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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LOUDON, NH – JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

LOUDON, NH – JULY 14: Danica Patrick, driver of the #10 Aspen Dental Ford (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) /

#1 – Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing, No. 10 Ford

There is currently no NASCAR driver, and there probably has never been a NASCAR driver, who is as overhyped as Danica Patrick is as one of NASCAR’s most popular drivers. A non-NASCAR fan who hears about her would likely expect that she has actually been at least half-decent in her Cup Series career.

However, that is not the case. In fact, that is not even close to being the case. And it isn’t the case despite the fact that Patrick has driven for a top-tier team in Stewart-Haas Racing in all five of her full-time Cup Series seasons and in 174 of her 184 career races.

In all that time, Patrick has never won a race. In fact, she has never even finished in the top 5. Her best career finish is only a 6th place finish at Atlanta in 2014. Her only career pole position came over four years ago at the 2013 Daytona 500.

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In 184 races, Patrick has only finished in the top 10 seven times, which comes out to an average of less than one top 10 finish per 26 races. In the last 94 races, she has only finished in the top 10 once, and that was just barely a top 10 finish, as she finished in 10th place at Dover earlier this season after recovering from a spin during the race.

Patrick’s best career finish in the championship standings is only 24th place in four previous full-time seasons. She currently sits in 28th in the standings, which would tie her career-worst finish by if she does not improve upon that position before the end of the season.

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Yet somehow, despite the fact that Patrick has not had success in the Cup Series, she is one of the most popular drivers in not only NASCAR but in all of racing, making her extremely overhyped and by far the most overhyped driver in the sport.