Here is a question for ya.
Who is the best driver of the modern era?
Being a Stewart fan I would say he is the most talented driver in NASCAR. However I am also fairly open minded and can see an argument for Harvick and Jimmie Johnson as well. Looking at all three you can quickly see why they are the best of the drivers out there. The one thing that sets them apart is Stewart has two NASCAR championships seasons as well as Busch and IRL titles.
Still you have look at how Johnson has dominated the points over the past two years only to miss out on a championship as a result of the chase format. Here is a guy who has been in NASCAR for six years and finished in the top ten each year, the top five the last four years and had it not been for a cut tire on the last race in 2005 he would have three consecutive second place years. Yes I know second place is just the first loser and until that title is his he can not be considered the best right now.
As for Harvick you may have to look a little deeper to support a claim of being one of the best right now. His best Cup season was 2003 with 11 top fives and 18 top tens and one win. He finished fifth in points for the year. It is not so much what he has done in the Nextel series, but in NASCAR in general. In 2001, a season all NASCAR fans will never forget we lost a legend when on February 18th at Daytona International Speedway Dale Earnhardt Sr. died in a last lap wreck. That year Richard Childress chose to put Harvick in the 29 car replacing the number 3. He won his first cup race in just his third start. That same year he raced a full Busch schedule and won the Busch Championship. He finished 9th in the Cup series with 2 wins, six top fives, and sixteen top tens. He became the first driver in NASCAR history to run both Cup and Busch full time. Also he was the first ever to win the Busch series and Cup rookie of the year in the same year. He is also one of only two drivers to have at least two wins in the top three NASCAR series Craftsman, Busch, and Nextel. Now he has himself in a position for another first. That would be to win the Busch series and the Cup series championships in the same season. The Busch series is all but a technicality with a 729 point lead with just five races to go. He is fifth in the cup 96 points back of Burton. He has a legitimate shot at winning the Nextel Cup Championship.
Well just one man's opinion but for what it is worth there you go free for the taking. I am sure you will all agree with me with all of the wonderful points I made. Yeah right this is after all NASCAR where everyone has a different point of view and their's is right is what makes this a great sport to be a fan of.
