Since the dawn of automobile racing in the late 19th century, racing drivers have consistently been regarded as celebrities solely based on their occupation. It's no surprise that movie producers are drawn to the race track with ideas for projects casting movie stars as champions and comeback heroes. The recent release of "F1 The Movie" has thrust the world championship back onto the silver screen, putting a 61-year-old Brad Pitt in the driver's seat and ignoring the recent influx of real-life teenagers into F1.
We asked our readers earlier this week who the greatest fictional racing drivers of all time are. I was impressed with how responses were laser-focused on driving ability, entirely omitting the morally reprehensible actions taken by a few characters. We're talking about a few crimes so disturbing that they would result in a one-way trip to the Hague if they happened in our universe. But the readers are right, these drivers know how to race better than most.
In an effort to hew as close as possible to reality, and to offer up another option, Jean-Pierre Sarti, a two-time F1 World Champion from one of the greatest of racing movies, Grand Prix.
Submitted by: BB
Dick Dastardly. Anyone that can drive a rocket-powered car of questionable structural design with the wings not providing downforce so quick that he can outrun the field, set up a trap, watch it fail and catch back up again to try and fail again, he must be a hell of a driver. I remember as a Kid that I figured out that if DD just drove and didn't try to cheat, he could win every race easily.
Just look at this gif. If he hadn't had cheated with firing a missile, he would have won the race by several seconds.
Submitted by: hoser68
"Driver" from the movie Drive. Stunt driver by day, getaway driver by night, and aspiring oval track racer that actually knows how to wrench on cars. Also somehow manages to "win" a car chase driving a Mustang without taking out of bunch of innocent bystanders.
Submitted by: K1
That's an easy one: Takumi Fujiwara. All by himself and for the last 25 years, that guy managed to make random dudes and Instagram wannabe drifters pay north of 30,000 real-world money for worn-out 130hp Japanese RWD coupes. If that doesn't make him the best, I don't know what would. He's also able to drive very fast on mountain roads without spilling a drop of tofu broth, which is also quite an achievement.
Submitted by: GGInc.
Since he started off "street racing", it's gotta be Dom Torretto, right? He's the greatest single driver of all time, period.
Submitted by: Dr.Cigarettes
This Boonta Eve Classic winner grew up to be one of the most iconic space villains... cue slow breathing and a John Williams score.
Submitted by: Vincent Li
While Anakin's ability as a pod racer is undeniable, Jalopnik can't condone his actions as Darth Vader, including the slaughter of the Jedi younglings. Oh, what could have been if he had just stuck to pod racing and not helped establish the tyrannical Galactic Empire.
Thurman "Sparky" Plugg.
He was a notable racer who joined the WWF, tagged with the 1-2-3 Kid, and built a reputation of being a bit of a hellraiser. Then, a few years later, he lost most of his hair, called himself "Hardcore Holly" and had one of the best dropkicks in the business.
Submitted by: Alf Enthusiast
Has to be Cole Trickle, Days of Thunder. He hops over from open wheel racing, gets in an unfamiliar car in an unfamiliar series, runs a quicker lap than the pros, gets his own ride right away, a legendary crew chief is part of the deal, wins right away, survives a horrifying crash, nails peak Nicole Kidman, loses his ride, gets another one, and wins Daytona all in a season. Legendary. And he never, ever washes his face. The grime is lucky.
Submitted by: Xavier96
Mine isn't a single driver, but they're all the best when they get to that moment and realize they still have throttle to give, on a straightaway, going flat out, but oh, this time I'll pass thanks to that extra 15% of throttle I've been holding back this entire time. I get it's film, but that one always gives me a chuckle.
Submitted by: potbellyjoe