5 most controversial current NASCAR drivers

Being a driver in the highest echelon of any category has never been an easy feat, especially in modern-day NASCAR. What used to be a sport perceived by many as easy and laid back, has become one of the most competitive forms of racing in the world.

In this day and age, drivers have to maintain constant engagement with fans, sponsors, and teams alike. It is hard for fans to not know almost everything about their favorite driver.

This has proven to be a double-edged sword for many Cup Series drivers, though. Every move they make on the track as well as their personal lives is broadcast for the world to see.

It is easy for a NASCAR fan to have an opinion in 2023 as well. The sport is covered not only by television but various other high-quality online production companies such as Dirty Mo Media to name one. Hence, fans are constantly in touch with the happenings in the stock car racing world.

This also brings negative opinions about several drivers even quicker to one's notice. While some are disliked for their on-track etiquette and racing style, others are often victims of wrongfully projected images in the media.

Whatever it might be, there certainly is a group of drivers loved by fans in this day and age, and a group hated equally as much.

Top 5 most controversial current drivers in NASCAR

Here is a list of the drivers who we think make up the 'most controversial' list in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season:

#5 Ross Chastain

Ross Chastain is often regarded as a driver who rubs off negatively on other drivers as well as fans due to his style of racing on the track. He certainly has toned himself down over the past couple of months though.

Chastain was in the news for gutsy moves such as his wall ride at Martinsville last year. He has also had numerous run-ins with Denny Hamlin and other drivers on the track, making him one divisive driver in NASCAR.

#4 Ty Gibbs

Ever since Ty Gibbs punted his teammate to win the Xfinity Series championship when he did not need to, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been in the wrong as far as fans of the sport go. Known for his somewhat spoilt attitude on track, coupled with his family being in one of the most successful NASCAR teams of all time, it is easy for the average fan to dislike Gibbs.

#3 Joey Logano

The driver of the #22 Ford Mustang for Team Penske, Joey Logano has never been a fan favorite in the NASCAR Cup Series due to his style of racing on the track. The 33-year-old reigning Cup Series champion stands by his attitude, and it seems to work for him on the track as well.

One of his most recent incidents on the track came with William Byron at Darlington Raceway last season. The Team Penske driver was seen bumping and running Byron from the lead of the race. Logano hit him so hard that the Hendrick Motorsports driver could not even defend himself from other cars behind him as he hit the wall in 2022.

#2 Denny Hamlin

The driver of the #11 Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin seems to have turned a corner in the 2023 season. With the departure of his long-time teammate Kyle Busch from the team, Hamlin seems to have filled his shoes at JGR perfectly.

In the chase for the all-elusive NASCAR Cup Series championship, Hamlin seems to have through caution to the wind, with a win-at-all-costs mindset slowly creeping in. His most recent moment disliked by the fans came last weekend at Pocono after he ran Kyle Busch wide to take his seventh victory at the track.

#1 Bubba Wallace Jr.

Bubba Wallace Jr. still remains one of the most hated drivers of all time in the sport. Partly due to his aggressive campaign against racial inequalities in the sport, and partly due to his actions on the track, Wallace Jr. does not seem to be able to find a happy ground with NASCAR fans. He remains one of the most booed drivers at any venue in 2023.