Many NASCAR drivers are frequently called “overhyped” and “overrated” by their critics. But in many cases, there is a huge difference between these two terms.
The start of the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season is right around the corner, and that always carries several inevitabilities. One of such inevitabilities is the fact that pretty much no matter who wins each race, plenty of fans will find some reason to be upset, and as a result of that, we almost always hear how drivers “overhyped” or”overrated”.
However, regardless of when or how often these two terms are used, it seems as though they are typically used interchangeably. But when it comes to NASCAR, these two words take on two different meanings.
In a way, these two words are like a rectangle and a square. Not all rectangles are squares, but all squares are rectangles. Overrated drivers tend to be overhyped, but overhyped drivers are not necessarily also overrated.
More from NASCAR Cup Series
- NASCAR Cup Series: New team set to compete in 2024
- NASCAR: Surprising name continuously linked to new seat
- NASCAR driver at risk of missing the Daytona 500?
- NASCAR set for rare appearance last seen 13 years ago
- NASCAR team adds third car, names driver for 2024 Daytona 500
How can this the case? Here are two examples.
An example of a driver who was overhyped is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt Jr. was hyped up from the he arrived in the Cup Series solely because of the fact that his last name is Earnhardt. He was expected to follow in the footsteps of his 76-time Cup Series winner and seven-time Cup Series champion father, Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Earnhardt Jr. failed to do that, and he really didn’t even come close. He ended his career with 26 Cup Series victories and a top finish of third place in the championship standings. However, he was the furthest thing from being overrated.
Because of the fact that Earnhardt Jr. was overhyped and finished 50 wins and seven championship shy of his father’s marks, pretty much everyone not a part of JR Nation, which helped the 44-year-old Kannapolis, North Carolina native win 15 consecutive Most Popular Driver Awards, wrote him off as a bust.
If Earnhardt Jr.’s last name was not Earnhardt and he was not hyped up the way he was, would he be considered a bust having earned 26 career victories, of which two were Daytona 500 victories? Absolutely not. There is no doubt that he is one of the most overhyped drivers in Cup Series history, but as far as being overrated is concerned, he never fit that bill.
Meanwhile, an example of a driver who was overrated would be Danica Patrick. Anyone who knows anything about NASCAR knows that, by the definition of the word, Patrick was also overhyped. She was consistently one of the sport’s most popular drivers despite the fact that she rarely performed even close to well.
Let’s take a look at just how poorly she performed, in top-tier equipment driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, no less, to make her one of the most overrated drivers in Cup Series history.
Over the course of Patrick’s Cup Series career, she drove in 191 races. She drove for Stewart-Haas Racing in 180 of these 191 races. Her average career starting position was 25.0 while her average career finishing position was 24.1.
Patrick led only 64 of the 53,561 laps that she completed, and she recorded only seven top 10 finishes and one pole position over the course of her career. Her career-high finish was her sixth place finish in the August race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the 2014 season.
There are certainly other examples of NASCAR drivers being overhyped or overrated throughout the sport’s history, but at the very least, the careers of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick illustrate the fact that these two terms are not necessarily interchangeable.
So when you go on Facebook or Twitter rant after a driver who you can’t stand wins a Cup Series race this season, make sure you choose the correct word to use to describe said driver.