Want a wife like this? Try driving a racing car

Niki Taylor is an American supermodel (at what point does a model become “super”, by the way?) who has appeared on over 400 magazine covers worldwide. After her first marriage lasted less than a year, she fulfilled her destiny as a Grid WAG, tying the knot with awesomely-named NASCAR driver Burney Lamar after just three dates.

The best thing about NASCAR ain’t the driving…

The NASCAR drivers who voted yesterday’s Grid Girl of the Day Athena Barber as the sexiest WAG on the track may have missed a trick by denying Ingrid Vandebosch top spot. She is a Belgian model who married wheel jockey Jeff Gordon in 2006, and thoroughly earned a centerpiece position in the ‘Athelete’s Wives’ section of the Sports Illustrated 2008 Swimsuit Issue.

The hottest WAG in NASCAR has abdicated from her throne

In 2007, Sports Illustrated surveyed NASCAR drivers on the questions that really matter. Somehow, the optimum length of a handlebar moustache was never discussed, but the hottest WAG on the circuit was declared as Athena Barber, meaning there were many pairs of envious eyes staring at Clint Bowyer come race day.

The supermodel who loves NASCAR and strategically-placed iPods

Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Is one of the biggest names in NASCAR, so it’s not surprising that he caught the attention of one of America’s greatest bikini wearing ladies. Marissa is a former surfer and current Sports Illustrated model, who dated Dale briefly after she divorced her first husband in 2002. More staggering pictures of Miss Miller after the jump…

Jeff Gordon’s missus is hawt

Successful racing drivers get the finest women. And there are few finer than Ingrid Vandebosch, Jeff Gordon’s wife.

Vandebosch, who comes from Belgium, is a supermodel-slash-actress. She featured in Sports Illustrated’s latest Swimsuit Issue - not bad for a 38-year-old. (Yep, you’re thinking what we’re thinking - she looks pretty damn good for a 38-year-old.)

She married Gordon in 2006. The couple now have a baby girl, Ella, who was born in June 2007.

A couple more photos and a bonus video are one click away…

F1 world champ second on Sports Illustrated rich list

It’s no surprise that David “Becks” Beckham ranks as the best-paid non-American sportsman in the world. According to Sports Illustrated, he earns $48.2m a year, and all for frowning a lot (Becks doesn’t pout, he frowns), plus taking the occasional free-kick. Nice work if you can get it.

However, it’s more of a surprise that Kimi Raikkonen comes in as high as second on SI’s recently published rich list. Ferrari’s driver of choice is only just behind Beckham, on a whopping $46m. That puts the Finn ahead of the likes of Roger Federer, Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Raikkonen wasn’t even ranked in the Top 20 in 2007, so it shows how much becoming world champion has done for his bank balance. No wonder he can afford to splash out on a new 70ft yacht.

Meet America’s sexiest racing driver 

Here at Grid Crasher, Danica Patrick is something of a pin-up. She’s not only one of the better drivers in America’s IndyCar series – she finished second in her first ever Indy 500 – but she’s also smoking hot. Here she is arriving at last month’s launch party for Sports Illustrated’s 2008 Swimsuit Issue, which she also happened to appear in. Check out a short video of her being interviewed on the red carpet after the link…