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

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

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; 2009–2013
Ricky Rudd 1994–1999
Bill Elliott 1995–2000
Brett Bodine 1996–2003
Kyle Petty 1997–1998
Robby Gordon 2005–2011
Tony Stewart 2009–present

References

↑ Harris, Mike (August 14, 1997). "It's not easy being owner, driver on NASCAR circuit". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
↑ "Tony Stewart and the Greatest Owner/Drivers in NASCAR History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2014-03-07.

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