NASCAR List: 50 states, 50 racers, Part 10; does Denny Hamlin come up short again?

Editor's Note: This is the last of a 10-part series listing the all-time best NASCAR racer from each of the 50 states.

It's the old quantity-versus-quality argument. And wouldn't you know it, poor Denny Hamlin comes up short again.

This 10th and final five-pack of states packs quite a punch. In fact, all of the "others" listed for Virginia would've easily represented a handful of states with nearly bare cupboards — particularly Wyoming.

All of Big Sky country was a challenge for the research department, but Wyoming had us digging deep. So deep, we couldn't even find the hometown for the one Cowboy Stater who actually turned NASCAR laps.

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West Virginia wasn't much better, but thankfully we learned that mid-century racer Paul Goldsmith was born in Parkersburg before his family moved to Detroit during his youth. Two wheels or four, didn't matter to Paul, as you'll read below.

Quantity wasn't a major issue for Washington or, Lord knows, Wisconsin, and Virginia rivals North Carolina for homegrown stock-car talent. Virginia demanded the toughest call of this whole project — though choosing between Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty was a relatively tough call for North Carolina.

Virginia was the birthplace and home of Joe Weatherly, who won consecutive championships in 1962-63 and was tragically killed on California's Riverside road course early the next season. Among many others, Virginia also claims the Burtons and Sadlers, Ricky Rudd and Weatherly's "partner in crime," the great Curtis Turner, whose off-track legend might've overshadowed his amazing wheel work.

But it's Denny Hamlin who made us think a lot about the Virginia choice. True, Denny was actually born in Florida (Tampa) but he and his family became Virginians when he was just a toddler. "Chesterfield, Va." has been listed alongside his name for so long, it was natural to lump him in with the old Commonwealth.

Hamlin has piled up a ton of trophies and will likely continue adding to the pile as he motors his way to an eventual spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. But he's also known as the most accomplished current racer without a Cup championship, and among the best of all time — Junior Johnson, Mark Martin and Fireball Roberts join him on that list.

He's had his chances, always coming up short, and wouldn't you know it, he loses out again here, to a guy who won championships the only two times he tried.

Virginia: Joe Weatherly (Norfolk)

Why Joe: Yes, Denny Hamlin has 51 career wins, the most of anyone listed here, but “Little Joe” won back-to-back championships (1962-63) in his only two full-time seasons. His 25 wins came in just 230 starts, roughly a third of Hamlin’s career starts. There would’ve been more to come if not for the Riverside tragedy in 1964.

Others from Virginia: Denny Hamlin, Buddy Arrington, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Red Byron, Tommy Ellis, Ray Hendrick, Jimmy Hensley, James Hylton, Rick Mast, Lennie Pond, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, Hermy Sadler, Wendell Scott, Curtis Turner, Glen Wood, Emanuel Zervakis.

Fun fact: Weatherly was his era’s best modified racer before moving to NASCAR’s top division, but was also known widely as the “Clown Prince of NASCAR.” Along with throwing all-nighters with fellow Virginian Curtis Turner, Joe also once rode a mule in a pre-race parade and once took practice laps wearing a Peter Pan suit.

Washington: Greg Biffle (Vancouver)

Why Greg: It’s a close call between Biffle and Kasey Kahne, whose careers largely overlapped. Biffle had one more career win — 19 to Kahne’s 18 — but Biffle also had five championship finishes of seventh or better while Kahne had just two top-10 seasons.

Others from Washington: Derrike Cope, Kevin Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Chad Little, Ed Negre, Tom Sneva.

Fun fact: Biffle’s win total includes three straight at Homestead, beginning in 2004 when Homestead was the final race of both the season and the new playoff system. He won again the next year but finished second in the championship standings to Tony Stewart, because the final race wasn’t a winner-take-all back then.

West Virginia: Paul Goldsmith (Parkersburg)

Why Paul: The former motorcycle champ had nine Cup Series wins. In his busiest season, 1957, he had four wins and 15 top-10s in just 25 starts, mostly for Smokey Yunick.

Others from West Virginia: Larry Frank, Junior Spencer, Pop McGinnis, Johnny Patterson.

Fun fact: In 1958, Goldsmith won the final NASCAR race on Daytona’s beach-and-road course, beating Curtis Turner to the line by five car lengths. Just five years earlier, riding a Harley-Davidson, he won the Daytona 200 on the same course, and yes, he’s the only racer to win at Daytona in a car and on a bike.

Wisconsin: Matt Kenseth (Cambridge)

Why Matt: Plenty of competition for Kenseth in America’s Dairyland, but his 39 Cup wins and 2003 championship set him apart. He finished top 10 in nearly half of his 697 career starts. Also collected 29 Xfinity Series victories.

Others from Wisconsin: Rich Bickle, Sam Mayer, Alan Kulwicki, Travis Kvapil, Dave Marcis, Paul Menard, Marvin Panch, Danica Patrick, Jim Sauter, Jay Sauter, Johnny Sauter, Tim Sauter, Dick Trickle, Scott Wimmer, Josh Bilicki, Pancho Carter, Ty Majeski, Norm Nelson,

Fun fact: In 2003, Kenseth took the points lead in Week 4 and held it the rest of the way, despite winning just one race. He clinched the title the week before the final race, and his numbingly consistent run was viewed by some as NASCAR’s final impetus for instituting a playoff in 2004.

Wyoming: Dick Hallock (hometown unknown)

Why Dick: Three of his seven starts and his only top 10 came in 1955. He finished ninth of 19 starters at a 200-lapper in Fonda, N.Y., a whopping 47 laps behind winner Junior Johnson. He earned $100 for that run.

Others from Wyoming: Jim Fleming.

Fun fact: Jim Fleming had no official NASCAR regular-season starts but made a run at starting the 1976 Daytona 500. In the second Thursday 125-mile qualifier, he finished 17th in a field of 35 and was one of 25 drivers who failed to make that year’s field.

Previously: Alabama through Vermont

Alabama: Bobby Allison, Alaska: Keith McGee, Arizona: Alex Bowman, Arkansas: Mark Martin, California: Jimmie Johnson

Colorado: Wally Dallenbach Jr., Connecticut: Joey Logano, Delaware: CJ Faison, Florida: Fireball Roberts, Georgia: Bill Elliott

Hawaii: Will Rodgers; Idaho: Brian Scott; Illinois: Fred Lorenzen; Indiana: Tony Stewart; Iowa: Dick Hutcherson

Kansas: Clint Bowyer; Kentucky: Darrell Waltrip; Louisiana: Skip Manning; Maine: Ricky Craven; Maryland: Timmy Hill

Massachusetts: Ralph Moody; Michigan: Brad Keselowski; Minnesota: William Sawalich; Mississippi: Ricky Stenhouse; Missouri: Rusty Wallace.

Montana: Tony Raines; Nebraska: Bob Burdick; Nevada: Kyle Busch; New Hampshire: Dale Shaw; New Jersey: Martin Truex Jr.

New Mexico: Tanner Gray; New York: Geoff Bodine; North Carolina: Richard Petty; North Dakota: Donny Schatz; Ohio: Ryan Blaney

Oklahoma: Christopher Bell; Oregon: Herschel McGriff; Pennsylvania: Jimmy Spencer; Rhode Island: Rob Rizzo; South Carolina: David Pearson.

South Dakota: Leo Ray; Tennessee: Sterling Marlin; Texas: Terry Labonte; Utah: Michael Self; Vermont: Kevin Lepage.

— Reach Ken Willis at ken.willis@news-jrnl.com

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: NASCAR list: 50 best from 50 states; did Denny Hamlin fall short again?