Rank your top Ten Sportscar Drivers - past 10 years

davehenrie · 24 Dec 2009, 02:42 (Ref:2604523)

Could some of you suggest a list of your top ten drivers of the past Decade? ALMS, LMS, or LM, choose from any or all of those series.
Please submit the names you judge to be the best drivers/racers, not your favorites.

My first suggestion would be:

1. Alan McNish

Thank you.

dave henrie

Mal · 24 Dec 2009, 13:34 (Ref:2604658)

You have to include Tom K of course in any sportscar roll of honour and also David Brabham.

ztnedman1 · 24 Dec 2009, 14:07 (Ref:2604664)

Many may disagree but I am going to say Jorg Bergmister. 24hrs OVERALL at daytona plus a handful of championships and a bunch of wins.

Fogelhund · 24 Dec 2009, 14:42 (Ref:2604676)

Stand Outs, not necessarily in order, except for McNish

1. Alan McNish
2. Tom Kristensen
3. Biela
4. Pirro
5. Werner
6. Fellows
7. Brabham
8. Luhr
9. Bergmeister
10. Beretta

Francesco · 24 Dec 2009, 16:12 (Ref:2604705)

not in any order but...

-McNish
-Brabham
-Collard
-Kristensen
-Lieb
-Capello
-Minassian
-Bergmeister
-Magnussen
-Enge

Acid09 · 24 Dec 2009, 16:17 (Ref:2604709)

No particular order:

1. Alan McNish
2. Stephane Sarrazin
3. Marc Lieb
4. Marco Werner
5. Tom Kristensen
6. Romain Dumas
7. Frank Biela
8. Jörg Bergmeister
9. Jaime Melo
10. Johnny O`Connell

peckadj · 24 Dec 2009, 19:01 (Ref:2604762)

AM and TK, the rest is in a lower division

brabs is very good but a bit overrated, in 2006, he and stefan j was equal.
2007 - 2008 he had a slow team mate, i think SP will be fastest of the two in 2010

BlackCat89 · 24 Dec 2009, 19:52 (Ref:2604788)

I, too, vote McNish and TK top two. All others a bit lower.

peckadj · 24 Dec 2009, 21:00 (Ref:2604807)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peckadj

AM and TK, the rest is in a lower division

brabs is very good but a bit overrated, in 2006, he and stefan j was equal.
2007 - 2008 he had a slow team mate, i think SP will be fastest of the two in 2010

2007, 2008 - 2009

davyboy · 24 Dec 2009, 21:14 (Ref:2604814)

Tom Kristensen's the undoubted king of sportscars and one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. He's definitely somebody that should have been in Formula One... alas it never happened.

Allan McNish is a fantastic driver. I raced at close quarters against him in junior karting in the 1980s so I know exactly how good he is ! I would put Tom ahead of him though. That Le Mans record is something in itself and across so many teams, its evidence if it was ever needed that he really does know what it takes to win the most gruelling sportscar race of them all.

Acid09 · 24 Dec 2009, 22:05 (Ref:2604837)

I would definetely rate Sarrazin higher that TK, sorry. I know he's Mr. Le Mans and all put when it comes to pure speed, he can't match McNish or Sarrazin.

dj choc ice · 24 Dec 2009, 22:25 (Ref:2604841)

Montagny
Mcnish
Sarrazin
Garcia
Fassler
Bertolini
Bruni
Kristensen
JC Bouillon

isynge · 25 Dec 2009, 00:29 (Ref:2604874)

In no real order - and driven very much by whim...

McNish - for fairly obvious reasons, but if nothing else PLM 2008
Kristensen - for being unbeatable at Le Mans
Collard - fantastic all rounder
Bouillon - Consistently solid and reliable - and jaw dropping at Silverstone 2009
Minassian - for heroics in a Creation and blinding speed in a Peugeot
Brabham - for consistent solidity and coming into his own in 2009
Shimoda - for staggering races like Nurburgring 2005 and the Laguna Seca win - only wish there'd been more
Leitzinger - for being the cornerstone of Dyson through the decade, not forgetting his Bentley work
Dumas - for his part of the RS Spyder campaign as well as quality appearances in Europe
Capello - for being the oft forgotten backstop in the most successful line up of the decade.

Any list like this is always arbitrary and unfair, but if nothing else the thought process of coming up with them does work in terms of actually thinking about the decade - it's been one hell of a ride, Let's hope the one to come lives up to it.

Fogelhund · 25 Dec 2009, 01:51 (Ref:2604882)

My explanations...

1. Alan McNish -> None needed
2. Tom Kristensen -> 7 Le Mans Victories
3. Biela -> 5 Le Mans Victories
4. Pirro -> 5 Le Mans Victories
5. Werner -> 2 Le Mans Victories
6. Fellows -> Leader of Corvette Racing, and successfully pushed to allow them to race full time.
7. Brabham -> Very fast in many different cars
8. Luhr -> 31 wins in ALMS, in three classes, fast and diversified
9. Bergmeister -> Most GT2 wins in ALMS history
10. Beretta -> All time ALMS win leader, with 41 wins

davehenrie · 25 Dec 2009, 02:01 (Ref:2604885)

Quote:

Originally Posted by isynge

IAny list like this is always arbitrary and unfair, but if nothing else the thought process of coming up with them does work in terms of actually thinking about the decade - it's been one hell of a ride, Let's hope the one to come lives up to it.

I think that was why I asked, to get a good sampling. To be honest, I have forgotten some of those mentioned already. Keep dropping names, it is almost like watching the races again when I put the names to some of the stirring drives I remember. I think I like the Lietzinger choice, but I like it even better as a pairing with James Weaver. WHAT a combo those two made.

Keep em coming folks and thank you. Merry Christmas/Holidays.
dh

fieldodreams79 · 25 Dec 2009, 03:12 (Ref:2604887)

Quote:

Originally Posted by isynge

I
Leitzinger - for being the cornerstone of Dyson through the decade, not forgetting his Bentley work

glad to Butch making someone's list.

i guess Andy Wallace's better years were past the last 10?

i can't name anyone else that isn't on the rest of lists here.

tkelland · 25 Dec 2009, 06:49 (Ref:2604904)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

glad to Butch making someone's list.

i guess Andy Wallace's better years were past the last 10?

i can't name anyone else that isn't on the rest of lists here.

Butch definitely makes my top 10, and Marino Franchitti, too. As a pair, they compliment each other well, which makes sports car drivers look even better. I think Marino could well become the next McNish and I don't mean the whole Scottish thing. I see many similarities between a Leitzinger-Franchitti pairing and a Dindo Capello-Allan McNish pairing.

Splendid Cat · 25 Dec 2009, 08:32 (Ref:2604914)

McNish
Collard
Werner
TK
James Weaver
Capello
Sarazzin
Nic M
Lieb
Christophe B

Number7 · 25 Dec 2009, 09:50 (Ref:2604924)

[QUOTE=Fogelhund;2604882]My explanations...

1. Alan McNish -> None needed
2. Tom Kristensen -> 7 Le Mans Victories
3......

Actually it is 8 for TK

scoff · 25 Dec 2009, 10:02 (Ref:2604925)

1 McN
2 TK

In no specific order from the decade:
Sarrazin
Brabham
Capello
Bergmeister

But did you all forget
Pagenaud
Melo
Bourdais
Magnussen

Andy77 · 25 Dec 2009, 14:33 (Ref:2604958)

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoff

.......But did you all forget
Pagenaud
Melo
Bourdais
Magnussen

I'd add Dirk Werner even though he was doing Grand-Am and being the only european who is season champ twice now speaks for itself.

R4z3rw33n · 25 Dec 2009, 15:21 (Ref:2604962)

In no particular order:

- McNish.
- Kristensen.
- Bergmeister.
- Sarrazin.
- Brabham.
- Lieb.
- Melo.
- Capello.
- Biela.
- Pirro.

**Woolley** · 25 Dec 2009, 18:07 (Ref:2604981)

Interesting so many put AM above TK, as would I. I tend to think that if you want to win Le Mans, possibly Petit LM, you want Kristensen on board. If you want to win anything else, particularly a title, Allan is your man.

I'm not sure I can come up with a full ten, but I'm surprised no-one has included Minassian, J-C Boullion and Ollie Gavin. Boullion in particular is probably the fastest sportscar driver.

davyboy · 25 Dec 2009, 18:23 (Ref:2604984)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woolley

Interesting so many put AM above TK, as would I. I tend to think that if you want to win Le Mans, possibly Petit LM, you want Kristensen on board. If you want to win anything else, particularly a title, Allan is your man.

Very surprising that I appear to be the only one [so far] that would place Kristensen ahead of McNish. The thing is, the marathons [Le Mans, Petit LeMans] are more difficult to win than a title because not only are they practically the equivalent in terms of mileage, you don't have the option to fail to finish as you do when you're accumulating points. They are the very essence of what sportscar racing is all about and Kristensen's achievements there are absolutely stupendous when you stop to think about it. Many teams and manufacturers would happily swap a win at Le Mans for a title... and many drivers would too.

When it comes to ranking sportscar drivers, I think we need to heavily weight the marathons because not to do so would lean us to over rank the faster guys who dipped into sportscar racing and who would possibly have McNish and Kristensen for dinner in a sprint.

**Aysedasi** · 25 Dec 2009, 19:16 (Ref:2604990)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Number7

Actually it is 8 for TK

Not in the past decade it isn't...... Win #1 was in 1997 - 12 years ago.....

Despite being a Brit, I go for TK over Alan.....

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