In the current era of motorsports, virtually every race car driver has a specific area of expertise. He or she is either a stock car driver, an Indy car racer, a sprint car/midget driver, a sports car driver or a drag racer — and they compete specifically on dirt or asphalt.
Despite the specialization, race fans continue to debate a familiar bench-racing topic: Who is the most versatile driver?
Today, much of that discussion focuses on Kyle Larson, a frequent winner in numerous types of race cars and on different surfaces and track configurations. Through the years, wheelmen such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Tony Stewart have enjoyed similar success.
With this in mind, SPEED SPORT asked its veteran group of reporters for their opinions as to the most versatile driver they’ve seen dance with a steering wheel. The majority of those polled selected Stewart or Andretti.
Here, we share their responses:
Mario Andretti
I was fortunate to cover Mario Andretti while he was still in his prime, although his greatest accomplishments occurred before I began my career in 1981.
From scoring three midget feature victories in one day in the same car at two different tracks on Labor Day 1963, to winning the Daytona 500 in 1967, the Indianapolis 500 in 1969, the Formula 1 World Championship in 1978, four IndyCar National Championships (three in USAC, one in CART), the 1969 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, 52 IndyCar victories, 67 IndyCar poles and three wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, there was nobody better in more different cars than Andretti.
I also gave serious consideration to the legendary A.J. Foyt, who won four Indianapolis 500s, the 1972 Daytona 500, the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans, a record 67 IndyCar victories and seven NASCAR Cup Series races. It was Andretti’s ability to win on dirt and on the grand prix circuits of Formula 1 that made him the most versatile driver I ever encountered. — Bruce Martin
The hands-down winner is Mario Andretti.
Name another person who made it from entry-level stock cars at Nazareth Raceway to Formula 1 glory as world champion. Andretti’s greatness resulted in an Indianapolis 500 victory, four IndyCar titles, a Daytona 500 win and the F-1 crown.
To that, you can add three victories at Sebring and a win in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Andretti’s consistently exceptional race craft allowed him to largely dodge serious harm, despite competing in an extraordinarily dangerous era, leading to a uncommonly lengthy career. Andretti, it’s been proven, could drive anything exceptionally well. — Jim Donnelly
My pick for most versatile driver is Mario Andretti, a proven winner in every type of car in which he ever climbed behind the wheel. Not only that, but he won the biggest races in those different genres, including the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, Pikes Peak Hill Climb, etc.
Add in the fact that he is also a Formula 1 champion and you have the thing that separates him from everyone else.
I even watched Mario climb aboard one of Kenny Roberts’ 500cc Grand Prix Yamahas during an IndyCar weekend at Laguna Seca in his fire suit and Indy car helmet, not leathers, and run laps fast enough to have qualified for the MotoGP race at Laguna.
A.J. Foyt’s win at Le Mans is huge, but an F-1 title trumps one race — even one as big as Le Mans.
Tony Stewart is close, especially with his recent success in the NHRA Top Alcohol dragster, but “Smoke” never had the success in sports cars that Mario or A.J. enjoyed. Kyle Larson is still a work in progress. He’s a fantastic racer and is still young. When he is done, we might have to rethink this. But for now, Mario is the man. — Ralph Sheheen
While he wasn’t necessarily the most successful, Mario Andretti gets our vote as the most versatile race car driver in history.
Winning 12 Formula 1 grands prix and claiming the 1978 world driving championship are the accomplishments that separate Andretti from his peers.
He earned four IndyCar titles, captured an IROC championship and his long list of victories includes America’s marquee events – the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb, Rolex 24 At Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.
Andretti was also a USAC sprint car feature winner at legendary tracks such as Salem, Eldora and Oswego. — Keith Waltz
Tony Stewart
The most versatile driver I have ever seen in my career is Tony Stewart.
I’ve watched him drive any number of open-wheel cars (midgets, sprint cars, champ cars and Indy cars), any number of stock cars (modifieds, late models, Xfinity Series and Cup Series) and, while I haven’t seen it in person, a Top Alcohol dragster.
For me, the dragster broke the tie between Stewart and A.J. Foyt. Their careers were very similar in most respects. Both could drive most anything well, but Stewart gets the nod from me. — Ron Lemasters Jr.
Although I did see A.J. and Mario, I missed them at their race-anything, win-everywhere peaks. And, sadly, I never saw Dan Gurney or Parnelli Jones in action.
But I have seen Tony Stewart win in Cup Series cars, Indy cars, Xfinity Series cars, Silver Crown cars, pavement sprint cars, midgets, TQ midgets, dirt late models, supermodifieds, NASCAR-type modifieds and IROC cars.
I’ve watched some incredible drivers, but never another one who did all that. Oh, and Tony has also conquered East Coast DIRT modifieds, winged and non-winged sprints on dirt, SRX cars and a Top Alcohol dragster. My vote goes to Stewart. — Bones Bourcier
The most versatile driver during my motorsports tenure has been Tony Stewart. “Smoke” has performed at a championship level in NASCAR stock cars, Indy cars, Silver Crown cars, traditional sprint cars and midgets.
He’s also had success in dirt late models, winged sprint cars and other forms of short-track competition. But what separates Stewart from all others, in my view, is his recent success in NHRA competition. The ability to adapt — and win — at the top levels of a completely different type of racing puts Stewart in a class by himself. — Dave Argabright
For me it is Tony Stewart. There is really nothing he has ever done in motorsports he hasn’t mastered from karts and TQ midgets to sprint cars, midgets, Silver Crown cars, Indy cars and NASCAR stock cars. He also was an IROC champ.
He mastered the tightest of bullrings like Ft. Wayne indoors and he conquered the high banks as well as road courses and superspeedways. I had no doubt he would try drag racing (and succeed) and there is also no doubt in my mind that he will win in Top Fuel or Funny Car with NHRA. His racing intellect has always been off the charts. — Pat Sullivan
Tony Stewart has been a winner in quarter midgets, full midgets, sprint cars (winged and non-winged), Silver Crown cars, Indy cars and multiple NASCAR divisions. And now, he’s doing well in drag racing. — John Mahoney
Lou Lazzaro
The obvious choices raced on the big stages — think Foyt, Andretti and Larson.
But on the short tracks, Lou Lazzaro might have been the best.
Lazzaro commonly won three races a weekend, with a Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway dirt score sandwiched between asphalt wins at Albany-Saratoga and Utica-Rome, blowing around the infield huggers with half of his right-rear Firestone “Big Jalonie” hanging off the lip of the track.
“The Monk” also won the Islip 300 on the tight fifth-mile oval in a pickup ride and timed in the top 12 in his first lap around Daytona, then finished the Permatex 300 in the top dozen as well. — Ron Hedger
Billy Pauch
While he didn’t get the opportunities to try Indy cars or NASCAR stock cars like A.J. Foyt and Tony Stewart, Billy Pauch was versatile and fast in every type of race car he climbed into during a career that spanned more than 30 years.
Primarily known as a DIRT modified racer for much of his career, Pauch branched out to run midgets, winged sprint cars, non-winged sprint cars and asphalt modifieds.
His victory in the 1993 Race of Champions for asphalt modifieds at Flemington (N.J.) Speedway, when he started 43rd and blitzed through the field to win, goes down as one of the greatest racing performances we’ve ever seen. It was his only race on asphalt that season. — Mike Kerchner
This story appeared in the July 26, 2023, edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
