Here's a somewhat pointless, and hopefully entertaining topic for the winter season.. I got in a conversation with a friend of mine on the question of who is the best overall racer in the world today. The premise :: Take the 2008 Champions from all of the major racing disciplines. Have them compete in 1 race from each discipline. Who would rank #1 overall? The Disciplines & '08 Champions :: Moto GP - Valentino Rossi Indy Car - Rahael Matos Formula 1 - Lewis Hamilton Nascar - Jimmie Johnson NHRA Drag Racing - Tony Schumacher Rally Car - Sebastian Loeb So if there was a Champions Series that consisted of 6 total races, one for each Series, who would come out on top in total points. Given that each racer would win his own race, who would place the highest overall in the other disciplines? Also, would there be any other race series that you think needs to be represented?
Don't forget Chad Reed, AMA Supercross Champion. We all know motocross racers can accell in other venues as well. I have seen this in the person of Travis Pastrana who is also an amazing rally car driver.
Rossi has already driven Ferrari's F1 car in testing, and done pretty well. He also has shown he's pretty good at rally racing as well (for a new driver). IMO, riding a motorcycle well requires more training than driving a car well, especially now that they have paddle-shifting, etc. Rossi would be my prediction for first.
yep, Rossi has competed in WRC international rally events for a few seasons now, and sebastian Loeb did a test with redbull F1 team not long ago with impressive results. even old Schumey is doing some bike racing, i think in an internationl one make series on superdukes.(and doing pretty good) its interesting to note that all 3 of these guys have dominated there respective disciplines for extended periods of time, and all are multiple times world champions. IMO to win world championships 4,5,6,7 times,on a consistant basis, really stands you apart from those who achieve the same but maybe only once or twice.
Isle of Man TT-John McGuiness I'd agree with RVFR on Bayliss in WSBK and the others with Rossi in MotoGP. I don't know enough about the other disciplines. And B.Craig, mad props on the Jim Elliot quote brother! BZ
To slightly take off topic, I met Elizabeth Elliot when I was young. Amazing woman with an amazing story. Talk about forgiveness. Now back to our show...
It would definitely be a motorcycle racer. It is a much easier transition from two wheels to four. I will take Rossi also.
Are you suggesting that Bayliss get added to the list, or are you saying he is the best overall racer? Just wondering.
Norcal, you are right on Dixon. Not sure where I got the bad info, but thanks for the correction. I was thinking maybe we should add the Monster Truck Champ to the list as well, just for fun. Imagine how many phone books Rossi would need to sit on to drive one of those trucks. Another question/tangent. I'm new to the Motorcycle world, so what are the opinions on WSBK v. MotoGP. Is MotoGP the big show? Does Superbike equal Triple AAA baseball? Or is it more akin to IndyCar v. Formula One, similar formats, but different rules and governing bodies.
To bad we can't add in great racers of the past, other wise Doohan and Foggerty would be high on the list. if it wasn't for Mick, Rossi wouldn't be where he is today. PS; add Bayliss to the list.
Quote "Don't forget Chad Reed, AMA Supercross Champion." You mean James Stewart don't you. As to the question, my money is on Sebastian Loeb.
