I figure most have a favorite driver/drivers they want to see win. I'm curious as to if you don't have a favorite driver, do you pull for one car brand over the others?

I have been and always will be a Ford guy, so I'm usually pulling for a Ford to win, but it's also what influenced the drivers I root for. It may sound kind of petty (no, it wasn't intended to be a pun), but that's what got me interested in the first place.
That being said, Bill Elliot has always been my favorite driver (wish he stayed in a Ford).

List your preference.

My favorites
Ford
Edwards
Martin
Biffle

Dodge
Elliot
Kahne

Chevy
Junior

I've always been a Chevy guy, so that does influence who I root for.
My favorites
Jeff Gordon (say what you will)
Jimmy Johnson (2006 Champion!)
Tony Stewart
and I guess Junior's ok.

The Driver:

I first was a Buddy Baker Fan and a CooCoo Marlin and david Pearson fan.

Now Martin, Kenseth, Burton, B. Labonten and Stewart

My father spent his career at Ford Motor Co., so I guess that makes me biased. I hold no ill will for drivers of other makes, but they can't be at the top of my list.
My all time favorite is Dale Jarrett, and I also really like Matt Kenseth. Jarrett's move to Toyota will be tough, but I'm sure I'll still be cheering for him. The poor shape that RYR has been in the last few years, probably makes the transition a lot easier.

I pull for the driver and not the make of car. Martin is my driver and next year he goes from his longtime Ford to a Chevy. I like drivers that drive all different makes.

I am an all ford guy although I dont really root against many except for the bushes and johnson, they just come off as phony personalities.

I started out and still do go for (at the beginning) the low buck guys. I started with elliott right before he got his melling sponsorship then kulwicki and davey allison, mark martin and matt kenseth. the only non ford driver I like is casey kane most likely because of the elliott connection.

I pull for the manufacturer... Drivers come and go, it's the car that's the constant. No more is this the case however for 2007 and beyond.... Enter the COT.

Generic cars with generic drivers (that Impala is a perfect fit for a Jimmie Johnson type) on generic tracks.

Next will be generic engines (a prediction) followed by the now increasingly generic fan. Result: NASCAR bankruptcy.

I should be jumping for joy over the radical wing and chin. Kind of like 1969-70 again. Problem is, only one of the manufacturers back then did the same tricks (Chrysler) and their cars were unmistakable. Now, I cant tell one from the other, except for the decals... Why even have the car manufacturers involved? Why not just be honest and tell the fan that they, NASCAR, want complete control of everything? Call it a damn spec car, because that's what it is! Instead of "Nascar. How bad have you got it?" It should be, "NasROC. I need another pasttime."

Yeah, it has gotten a bit generic. Just a few years ago, the Grand Prix was unmistakably different from the other cars, and you could spot the Thunderbird from a mile away. Now, you pretty much need to know who you are looking at, or you won't know what type of car it is. I know we can't go back to the days of racing "real" cars, but it would be nice to go back to cars that look like real cars. :thumbsup:

For me, it used to be Chevy all the way but anymore its just about the Drivers.
Really there isn't any favorites either, I like them all. I guess after Earnhardt Sr. passed, I've become just a fan of racing, no real favorites but still watching and enjoying it all. :)

I have never really been a "car" follower but more of a driver follower. When I started watching/collecting it was with Mikey Waltrip and 13 years later I follwed him to the #55(so being that its a Camry doesnt bother me at all, since both cars I have are of asian heritage)......Also I closely followed Texas Terry...now that he will offically retire by default I will start rooting for the #00 of David Rutimann.....(gotta love the Pizza Burger combo)

I'll throw something different into the discussion, I began watching and rooting for the Texaco car; since I'm retired from a refinery here in Illinois. It just so happened that Jamie McMurray was the driver when I began watching the races, so I rooted for him and his colors. Then he went and left for greener pastures, that hasn't worked out so well, but I still root for the whole Texaco team anyway. Does anyone else follow a certain team or sponser? :dude:

Certainly anybody that works for Lowes, and weren't they glad when the colors switched from Skinner to Johnson. :thumbsup:

I'll throw something different into the discussion, I began watching and rooting for the Texaco car; since I'm retired from a refinery here in Illinois. It just so happened that Jamie McMurray was the driver when I began watching the races, so I rooted for him and his colors. Then he went and left for greener pastures, that hasn't worked out so well, but I still root for the whole Texaco team anyway. Does anyone else follow a certain team or sponser? :dude:

I'm hoping to never have to root specifically for the Viagra team. :lol:

well as being a driver follower, I got to admit that i really do like the Napa commercials....and the UPS commercials, and the Aarons commercials....and i'm sure David Rutimann will sure make those BK commercials look perty yummy.......so I guess yes I to follow the team

I started following Jeff Gordon, and I'm sure that his driving a Chevy had something to do with it, though I can't be sure. I don't know why I picked Jeffy all those years ago, but I did and I've stuck by him. Ironically, I'm also a Junior freak, so go figure. The drivers that first caught my attention were the ones who drove GM cars (Harvick after Senior, Stewart, B. Labonte), but I also now root for other drivers, mainly Biffle, just because of the way he was "discovered" and the fact that he used to build race cars. It's nice to see a driver that is still into cars instead of just driving 'em. I also love Kenny Schrader. I will root for him no matter what he's driving, and the same goes for Johnny Benson. God, I hope he beats Bodine (no offense to Bodine fans).

^v^

Great to see you posting again, DL! :thumbsup:

BTW, it's hard to "pull for the manufacturer" anymore, there are so few of them left. I also have a hard time pulling for some of these "hotshot" kids these days who wouldn't know an oil pan from a panhard rod. To them, it's all about just jumping in a car and goin' like hell, running over everything and everyone in front of them.

Too many don't respect the cars, the technology, the strategy, the other drivers, or the history.

Great to see you posting again, DL! :thumbsup:
Thanks. Got a bit too busy there for a few months. :)

Anyhoo...

I really admire the drivers that go out there and race more than just the Cup races. Ken Scrader and Tony Stewart are the kind of guys I consider real racers. They race every chance they get. That's one thing about Jeffy I don't like. He doesn't even run a Busch race every once in a while. I wish Junior would run more races outside of NASCAR, but I hear that his sponsors (i.e. Budweiser) wants fans to see him in red cars only. :rolleyes:

I never even thought about rooting for a certain manufacturer. Heck the cars all look the same now to me. I've only rooted for one driver since I ever was interested in NASCAR, and his name is Jeff Gordon. I just liked that he bothered Earnhardt so much. Way to go wonderboy.

Actually, the only people bothered by Gordon were Earnhardt fans. Dale Earnhardt and Gordon even had some businesses together. Earnhardt was smart enough to know that fans could get bored without a good rivalry, and what could be better than a crusty old racer, and a young hotshot kid.

I really admire the drivers that go out there and race more than just the Cup races. Ken Scrader and Tony Stewart are the kind of guys I consider real racers. They race every chance they get. That's one thing about Jeffy I don't like. He doesn't even run a Busch race every once in a while. I wish Junior would run more races outside of NASCAR, but I hear that his sponsors (i.e. Budweiser) wants fans to see him in red cars only. :rolleyes:

Keep in mind that Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. have far more sponsor commitments than everybody else, so they have a lot less time to race in other series. That's why they also get paid more than everybody else. Also, Earnhardt got cooked while racing in another series a couple of years ago. NASCAR, Budweiser and DEI were not exactly pleased that their biggest star was almost killed, and then was unable to perform in the series in which he makes his living.

Very good point, though Jr. will be racing the Compuware 'vette again.

I really don't know how they manage to keep up with all their sponsor commitments.

Actually, the only people bothered by Gordon were Earnhardt fans. Dale Earnhardt and Gordon even had some businesses together. Earnhardt was smart enough to know that fans could get bored without a good rivalry, and what could be better than a crusty old racer, and a young hotshot kid.
I've never read anything that indicates that there was a real rivalry between the two. Obviously they raced each other hard, but I don't think that was anything personal. I'm sick of the way Earnhardt fans bash Gordon and the way the Gordon fans bash Earnhardt, both Sr. and Jr.

Yeah, it has gotten a bit generic. Just a few years ago, the Grand Prix was unmistakably different from the other cars, and you could spot the Thunderbird from a mile away. Now, you pretty much need to know who you are looking at, or you won't know what type of car it is. I know we can't go back to the days of racing "real" cars, but it would be nice to go back to cars that look like real cars. :thumbsup:
Not really this year. The Fusion, MC, and Charger are pretty freakin' different.

I'm a Dodge fan, and my gut tells me they are being forced out in favor of Toyota.
I noticed, nobody here claims to be a 'Toada fan.

Favorite drivers;
Sterling Marlin
Kasey Kahne
(I know Sterling's in the Chevy now.)

Driver... but I darn near dumped Tony when they went to Chevies!!!!!

Definately go for the driver...

I started following Mark Martin's career back in the Folger's sponsorship days. He was usually the underdog (so good behind the wheel but had a lot of hard luck, often due to his pit crew) so I liked to cheer him on. Always a bridesmaid, never the bride, though.

NASCAR has become such a boring show over the past few years, neither me nor my buddys bother to tune in anymore.