10 NASCAR Teams That Picked the Wrong Driver
10 NASCAR Teams That Picked the Wrong Driver
Richard Petty and Bubba Wallace
10. Stewart-Haas Racing — Aric Almirola
Almirola brought funding and stability, but the results never matched expectations for a top-tier organization.
9. Richard Childress Racing — Austin Dillon (early years)
RCR rushed Dillon into Cup. The talent was there, but timing and pressure stalled both driver and team momentum.
8. Hendrick Motorsports — Casey Mears
Mears never clicked in elite equipment, producing one of the quietest tenures in Hendrick history.
7. Joe Gibbs Racing — Joey Logano (early Cup era)
Thrown into Cup too young, Logano struggled badly — a mis-evaluation that looked awful until he thrived elsewhere.
6. Team Penske — Sam Hornish Jr.
An IndyCar star who never adapted to stock cars, costing Penske years of competitiveness.
5. Roush Fenway Racing — Trevor Bayne
A Daytona 500 win masked deeper issues. Roush bet big — and lost — during its decline.
4. Chip Ganassi Racing — Jamie McMurray (second stint)
Reuniting didn’t spark magic. Both sides stagnated while opportunities slipped away.
3. Hendrick Motorsports — Brian Vickers
Raw speed, no consistency. Hendrick moved on quickly, and the gamble never paid off.
2. Richard Petty Motorsports — Bubba Wallace
RPM couldn’t support Wallace’s growth. The fit was wrong, and the team underestimated what he needed to succeed.
1. Joe Gibbs Racing — Daniel Suárez
Promoted too fast, under immense pressure. JGR misjudged timing, and Suárez paid the price before thriving elsewhere.
