Paul Menard
"I think anybody that races in any kind of competitive sport basically wants to beat the next guy. If you have a good head on your shoulders and you're a true competitor and you try to analyze your opponent, I think that's what makes a good champion. They do that better than others."
Clint Boyer
"Oh, I don't know about that. I don't know how to answer that."
Stephen Leicht
"I think probably the biggest thing about a champion is at the end of the year if it's really close in the points, those last five, ten races who can control their nerves the most and be the most consistent. Yes, there's a lot of luck involved I do believe other than just the driver and the team. Everything has to go your way during the race. It's not all about how well the driver performs. The best way to describe it is who uses their brain the most out there. Who uses more knowledge when they're ion the car other than just total speed and ability to drive the car. A lot of the decisions out there that you make that depend on OK do I want to take the smart route or do I want to take a chance? I think some of the champions taking the smarter route end up winning the championship just simply because they didn't put themselves to get in trouble and possibly lose the race or lose the championship point-wise."
Aric Almirola
"I think they do, but I think that accumulate them over a period of time. I don't think you just wake up one morning and you're a champion. I think there is a lot to be learned and it's a process. It's definitely a process. I can't say that you're just naturally gifted. but I can say if you take it seriously enough and learn from all your mistakes and everything you do throughout the years of competing you'll become a champion."Steve Wallace
"I really don't know. You work your whole life to be a champion, you know, no matter what. I don't think Jimmie Johnson and my dad have a lot in common, so I don't think Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt had a lot in common. I really don't know how to answer that to be honest with you."
Regan Smith
"I think any of the Cup or Busch champions if you sit back and look at them obviously they have to be good leaders. They've got a group of whether it be their race day crew of 20 guys or the 150 that are working in the shop for him that are all working to get that racecar up front. Those guys all believe in their driver and believe that their driver is going to get out front. You've got to have that to be a champion. I think champions the past few years in the Cup Series and ever in the Cup Series as long as I can remember, they are all well-rounded. They're not just good at racing. They're good at dealing with the people and everything else too."
Erik Darnell
"I think it's good behind the wheel more or less. Guys like Tony Stewart just have uncanny ability to get behind the wheel of anything and run well. I think a lot of champions have those kind of traits. I don't know it's something you have to develop and work on. Equipment is a big thing too at the level we're at. Being with a good team, you're more likely to do well. You could be the best driver out there and get with a team that doesn't have the equipment and he might not run as well. I'm really interested in seeing how Mark is going to do in the 01 car. They've been struggling a little bit. I think that will be the true test right there to see how that goes."
Brad Coleman
"Oh wow. They definitely do. Champions definitely have common traits and abilities like Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards for the Busch Series. They're very consistent always up there in the front. Just consistent, consistent. I think Harvick finished almost all the laps last year just a couple laps down in just a couple races. That's what it takes, consistency and a lot of nerves of steel."
Richard Jones
"Well, I certainly think they do. One of the big ones to stand out is tenacity, because the way the schedules are now it's so rigorous and you just have to stay focused and be tenacious to get it done. All of the champions are very tenacious, but they're also very smart, very good race car drivers. They work hard on the racetrack, off the racetrack. They think when they are in the race car and have a lot of patience. Really they are just tenacious in everything."
Patrick Carpentier
"Yeah. I think so. You can see it with Montoya. He drove IndyCars, F1 and now NASCAR. Tony Stewart was in IRL before and moved to NASCAR. I think the guys that have been champions whatever series they do F1 or whatever, if they are in a good car surrounded with a good team they do well on pretty any kind of circuit. They'll adapt to the track pretty quickly. Like Montreal a lot of guys don't know the track but before lunch-time everybody will know the track. Everybody will know little tricks here and there. It's the guys that really can adapt to any type of car or racetrack."
Brent Sherman
"That's a tough one. I really don't know. I was a champion once I guess. I don't know. I guess the ability work as a team. Tell the team what they need to be successful. That's tough one."
Timothy Peters
"It's because of the experience and they definitely pass it down. Harvick won the championship last year because of the experience and how long he's been in it. He can definitely help you out a lot or anybody who's been a champion. They didn't get there by luck, if you know what I mean."
Danny O'Quinn Jr.
"Common Traits. Yeah, I definitely think it takes a special kind of person to be a champion. All these guys are some of the best drivers in the world in my opinion. Coming up here and getting to race with a lot of them in the Busch Series, it's just unbelievable the amount of talent there is in NASCAR. Racing with guys like Stewart, Kenseth and Mark Martin, people like that. It's amazing the amount of talent they have."
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