Best sportscar driver in North America right now

[nasportscar]

Redbull posted an article on the best GT driver in the world. So we came up with one for best sportscar driver in North America right now. We suggested Spencer Pumpelly, Jordan Taylor and Ryan Dalziel. Vote and discuss: http://nasportscar.com/best-sportsca...ica-right-now/

[jasonjessica09]

Originally Posted by nasportscar

Redbull posted an article on the best GT driver in the world. So we came up with one for best sportscar driver in North America right now. We suggested Spencer Pumpelly, Jordan Taylor and Ryan Dalziel. Vote and discuss: http://nasportscar.com/best-sportsca...ica-right-now/

I voted for Jordan Taylor on the nasportscar site. Granted Dalziel is doing very well in PWC considering he is driving an old Porsche. Imagine how he would do driving a car like the new McLaren. But I think Dane Cameron should get some looks too as being considered the best driver right now. Also would Nick Tandy qualify too?

[BTCC 318d]

Surely Tandy shoukd be on that list? Some bloody imoressive drives this year (but does his main one count for a NA competition?)

Used to race against Dalziel from age 11-16. Good to see old sparring partners doing well (but I'd still vote Tandy)!

[Accident]

Jordan Taylor is a good pick, was good in the old Rolex GT Camaro and has been great in the DP so far and obviously solid enough in the GTE car. Has a good character and attitude and has been very mature (on track anyway).

Dane Cameron is another pretty obvious one. He was one of the best in the Rolex GT Mazdas, was quick in the PC cars, was good in the ST class cars, good in the Sahlen's DP, has been great in GTD and now is great in the DP again.

Although he doesn't switch classes up much, Antonio Garcia is my "bring up someone that hasn't mentioned" pick. I'd rank him as the best in the Corvette lineup and he was good in the DP as well. He has had some bad luck, but I've always thought of him as a quiet achiever that doesn't get involved in silly stuff. He's always fast, clean and I'm not sure if I can think of any mistakes he's made.

John Edwards is another one I'd rate highly. He was strong in the Rolex Mazdas, great in the Rolex Camaro, strong in the GS Camaro, great in the GS BMW, and he's been solid in the GTE Z4. Always seems like he uses his head and stays away from silly stuff, but knows how to be firm when he needs to. I don't follow the junior formula stuff but I've heard a few people mention he was quite convincing in the Mazda one, so it would be interesting to see him get a chance in the higher downforce P class to see how he went there as well.

Would need an honorable mention list that is a page long though I think, seems like it's easy to think of lots of guys that are right up there.

[canamman]

A little late to the show on this driver. She leads the
points now in GTD. She has good tastes in her favorite
track , Road Atlanta. Christina Nielsen looks forward
to the Petit Le Mans.
http://www.imsa.com/articles/chat-gt...istina-nielsen

[The Badger]

Pat Long or Jordan Taylor are my top 2 choices for Americans .

[rich07]

I'd say Dalziel or Jordan Taylor. It's hard to seperate those two.

[FLGTFAN]

Scott Pruett. Duh!

[Dyson Mazda]

It is hard to believe that Ryan Dalziel has never gotten/taken an offer from one of the factory teams in the sport. He is an awesome driver. Jordan Taylor is not really a GT driver apart from the one race he does every year with Corvette.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

It is hard to believe that Ryan Dalziel has never gotten/taken an offer from one of the factory teams in the sport. He is an awesome driver. Jordan Taylor is not really a GT driver apart from the one race he does every year with Corvette.

Didn't he run with the viper team?

[Dyson Mazda]

Originally Posted by joeb

Didn't he run with the viper team?

Yeah, I totally forgot about that

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Dyson Mazda

It is hard to believe that Ryan Dalziel has never gotten/taken an offer from one of the factory teams in the sport. He is an awesome driver. Jordan Taylor is not really a GT driver apart from the one race he does every year with Corvette.

Just speculating, but perhaps he doesn't do a factory thing because it might limit his participation in other things? It seems like he has often had a few gigs going at once and a factory might expect him to limit his other running. In the Viper program he was only an endurance driver so I wouldn't really count that as a fully factory gig.

I've kinda wondered the same about Jeroen Bleekemolen. Always just figured he had too much fun driving all different kinds of stuff all over, to be tied down to one manufacturer.

As for Jordan Taylor, he was a GT driver before his DP outings, ran with Racer's Edge in their Rolex GT Mazda RX-8, and Autohaus in their Camaro. I believe he plonked one of the Z/28s on pole at VIR last year in a one-off in the CTSCC as well, so he's got GT experience and skill.

[nasportscar]

the poll was for best sportscar driver, not just GT...The three that were on the poll were just the three drivers that the 4 guys came up with..Guys like Dane Cameron, Nick Tandy, Nick Catsburg, etc are all up there as well and could be on the list, but if we listed everyone, it would have been a HUGE poll..

we might do something similar in the future to get more drivers on the list though.

[jasonjessica09]

Well to clarify maybe nasportscar is asking who is the best driver this year from the ranks of FULL SEASON competitors from either IMSA or PWC. The nominees for me would be Dalziel, Tandy, Cameron, J Taylor

[Mike Hedlund]

Originally Posted by Accident

I've kinda wondered the same about Jeroen Bleekemolen. Always just figured he had too much fun driving all different kinds of stuff all over, to be tied down to one manufacturer.

I'm sure he's one of the highest paid sports car drivers in the world rite now (I'd wager the highest, short of 1 or 2 P1 drivers) -- due to the fact he's at the top of his game and can drive in any series for any team in any car at any time. Once you're a works/factory driver you can't compete in a series against your manufacture brand which severely limits the number of races you can do. It also has a side effect of capping your pay as you can't always dictate your per-race rate when the factory puts you in a car.

He gets to do whatever he wants and everyone knows he's one of the fastest and most well respected drivers in the world.

-mike

[joeb]

Originally Posted by Mike Hedlund

I'm sure he's one of the highest paid sports car drivers in the world rite now (I'd wager the highest, short of 1 or 2 P1 drivers) -- due to the fact he's at the top of his game and can drive in any series for any team in any car at any time. Once you're a works/factory driver you can't compete in a series against your manufacture brand which severely limits the number of races you can do. It also has a side effect of capping your pay as you can't always dictate your per-race rate when the factory puts you in a car.

He gets to do whatever he wants and everyone knows he's one of the fastest and most well respected drivers in the world.

-mike

Plus he once got out of his GTC car in qualifying to pick up a wheel that fell off and drove it back to the pits, then set the top qualy time! Legend.

[Ephaeton]

I still have my V12 recordings (from muscle milk's car at the time) from that race (the first ALMS baltimore race) from various places around the track.
Wheee....EEEEEEEeeeeeeee (if you know what I mean).... sigh ...and yet again, I wish I'd be a couple decades older now..