NASCAR is one of the best-paying sports in the world, and drivers are well-paid through racing earnings, endorsements, and media deals. Here are the top 10 NASCAR drivers, with their racing earnings only, a combination of their salaries and prize money:
10. Mark Martin—$55 million
Mark Martin’s racing career in NASCAR spanned three decades, and he had 96 wins in NASCAR’s three national series. Famous for his consistency, he was considered the best driver who has never won the championship. Martin raced for six teams and has contracts worth millions of dollars, making his total career earnings from racing $55 million.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
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9. Kurt Busch—$55 million
Kurt Busch has been active in NASCAR since 2000, and as shown above, he has made his racing earnings approximately $55 million. Some of his achievements include; being crowned the champion in 2004 and winning the Daytona 500 in 2017. Basically, Busch has 34 Cup Series victories and has also bagged a lot of great contracts with leading teams like Roush Racing, Penske Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and 23XI.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
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8. Matt Kenseth — $60 million
Matt Kenseth, throughout his racing career in NASCAR, has earned a good amount of money. Throughout his career, Kenseth has been able to garner about $60 million mostly from his winnings and salaries. So, in 2006, the Cup Series brought him $6.4 million, while in 2012 his income reached $7.1 million. Some of the achievements that he has made in his career include; the 2023 Cup Series championship and his induction into the 2023 NASCAR Hall of Fame.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
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7. Denny Hamlin — $70 million
Denny Hamlin is a professional NASCAR driver who has earned a decent fortune from his racing career. Between 2018 and 2019, he earned a total of $14 million, him the third most paid NASCAR driver on the grid at that time. He has been earning about $14,6 million per year by his salary and race winnings. In his career which began in 2005, he has made around $71 million.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
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6. Kyle Busch — $95 million
Kyle Busch, one of the famous drivers, has made great amounts of money from his racing career. All things considered, from his salaries and track bonuses Busch has been able to amass a considerable amount of wealth in his career. At JGR he made a lot of money, and this contributed a lot to his total net worth. In 2023, his earnings at Richard Childress Racing were estimated to be $16.9 million, making him the best-paid NASCAR driver of the year. Even before this period, his earnings were stable and sometimes even exceeded $10 million per year from 2014 to 2022.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. — $100 million
Even though Dale Earnhardt Jr. is known for endorsements and fan support, his actual race earnings rank him in fourth place on this list. He has been quite consistent with his performances and victories, and above all, a well-negotiated salary boosted his earnings. Eventually, between the years 2004 and 2017, his annual income from salary and race winnings was about $10 million.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
4. Kevin Harvick — $110 million
Kevin Harvick joined the NASCAR series in 2001, driving for Richard Childress Racing. This boosted his income, and he started earning some of his best paychecks, for instance, $3,68 million in 2001, and $11 million in 2007 after winning the Daytona 500. After he signed up with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, he received $13 million the year he clinched the Cup Series. Altogether, his earnings have remained constant in the later years and have been estimated to be about $11 million per year. Consequently, up to the year 2023, his racing income stands at approximately $110 million.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
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3. Tony Stewart — $120 million
The above-highlighted career earnings of Tony Stewart show how successful the driver and team owner has been. His multiple championship and race wins tally have also contributed to his prize money earnings. This amount comes from various series that he has competed in, including NASCAR and IndyCar, where he has clinched several championships and races.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
2. Jeff Gordon — $130 million
Jeff Gordon has earned a huge amount of money from his racing career. He made about $130 million from his racing earnings alone, not including his other income from endorsements and other businesses. Gordon was successful in his NASCAR career amassing 93 wins and 4 NASCAR Cup Series championships.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)
1. Jimmie Johnson — $150 million
Jimmie Johnson is the highest-paid NASCAR driver, earning more than $150 million through racing. Between mid-2018 and mid-2019, he made $18 million. In 2020, he earned about $14.8 million from his racing activities. Summing up his income from his active years, Johnson’s race earnings are considerable.
(Note: These figures are estimates.)