In NASCAR, switching teams can prove to be a great boost to a driver’s career because things can be greener on the other side of the track. However, for certain racers, changing sides can lead to huge success. Here are seven drivers who switched NASCAR teams and ended up having epic careers.
7. Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch signed with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014 after driving for Furniture Row Racing and this revitalized his career. While at Furniture Row, he had some limited success, but he stepped up his game after joining SHR.
Busch captured six victories in his six years with SHR, including the most important race of the year, the 2017 Daytona 500. Twenty years after winning the Cup Series championship, he has remained a top driver in the sport.
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6. Clint Bowyer
Clint Bowyer’s career found new life after switching from HScott Motorsports to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2017. Even though he struggled at HScott, Bowyer got a second chance at SHR.
With the new team, he got several top-10 finishes and wins, including at Martinsville and Michigan in 2018. His performance at SHR revitalized his career and brought him to the top of the sport and a consistent contender in the Cup Series.
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5. Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski switched from Team Penske to RFK Racing in 2022. For Team Penske he already had 34 wins and one title — the 2012 Cup Series Championship. When he joined RFK Racing, he won the Bluegreen Vacations Duel at Daytona in his first race with his new team.
After that, Keselowski was always finishing in the top 10. So he showed he could take his success to a new team. It also showed his adaptability and skill in different cars, setups, and team dynamics.
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4. Martin Truex Jr.
Martin Truex Jr. moved from Michael Waltrip Racing to Furniture Row Racing in 2014, and this saw him make a huge step in the right direction in his career. Though his time at Michael Waltrip Racing was not very productive with only two wins, he was able to perform exceptionally well at Furniture Row and clinch the 2017 Cup Series Championship and several other races.
He also became a top-tier driver at Joe Gibbs Racing when he joined the team in 2019.
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3. Kyle Larson
Kyle Larson’s switch from Chip Ganassi Racing to Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 was huge. Larson had displayed a lot of promise at Chip Ganassi, where he had six wins to his credit. But his potential was fully realized at Hendrick Motorsports where he won 10 races in his first season with the new team and clinched the 2021 Cup Series Championship.
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2. Joey Logano
The 2013 season was a turning point in Joey Logano’s career as he moved from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) to Team Penske. During his time at JGR, Logano struggled and only got two wins in four seasons. At Team Penske Logano’s career hit unexpected peaks. He won the 2018 Cup Series Championship and now has over 20 wins to his name.
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1. Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick transferred from Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) in 2014. When he left RCR, Harvick had a decent record with that team and secured 23 cup wins. However, his career truly flourished at SHR where he clinched the 2014 Cup Series Championship and 35 more wins. He continued to dominate in SHR and became one of the best NASCAR drivers in history.