NASCAR: Five most overhyped Cup Series drivers

By Asher Fair | Oct 12, 2017

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 DOW Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford, race during the 59th Annual DAYTONA 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 26, 2017 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

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DAYTONA BEACH, FL – FEBRUARY 26: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 DOW Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, and Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

As is the case in all sports, athletes are overhyped in NASCAR as well. Here are the five most overhyped drivers in the Cup Series.

What, exactly, makes an athlete “overhyped”? More specifically, what makes a NASCAR driver “overhyped”?

From a NASCAR standpoint, overhyped drivers are those who get far more recognition than what their performance on the track warrants. Maybe they are popular even before they get good, perhaps because of their name.

Maybe they are popular and then never even get good. Perhaps their careers start out poorly and they finally do something solid, and then everyone starts to think they’re going to be the next Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt…and then they turn out to be a one or two-season wonder, if even that.

Whatever the reason may be, some Cup Series drivers just end up getting far more hype than they deserve, both from the fans and from the media. That is the case for a bunch of drivers, a couple in particular. However, this article includes more than just a couple, which makes things a bit more interesting.

From #5 to #1, let’s have a look at who the five most overhyped drivers that currently drive in the NASCAR Cup Series are. Let’s get started with #5.

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