Owner–driver
An owner–driver in NASCAR is a NASCAR driver who fully or partially owns the team they are driving for full-time or part-time. The practice has been established since the beginning of NASCAR in 1949. However, owner–drivers are almost nonexistent today in the NASCAR Cup Series, primarily due to the expense and responsibilities involved, essentially having two jobs in one. However, there are many owner–driver teams in the lower tier Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series. Owner–driver is not to be confused with a driver who owns a separate team, such as Dale Earnhardt, who fielded 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 1980s more and more drivers drove for another team. Since 1980, with the exception of Alan Kulwicki and Tony Stewart, no NASCAR Cup Series champion was an owner–driver.Notable owner–drivers in NASCAR's national series
The following list is a list of owner–drivers:- Lee Petty 1949–1961
- Herb Thomas 1949–1956
- 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
- Bobby Gerhart 1984–2018
- Alan Kulwicki 1986–1993
- Cale Yarborough 1986–1987
- Morgan Shepherd 1986–present
- Geoff Bodine 1993–1997
- Joe Nemechek 1993; 1995; 2009–present
- Kevin Lepage 1994–1996
- Ricky Rudd 1994–1999
- Bill Elliott 1995–2000
- Brett Bodine 1996–2003
- Kyle Petty 1997–1998
- Derrike Cope 2001–2003, 2008–2010, 2012–2017
- Kevin Harvick 2001–2011
- Michael Waltrip 2001–2015
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2003–present
- Robby Gordon 2004–2012
- Mike Harmon 2007–present
- Norm Benning 2008–present
- Brad Keselowski 2008–2015, 2022–present
- Jeremy Clements 2008–2009, 2011–present
- Jeremy Mayfield 2009
- Chris Fontaine 2009–present
- Tony Stewart 2009–2016
- Kyle Busch 2010–2023
- Jennifer Jo Cobb 2010–present
- Clay Greenfield 2013–present
- Carl Long 2014–present
- B. J. McLeod 2015–present
- Chad Finley 2016–present
- Stewart Friesen 2016–present
- Jordan Anderson 2018–present
- Korbin Forrister 2018–2020
- David Gilliland 2018–present
- Bo LeMastus 2018
- Josh Reaume 2018–present
- Jimmie Johnson 2025-present