Muhammad Ali was 'The Greatest.' Is he the GOAT in our motorsports and combat sports poll?

Whether you blow a chunk of your discretionary spending on pay-per-view bouts or devote hours each weekend to the latest race around the oval, you know the athletes on USA TODAY Sports' list of top American motorsports and combat sports stars of all time have served up some of the most memorable – and colorful – performances in our nation's history.

Case in point: Muhammad Ali. Possibly the greatest showman in the history of sport, Ali backed up his bravado with a 56-5 career record as a professional boxer, knocking out 37 of his opponents. Ali's style and swagger are still imitated today, with professional wrestling owing a special debt to Ali for charting a path for pre-match promos.

Then in motorsports, the nicknames alone are worth the price of admission. NASCAR gave us "The King" and "The Intimidator" among others. And regardless of what you think of him as an athlete, Robert Craig Knievel – you know him as Evel – brought stunt jumping to new heights and a national stage.

Visit USA TODAY on May 21 to see what our experts have to say about the top U.S. motorsports and combat sports stars of all time. Until then, weigh in on your GOAT picks below, add your sleeper suggestion for the list, or shout about the most obvious omission you see.

With this celebration of America's top sports figures, we're featuring these athletes and the high schools they graduated from – or hometowns for those who took an alternate path to sports stardom.

Vote for your favorite all-time U.S. motorsports driver in USA TODAY's '250 for 250' list

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Vote for your favorite all-time U.S. combat sports athlete in USA TODAY's '250 for 250' list

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Best American athletes of all time: USA TODAY '250 for 250' release schedule

Starting the week of April 20, USA TODAY will produce weekly lists of the top American athletes, followed by a poll for readers to vote on nominees for the next week's list. Here's a look at the full schedule, leading up to a special interactive experience surrounding the top 250 athletes in American history:

• Week of April 20: Men's basketball
• Week of April 27: Women's basketball
• Week of May 4: Baseball
• Week of May 11: Golf and tennis
• Week of May 18: Motorsports and combat sports
• Week of May 25: Football
• Week of June 1: Track and field
• Week of June 8: Soccer
• Week of June 15: Winter sports
• Week of June 22: Swimming, diving and gymnastics
• Week of June 29: Pioneers, leaders and innovators
• July 4: Full "250 for 250" reveal