How many Nascar drivers of today could compete in the old days?

May be...

I think a lot of them could. They didnt just pop up over night and start racing at Daytona. They all had to start out racing local tracks and dirt tracks driving late models, sprint cars, or whatever.

Order the PPV of Tony Stewart's "Prelude to a Dream" and you can see them race on the dirt and do some good for charity.

How many of the old drivers do you think could come up and race today? Racing requires a lot more knowledge and technical savy as well as technique. Dale Sr. would get black flagged every race for his pushing and shoving now a days.

The point is, you are trying to compare apples to oranges.

Kyle Busch
Tony Stewart
Jeff Gordon
Robby Gordon
Juan Pablo MOntoya
Carl Edwards
Ryan Newman
Michael Waltrip
Bobby Labonte

Dale Jr.
Jeff Gordon
Jimmie Johnson
Tony Stewart
Mark Martin
Bobby Labonte

jeff burton and mark martin

I think that some of the former dirt track drivers could give them a run, but with out powerstearing or power assist I honestly think that very few drivers, maybe less than 10 of them could. I mean have you ever tried to turn a car with no power steering in the sand. Its like trying to pull a 50 pound brick out from under a house!!! And sorry no offense, to the answer above that said Robby Gordon, I dont even think he could, just because he races Baja would help him on dirt tracks a little, but even then the Baja trucks have power stearing and 4x4.

Not many considering the schedule they used to keep, they ran prob three times the races that we see today thats where Petty got most of his wins lots and lots of races

I asked a question about an old driver. One person said the old guys had it easy. Petty ran most races in fair grounds up against country boys. Now they have more talent. HMM how about power steering. I don't think a little guy like Gordan, or Johnson can't steer an old race car around a dirt track with no power steering and win. Dale Jr. he could, maybe Smoke, but again straw man Casey Kahne doesn't have enough arm muscle for those old cars either. Edwards should be able to, but really how effective. Thats why new drivers can't hold a match to the real men that drove those real stock cars of years ago.

Tony stewart would dominate

I think Robby Gordon and Smoke could!

Not many of the newer ones would survive without the harnesses and such. One wreck and they would be dead. Have we already forgotten the harnesses that really protected the drivers came out after Earnhardts death. In addition the impact walls are new. With this bump and wreck new ones like Kyle Busch they would all soon be gone....gone to the cemetary if they had to survive with the old ways