That's what he said: NASCAR drivers and their killer quotes

There's no group of athletes that more consistently reel off great quotes than NASCAR drivers. While they try so hard to stay on message -- "we ran hard out there today," "I want to thank [sponsor] and [sponsor] and the [number] [car make]" -- it doesn't take much to get them knocked off their foundations and start ranting, particularly during and immediately after the race.

Of all the many drivers who have spouted off in interviews, though, two stand above the rest. Tony Stewart and the late Dale Earnhardt could turn a phrase and twist a knife better than anybody else in NASCAR. Don't believe me? Check out some of their work:

• "Every one of these drivers in the garage area, I can speak to because they all speak English, with the exception of Ward Burton. He speaks whatever he speaks. He speaks Ward." -- Tony Stewart, on the difference between IRL and NASCAR

• "[Greg Biffle]'s an idiot. They name streets after people like that -- one-way and dead-end. I like the guy, we play poker together, but if I found him right now, I'd strangle him." -- Stewart

• "I think when you look at our team, you have to say that the weak point is probably still the driver." -- Stewart

• "Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you have feathers on your legs or butt." -- Dale Earnhardt

• "I'll apologize to them after they get me to the front." -- Earnhardt, after being told by his crew he was being too hard on his tires.

• "You win some, lose some and wreck some." -- Earnhardt

But Smoke and the Intimidator aren't the only ones who've mastered the art of the quote. Check some of the other fine offerings from around the sport:

• "Why did I take up racing? I was too lazy to work and too chicken to steal" -- Kyle Petty

• "They said they wanted someone with a size 12 shoe and a size 2 hat." -- Buddy Baker on being one of the first invited to run at top speed at Talladega.

• "We go six times faster." -- William C. France, answering the question of why there are six times as many deaths in NASCAR as in football

• "It's basically the same, just darker." -- Alan Kulwicki on the difference between racing on Saturday night versus Sunday afternoon

Now, this was supposed to be a one-off post, a collection of ten or fifteen of the best NASCAR quotes in history. But thanks to the efforts of Marbles readers (particularly Mark at Full Throttle), we've got enough to keep us going for months on end. Feel free to send in your suggestions to jay.busbee@yahoo.com or write them in the comments below. Plus, every weekend brings the chance for more!

We close off with a fine video of some more great quotes. Enjoy: