10 NASCAR Drivers Who Became Successful Team Owners
In NASCAR, greatness does not always end when a driver steps away from the steering wheel. Some legends simply trade the fire suit for a boardroom chair and continue dominating the sport from the ownership side. From building championship dynasties to reshaping the business of stock car racing, several former drivers proved they could lead teams just as successfully as they once led laps. These ten NASCAR icons did more than collect trophies during their driving careers. They built organizations that changed the history of the sport itself.
- Krishna Sagar
- 6 min read
Winning races is difficult. Building a championship team is even harder. That is why NASCAR team owners are often respected just as much as the drivers themselves. Managing sponsors, engineers, crew chiefs, finances, personalities, and race strategy requires an entirely different skill set from driving a stock car at 190 miles per hour.
Yet some former drivers somehow mastered both worlds. Over the decades, NASCAR has seen several legendary racers transition into ownership roles and create powerhouse organizations that dominated entire eras of the sport.
Their experience behind the wheel gave them a unique understanding of what drivers needed to succeed, while their competitive instincts helped transform small operations into racing empires. Some became owners while still racing.
Others stepped away from the track entirely before building dynasties. But all of them left massive fingerprints on NASCAR history. Here are 10 NASCAR drivers who became hugely successful team owners.
1. Richard Petty
Few figures in motorsports history loom larger than Richard Petty. Known universally as “The King,” Petty dominated NASCAR with an untouchable 200 Cup Series victories and seven championships. But his influence stretched far beyond his driving career.
Petty Enterprises became one of the sport’s original superteams. Although founded by his father Lee Petty, Richard became the face of the organization during NASCAR’s rapid rise in popularity.
Under his leadership, the team collected championships, race wins, and enormous cultural influence. Petty Enterprises also helped modernize safety and communication systems within NASCAR garages, pioneering innovations that became standard throughout the sport.
For decades, the iconic No. 43 car symbolized NASCAR itself.
2. Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart never did anything quietly. Nicknamed “Smoke,” Stewart built a reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in American motorsports history. Then he shocked NASCAR by leaving a powerhouse ride at Joe Gibbs Racing to help transform Haas CNC Racing into Stewart-Haas Racing.
The gamble changed everything. Stewart-Haas Racing quickly evolved into one of NASCAR’s elite organizations. Stewart even won the 2011 Cup Series championship as an owner-driver, something NASCAR had not seen in decades.
Later, Kevin Harvick delivered another championship for SHR in 2014, cementing the organization’s place among the sport’s modern giants.
Before shutting down operations in 2024, Stewart-Haas Racing had already built a legacy of aggression, speed, and championship-level competition.
3. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
“The Intimidator” dominated NASCAR with pure fearlessness. Dale Earnhardt Sr. became one of the most iconic athletes in American sports history thanks to his seven championships and ruthless driving style. But his ownership journey with Dale Earnhardt Inc. also became hugely important to NASCAR’s growth.
Originally launched in 1980, DEI eventually grew into a major Cup Series organization with a state-of-the-art facility and multiple successful teams.
After Earnhardt’s tragic death in the 2001 Daytona 500, the organization carried forward his legacy through drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip.
DEI became a central figure during NASCAR’s boom years and helped expand the sport’s national popularity.
4. Junior Johnson
Junior Johnson’s story feels almost mythical. Before NASCAR became corporate and polished, Johnson was a moonshiner-turned-racer who learned to drive while outrunning federal agents.
Later, he transformed into one of the greatest owners in NASCAR history.
Junior Johnson & Associates became a powerhouse throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His teams won 132 Cup races and six championships while developing legends like Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip.
Johnson possessed an incredible eye for talent and race strategy. His cars were consistently among the fastest in the garage, helping define an entire generation of NASCAR dominance.
5. Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon changed NASCAR forever. With his California background, movie-star image, and incredible talent, Gordon helped bring NASCAR into mainstream American culture during the 1990s. Then he quietly became one of the sport’s most influential owners as well.
Rick Hendrick famously gave Gordon an ownership stake in Hendrick Motorsports early in his career. Gordon later became listed as the owner of Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 car during its historic championship run.
Today, Gordon serves as Vice Chairman and co-owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest organization in NASCAR history.
His influence now extends from the driver’s seat to the executive office.
6. Richard Childress
Richard Childress never won a Cup Series race as a driver. Yet he became one of the most respected owners in NASCAR history.
After retiring from driving in 1981, Childress fully committed himself to team ownership and transformed Richard Childress Racing into a championship-caliber operation.
His partnership with Dale Earnhardt Sr. became legendary. Together, they built one of NASCAR’s most feared combinations, winning six championships and countless races.
Even decades later, RCR remains one of NASCAR’s most recognizable organizations, proving Childress successfully built a lasting empire from humble beginnings.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Jr. inherited racing greatness but created his own ownership legacy. While still competing full-time, Earnhardt Jr. co-founded JR Motorsports, which rapidly became one of the premier organizations in the Xfinity Series.
The team developed future stars, won championships, and consistently competed at the highest level of NASCAR’s developmental ranks.
Beyond trophies, JR Motorsports helped modernize NASCAR branding and fan engagement. Earnhardt’s popularity brought massive attention to the organization, while his racing knowledge created a winning culture.
Today, JRM is viewed as one of the strongest pipelines to the Cup Series.
8. Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski entered ownership with a modern mindset. Already respected as a Cup Series champion driver, Keselowski shocked the NASCAR world when he joined RFK Racing as both driver and co-owner.
The move revitalized one of NASCAR’s historic organizations.
Keselowski focused heavily on technology, engineering, and long-term development, helping RFK Racing regain competitiveness after several difficult seasons.
His leadership immediately changed the organization’s culture and restored optimism around one of NASCAR’s classic teams.
9. Denny Hamlin (23XI Racing)
While Denny Hamlin remains an active driver, his ownership role at 23XI Racing has already become one of the biggest modern success stories.
Co-owned alongside Michael Jordan, the organization quickly emerged as a serious contender after launching in 2020.
Hamlin’s understanding of modern NASCAR competition proved critical to the team’s rapid growth. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace became the face of the organization and helped elevate its cultural significance across sports.
In just a few seasons, 23XI Racing established itself as one of NASCAR’s rising powers.
10. Ricky Rudd
Ricky Rudd took a different path from many owners on this list.
Rather than inheriting massive backing immediately, Rudd formed his own owner-driver operation during the 1990s and managed to compete successfully against NASCAR’s giants. That alone was enormously impressive.
Rudd’s independent mentality earned widespread respect throughout the garage. He proved that determination, intelligence, and careful management could still produce wins against bigger-budget teams.
While his operation never reached dynasty status, Rudd’s success as both driver and owner remains one of NASCAR’s most underrated accomplishments.