{"id":7522,"date":"2023-10-07T01:18:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T01:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/?p=7522"},"modified":"2023-10-07T01:20:59","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T01:20:59","slug":"5-shortest-nascar-drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/5-shortest-nascar-drivers\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Shortest NASCAR Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you\u2019re watching sports on the TV, it can be tricky to really get a good grasp on how tall your favorite athletes, drivers, and other stars are. U<strong>ntil they stand next to someone or something else, you have no real sense of comparison or scale. <\/strong>The same is true for NASCAR drivers, who we mostly see in a seated position in their cars, or perhaps standing alone for an interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Believe it or not, <strong>the average height for NASCAR drivers has stayed roughly around 5 foot 10 inches for most of the sports history. <\/strong>The tallest driver <strong>currently is Austin Cindric who towers at a stately 6 foot 3 <\/strong>inches. But how short do NASCAR drivers get? In today\u2019s blog, we\u2019re looking at the shortest drivers both in the current field at the time of writing, and of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"366\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/shutterstock_2327518965.jpg?resize=550%2C366&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6950\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/shutterstock_2327518965.jpg?w=550&amp;ssl=1 550w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/shutterstock_2327518965.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/shutterstock_2327518965.jpg?resize=391%2C260&amp;ssl=1 391w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Editorial credit: Grindstone Media Group \/ Shutterstock.com\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Who Are the 5 Shortest NASCAR Drivers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The shortest-ever NASCAR driver is Danica Patrick, who stands at just 5 feet 2 inches. With the exception of Patrick, the others are all relatively close in height, <strong>meaning to within an inch or so of each other. Racing in NASCAR right now, we have:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Daniel Hemric &#8211; 5 foot 5 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tyler Reddick &#8211; 5 foot 5 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Todd Gilliland &#8211; 5 foot 5 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chris Buescher &#8211; 5 foot 6 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kaz Grala &#8211; 5 foot 7 inches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Going back in time, there are more drivers who share similar stature:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Danica Patrick (Age 41) &#8211; 5 foot 2 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Morgan Shepherd (Age 81) &#8211; 5 foot 5 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dave Marcis (Age 82) &#8211; 5 foot 5 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Derrike Cope (Age 64) &#8211; 5 foot 6 inches<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Geoffrey Bodine (Age 74) &#8211; 5 foot 6 inches<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-regular\"><table class=\"has-electric-grass-gradient-background has-background\"><thead><tr><th>Rank<\/th><th>Driver Name<\/th><th>Height<\/th><th>Current\/All-Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Danica Patrick<\/td><td>5 feet 2 inches<\/td><td>All-Time<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Daniel Hemric<\/td><td>5 foot 5 inches<\/td><td>Current<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Tyler Reddick<\/td><td>5 foot 5 inches<\/td><td>Current<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Todd Gilliland<\/td><td>5 foot 5 inches<\/td><td>Current<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Chris Buescher<\/td><td>5 foot 6 inches<\/td><td>Current<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Kaz Grala<\/td><td>5 foot 7 inches<\/td><td>Current<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>You can check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/5-tallest-nascar-drivers\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/5-tallest-nascar-drivers\/\">tallest drivers in NASCAR<\/a> here on the site as well. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-sports wp-block-embed-sports\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"eLWYJZTl3D\"><a href=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/5-tallest-nascar-drivers\/\">5 Tallest NASCAR Drivers<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;5 Tallest NASCAR Drivers&#8221; &#8212; Sports\" src=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/5-tallest-nascar-drivers\/embed\/#?secret=MNySgpO2pH#?secret=eLWYJZTl3D\" data-secret=\"eLWYJZTl3D\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>NASCAR\u2019s Shortest Driver: Danica Patrick<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Danica Patrick is the most successful <a href=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/are-there-any-female-drivers-in-nascar\/\">female open-wheel driver<\/a> in US history, and also enjoyed many good years on the NASCAR circuit. <strong>One of her other titles, among others, is as NASCAR\u2019s shortest-ever driver at just 5 feet 2 inches. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She ran 191 races in the Cup Series, among which she garnered 7 top-ten finishes. <strong>Perhaps her greatest achievement was being the first woman to win an <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/how-long-is-an-indycar-race-in-distance\/\">IndyCar race<\/a>, which she did at the 2005 Toyota Indy 300, not to mention her 6 other podium placements in IndyCar races during her career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>More About NASCAR\u2019s Current 5 Shortest Drivers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All 5 of the shortest drivers mentioned currently in one of NASCAR\u2019s racing series, though some, such as Todd Gilliland, are relatively new to the top-level Cup Series but between them have prior experience in the Xfinity and Truck Series. <strong>Let\u2019s learn a little more about each driver:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Daniel Hemric &#8211; Kaulig Racing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hemric is just 32 years old, and has already won two titles in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, as well as races in the Truck Series. In the Cup Series, <strong>he drives the Number 11 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing<\/strong>. Within the Cup Series, he has had 3 top-ten finishes, and his overall position in the 2022 season was 46th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His best result so far has been in the 2019 Cup Series, in which he finished 25th overall. He has only had 3 years in that series so far, however, so there\u2019s plenty more action we can expect from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Tyler Reddick &#8211; 23XI Racing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Hemric, Tyler Reddick is also a former champion in the Xfinity Series. At just 27 years old, however, he has already enjoyed a longer and more successful time in the Cup Series than fellow short driver Hemric. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>He has competed in 123 races over 5 years,<\/strong> in which time he has accumulated 4 wins, and 53 top-ten finishes. In the 2022 season, he finished 14th, only one place behind his best-ever finish in 2021, where he came 13th. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reddick previously had a contract with Richard Childress racing, but the remainder of the contract was purchased by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin\u2019s team, 23XI Racing in the 2023 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Todd Gilliland &#8211; Front Row Racing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Todd Gilliland is the son of David Gilliland, and currently races for Front Row Motorsports. In that team, he drives the Number 38\/36 Ford Mustang, <strong>but he also sometimes drives the 15\/51 Mustang for Rick Ware Racing. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He\u2019s only been in the Cup Series for 2 years and is yet to win his first race, but has already had 5 top-ten finishes, which is still very strong for such a relatively new contender. At just 23 years old, his career is arguably just beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Chris Buescher &#8211; RFK Racing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Aged 30 years, Chis Buescher has already racked up 9 years\u2019 experience in the NASCAR Cup Series. During those years, he has accumulated 5 wins, and 51 top-ten finishes. His best season finish was 16th place back in 2016, and in 2022 he finished 21st. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many other Cup Series drivers, he has made great achievements in other series, including winning the XFinity Series back in 2015.<strong> Buescher drives the Number 17 Ford Mustang for his current team, RFK Racing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Kaz Grala &#8211; Sam Hunt Racing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At 5 feet 7 inches, Grala is the \u201ctall\u201d member of our 5-strong team of short drivers. He is also the son of famous endurance racer, Darius Grala. Kaz Grala has been awarded a number of times for being the youngest driver in his field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> For example, <strong>at just 18 years old he was the youngest ever driver to make the <a href=\"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/how-do-nascar-playoffs-work\/\">NASCAR Playoffs.<\/a> <\/strong>He has only raced in the Cup Series over 3 years, and currently races full time in the XFinity Series for Sam Hunt Racing. He has achieved 13 top-ten finishes in XFinity already, even at the age of just 24 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a><\/a>Advantages to Being Short in NASCAR<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In life we often think of taller people having advantages over shorter people, but in the sport of NASCAR this isn\u2019t necessarily true. <strong>The reason the average height of drivers hasn\u2019t changed a great deal is that it\u2019s actually quite advantageous to be shorter<\/strong>. Drivers who are below the average of 5 feet 10 inches have the following benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Comfort &#8211;<\/strong> The cockpit of a NASCAR vehicle is pretty compact, and thus more comfortable for shorter drivers. If you\u2019re facing 600 laps during a race, then that comfort will be a welcome feature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weight &#8211;<\/strong> Shorter drivers are invariably lighter than their taller counterparts, which gives them another advantage during a race. The weight differences may be small, but every little helps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Visibility <\/strong>&#8211; It\u2019s actually harder to see out onto the track as a taller driver than it is for shorter drivers. Obviously, there\u2019s a point at which shorter drivers also have a disadvantage, but the current shortest drivers in the sport hit that \u201csweet spot\u201d where visibility is actually better for them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges Faced by Shorter NASCAR Drivers:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The adrenaline-packed world of NASCAR presents its own challenges, and f<strong>or shorter drivers, there&#8217;s an added layer of issues to contend with. The foremost concern for many is the reach for controls. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While tall drivers may struggle with legroom, shorter drivers might find it challenging to comfortably reach pedals or the steering column, necessitating adjustments. <strong>Additionally, ensuring that the seat positioning allows optimal visibility and safety might require custom paddings or seat risers. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s also the risk of being overshadowed, quite literally, in the predominantly taller peer environment, where height could sometimes be mistaken for might. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Evolution of Cockpit Designs and Driver Comfort:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The evolution of NASCAR vehicles reflects more than just the pursuit of speed and aerodynamics; it\u2019s a testimony to the sport\u2019s adaptability to its drivers. <strong>Over the years, as the roster of drivers showcased a varied range of heights,<\/strong> the design of the cockpits underwent subtle yet significant transformations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier NASCAR vehicles, while raw in their pursuit of speed, perhaps didn&#8217;t offer the refined customizability of today&#8217;s machines. <strong>Modern-day cockpits are marvels of ergonomic design, accommodating both the lanky and the less-so with equal finesse. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Adjustable seating, customizable pedal lengths, and steering column adjustments ensure every driver, irrespective of their height, can find their sweet spot of comfort and control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This evolution underscores NASCAR&#8217;s commitment to ensuring that the battlefield is level, a<strong>nd it&#8217;s the talent, not the stature, that determines the outcome on the racetrack.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>NASCAR, like many sports, provides a stage where diversity in physical stature exists, and yet the success isn&#8217;t primarily determined by it. While taller drivers may have to contend with tighter cockpit confines, shorter drivers have their own set of challenges and benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As seen through the careers of the shorter drivers mentioned, <strong>height hasn&#8217;t deterred them from leaving a mark in the annals of NASCAR history. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sport, at its heart, celebrates skill, perseverance, and the spirit of competition. So, while physical characteristics can play a role, t<strong>hey don&#8217;t define the limits of success in the world of racing.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/NASCAR\/comments\/srlgx2\/shortest_active_nascar_drivers\/\">https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/NASCAR\/comments\/srlgx2\/shortest_active_nascar_drivers\/<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shortestt.com\/shortest-nascar-driver\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/shortestt.com\/shortest-nascar-driver\/<img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/themes\/acabado\/img\/extlink.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Opens in a new tab.\" title=\"Opens in a new tab.\" class=\"externallinkimage\" style=\"background-image:none;\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/flowracers.com\/blog\/nascar-drivers-short\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/flowracers.com\/blog\/nascar-drivers-short\/<img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/themes\/acabado\/img\/extlink.png?w=640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Opens in a new tab.\" title=\"Opens in a new tab.\" class=\"externallinkimage\" style=\"background-image:none;\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you\u2019re watching sports on the TV, it can be tricky to really get a good grasp on how tall your favorite athletes, drivers, and other stars are. Until they<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7537,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,3,13],"tags":[20,201],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/shortest-nascar-driver.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7522"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7522"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7522\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7540,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7522\/revisions\/7540"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/motorracingsports.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}