Top 25 Most Overhyped NASCAR Drivers Ever

25. Ron Hornaday Jr.

A Truck Series hero, Ron was hyped to make a Cup impact. That success never fully translated to the Cup series.

24. Rick Mast

Rick was known as a solid journeyman. Despite media attention, he never became a top-level winner.

23. Joe Ruttman

Joe was a consistent presence in the series. However, hype around his potential often exceeded his actual results.

22. Jeremy Mayfield

Jeremy’s past fame created expectations for a comeback. Post-suspension, his performance hasn’t reached top-tier levels.

21. Ken Schrader

Ken’s name drew attention for decades. Yet, his Cup results often underwhelmed fans relative to the hype.

20. Ty Dillon

Coming from a famous family, Ty was heavily hyped. His Cup career hasn’t produced the expected level of success.

19. Ryan Truex

Ryan dominated Xfinity at times, creating buzz. Cup success has been limited and inconsistent.

18. Aric Almirola

Stewart-Haas promoted Aric heavily, raising expectations. He has delivered some wins, but hype has consistently exceeded results.

17. Brendan Gaughan

Brendan had regional success and fan buzz. Unfortunately, that hype didn’t carry over to Cup-level victories.

16. Matt DiBenedetto

Matt got massive social media attention from fans. His on-track results, however, rarely matched the excitement.

15. Kasey Kahne

Marketed as a future superstar, Kahne was always in the spotlight. Inconsistent results kept him from living up to the hype.

14. Greg Biffle

Greg was hyped as a Cup threat for years. However, his performances often fell short of media expectations.

13. Chase Elliott

Chase got early fan hype comparing him to the sports grates. While talented, he didn’t immediately live up to all expectations. Though won the title in 2020, he hasn’t yet reached the top level he should.

12. David Ragan

David’s name brought attention, but wins were few. He rarely became a real contender in the Cup series.

11. Marcos Ambrose

Marcos was hyped as a road course phenomenon in Cup. But full-time consistency was never there to match the fan expectations.

10. Michael Waltrip

Michael’s Daytona wins brought headlines and hype. Yet, Cup championship contention never followed.

9. Paul Menard

Paul’s big sponsorship deals drew more eyes than his performance. He rarely delivered wins that matched the hype surrounding him.

8. Casey Mears

Casey had family ties and media buzz pushing expectations. His career results never lived up to that attention.

7. Daniel Suárez

First full-time Mexican Cup driver, Suárez carried historic hype. Unfortunately, his Cup performance hasn’t consistently justified that spotlight.

6. Cole Custer

Early Xfinity success created high expectations for Cole. In Cup, he has struggled to consistently finish at the top.

5. Austin Cindric

Cindric dominated Xfinity and was hyped as the next big Cup star. His results in Cup haven’t yet matched that hype.

4. Ross Chastain

Ross is famous for daring, aggressive moves that get attention. However, championship-level performance remains just out of reach.

3. Alex Bowman

Promoted as a future Hendrick star, expectations ran high. Bowman has shown flashes but hasn’t dominated the Cup series consistently.

2. AJ Allmendinger

Known as a road course ace, AJ was hyped as a versatile threat. Yet, overall Cup results never matched the media buzz.

1. Bubba Wallace

Bubba’s historic presence brought massive attention, but Cup wins have been sparse. Fans expected him to challenge for championships immediately, and that hasn’t happened yet.