Owner-driver (NASCAR)

An owner-driver in NASCAR is a NASCAR driver who owns the car they are driving. The practice has been established since the beginning of NASCAR in 1949. However, owner-drivers are almost nonexistent today. One exception is Tony Stewart, who won the 2011 NSCS title as an owner-driver, but he was only a half owner (Gene Haas being the other half). The main reason that owner-drivers do not exist today is the expense and responsibilities involved, essentially having two jobs in one.^[1] Owner-driver is not to be confused with a driver who owns a separate team, such as Dale Earnhardt, who raced his own team but still drove for RCR.

History

When NASCAR started in the late 1940s nearly all drivers owned their cars and would drive their car to the track. While sponsorship was useful, it was not essential to win at this time, leaving less burden for the driver. But by the 1970s and '80s more and more drivers drove for another team. From 1980 to now, with the exception of Alan Kulwicki and Tony Stewart (1992 and 2011) no NASCAR champion was an owner driver.

Notable owner-drivers in NASCAR's top series

The following list is a list of owner-drivers:^[2]

• Lee Petty 1949–1961
• Herb Thomas 1949–1955; 1956
• Buck Baker 1949–1957
• Neil Castles 1957–1976
• Richard Petty 1958–1983; 1986–1992
• Wendell Scott 1961–1973
• J.D. McDuffie 1963–1991
• John Sears 1964–1973
• Junior Johnson 1965
• James Hylton 1968–1993
• Cecil Gordon 1970-1983
• Richard Childress 1969; 1972; 1976-1981
• Dave Marcis 1969–1974; 1977; 1979–1983; 1985–2002
• Darrell Waltrip 1972; 1991–1997
• Jimmy Means 1978–1993
• Alan Kulwicki 1986–1993
• Cale Yarborough 1986–1987
• Geoff Bodine 1993–1997
• Joe Nemechek 1993; 1995; 2009–present
• Ricky Rudd 1994–1999
• Bill Elliott 1995–2000
• Brett Bodine 1996–2003
• Kyle Petty 1997–1998
• Robby Gordon 2005–2011
• Tony Stewart 2009–present
• Morgan Shepherd 1986-Present
• Norm Benning 2008-present
• Derrike Cope 2001-2003, 2008-2010, 2012-present
• B.J. McLeod 2015-present
• Mike Harmon 2007-present
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2003-present
• Kevin Lepage 1994-1996

References