Although the top NASCAR drivers may not be earning on the same level as their counterparts in the NBA or NFL, the top drivers on the stock car circuit are still some of the wealthiest race car drivers in the world.
The top races have massive prize purses, with the 2022 Daytona 500 offering a reputed $24 million in prize money. The elite drivers in NASCAR, therefore, have a net worth rivaling their colleagues in the glamorous world of Formula 1.
These are the 15 richest NASCAR drivers of all time:
15) Greg Biffle, $50 million
- Net worth: $50 Million
Greg Biffle has had one of the most varied careers in NASCAR. Emerging onto the scene in 1998 on the NASCAR Truck Series, Biffle would go onto pick up his first championship in 2000 driving for RFK Racing (then Roush Racing).
Biffle would move onto the Nationwide Series, where he became the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion. He also made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2002 and has raced in 510 races to date. His best finish was a 2nd place in the 2005 season but Biffle will be returning to the Cup Series in 2022 after a six-year absence.
14) Jeff Burton, $60 Million
- Net Worth: $60 Million
NASCAR’s “Mayor” has enjoyed a NASCAR career lasting more than two decades. After debuting in the Cup Series in 1997, Burton’s best result came in the 2000 season when he finished 3rd in the Drivers’ Championship.
His long and illustrious career has included victories in the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600, but ultimately the Championship eluded Burton before retiring from the Cup Series in 2014.
Burton can now be seen as the color commentator for NBC’s coverage of the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series.
13) Matt Kenseth, $60 Million
- Net Worth: $60 millionrivall
Kenseth retired from the NASCAR Cup Series after the 2020 season, concluding a twenty-year career at the pinnacle of stock car racing. Kenseth clinched the Cup Series championship in 2003 and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner, in 2009 and 2012.
He stepped away from NASCAR after the 2020 season, but may continue his driving career outside the stock car circuit.
12) Richard Petty, $65 Million
- Â Net Worth: $65 million
Arguably one of the greatest NASCAR drivers of all time, “The King” Richard Petty is a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion with 200 career wins. Debuting in 1958, Petty won his first championship in 1964 and would win another six titles over the next fifteen years. In addition to this, Petty is also won the Daytona 500 a record-breaking seven times!
The Petty family have NASCAR in their blood: his father Lee Petty was a three-time NASCAR Cup champion and won the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959 and both Richard’s son, Kyle, and grandson, Adam, raced in NASCAR.
11) Denny Hamlin, $65 Million
- Net Worth: $65 million
A three-time Daytona 500 winner, Denny Hamlin has yet to obtain that elusive NASCAR Cup championship. Debuting in 2005, Hamlin’s best performance would come in the 2010 season when he led the Cup championship by 15 points going into the final race of the season. Hamlin would spin out in the final race, ultimately losing the championship to Jimmie Johnson.
Hamlin co-owns 23XI Racing alongside NBA legend, Michael Jordan.
10) Dale Earnhardt, Sr. $70 Million
- Net Worth: $70 million
Considered by most to be the greatest NASCAR driver of all time, Dale Earnhardt was a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion (including three back-to-back championship victories). Earnhardt is the only driver in NASCAR history to have won a race in four consecutive decades.
Tragically, Earnhardt died from a last-lap crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Similar to the death of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994, this tragedy led to the implementation of additional safety regulations which have, to date, prevented any further fatalities in NASCAR.
Earnhardt remains an icon in the world of motorsport: his helmet is on display in the Smithsonian and current Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has frequently spoken of his admiration for the late, great Earnhardt
9) Mark Martin, $70 Million
- Net Worth: $70 million
Probably the best NASCAR driver never to have won a championship, Martin has had an amazing career. Over a 31-year career in the Cup Series, Martin finished second overall on five occasions! Even more impressive, his second-place finishes span almost twenty years from 1990 to 2009.
An early adopter of a strength and fitness regime in NASCAR, Martin was still driving at an elite level into his fifties. Martin now owns a series of dealerships in his home state of Arkansas.
8) Kevin Harvick, $70 Million
- Net Worth: $70 million
One of the most successful NASCAR drivers of all time, Kevin Harvick has a total of 119 wins across the Cup and Xfinity Series. After winning the Xfinity Series Championship twice (2001 and 2006), he finally won the Cup Series championship in 2014.
Harvick remains competitive in the Cup Series, finishing in the top five in each of the last five seasons.
7) Carl Edwards, $70 Million
- Net Worth: $70 million
One of the most athletic and popular NASCAR drivers, Carl Edwards is famous for his victory backflips! Edwards was also jointly responsible for one of the most exciting NASCAR seasons in recent memory. He lost out on the 2011 NASCAR Cup championship to Tony Stewart on a tiebreaker!
