IT’S A FACT that Aussies love an underdog, especially when it comes to sport.

There’s nothing like the plucky upstart taking it to the dominant team or individual and getting a victory, or at least a major result, against the odds.

Motorsport is filled with underdog stories; it’s one of the most appealing things about our mad game.

Watching someone unexpected or unheralded perform above their usual level, or take advantage of a situation that plays out in their favour to achieve success is always superb viewing.

But who is the most underrated driver currently operating in Australian motorsport? I think you’ll agree it’s a good question and one not particularly easy to answer.

Picking the top level drivers is generally pretty easy because for the most part they end up in the best rides.

No one would call Shane van Gisbergen, Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup or Chaz Mostert underrated, for example.

But it’s the next group that sit just below the current crop of elite-level stars that are hard to categorise.

Take Brodie Kostecki, for example. A few years ago you may have said that he was underrated or, before he had proven himself, some may not have ‘rated’ him at all.

But now he’s a bonafide contender week in, week out in Supercars and it would take some arguing to convince me that someone who has scored a Supercars podium on raw speed is underrated – because you have to prove yourself to be good to score there.

Instead, the drivers I’m looking at are more the types that pop up on the radar of those involved in the sport, but rarely rate a mention outside of the proper hard-core supporters or industry types.

Take the man in the lead image of this story, for example: Brad Shiels.

Here’s a driver who has lapped Bathurst in a GT3 car at a pace equal to the very best racers from around the world in the 12-hour. He’s won in Radicals, Sports Cars, Sports Sedans and just about everything else and now he’s posting hugely impressive performances in a privateer Hyundai in the TCR Australia Series week in, week out.

He’d barely rate a mention in a top-50 drivers’ list at the end of any given year but I’d reckon if you put him in a decent Supercar he’d be just as quick as almost everyone else currently on the big bucks.

Jordan Cox would be another example, though his ability to match his YouTube hype with genuine speed in just about any situation means that you’d be hard-pressed to find someone working in the sport who doesn’t recognise his immense talent and natural ability.

But, yet again, outside of the inner circle he’s reasonably anonymous – though a few million You Tube views probably make him less invisible than Mr. Shiels, though..

Then there’s the likes of Josh Buchan, who’s done a super job this year in that same TCR field. Or what about Nathan Herne? Is he underrated? Or is he genuinely the next big thing. This is what we’re trying to sort through.

I’d argue that Cameron Hill, despite winning in Formula Ford and Toyota 86s, was incredibly underrated before he stepped into the Carrera Cup Australia championship – and yet this year he’s absolutely smoked the best field the championship has ever assembled.

And as we’ve seen in the past if you win in Carrera Cup you generally win everywhere else you go.

After watching him in action earlier this year at the Bathurst 6 Hour, I think I’d have a strong argument to include Tim Leahey in this particular list; the car dealer from Orange at one point going head-to-head with Shane van Gisbergen in a straight-out fight and matching the most in-form driver in the universe in the process.

The list of drivers who perhaps don’t get the limelight they deserve is long, which is why we’re opening the TRT door to our superbly informed, intelligent, considered (and might we say, at least in the most part, quite good looking) audience to help us build a list.

Jump into the comments section on our Facebook Page, Instagram account or drop us a tweet to let us know who you think is the most underrated driver operating on these shores right now.

But don’t just stop there – argue your point (but be civil about it). Tell us why they deserve to be on the front cover of the newspaper, rather than relegated to a line in the results pages at the back.

We’ve already got a handy list but we’re sure there are people racing right now who we don’t know about – but could well be the next Scott McLaughlin.

We’ll leave it open for a few days to let you gather your thoughts – and then we’ll build a good old-fashioned Top 10 list of Australia’s most underrated talent deserving of a share of the spotlight.

Over to you..