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Five highest paid NASCAR drivers

Posted by AR1 staff

NASCAR’s biggest stars are millionaires many times over, but the coveted position of race car driver is not as lucrative today as it was in generations past. Even before the pandemic, NASCAR teams had been struggling to turn a profit for years.

Although there’s certainly less money to go around now compared to years past, the sport’s top dogs are hardly filing for bankruptcy.

#5. Martin Truex Jr.

  • Combined earnings: $11.5 million

His deal with Joe Gibbs made him a top-tier driver in terms of pay – all but $1.1 million of his $11.5 million haul came from his salary.

#4. Kevin Harvick

  • Combined earnings: $12.2 million

Most of Harvick’s earnings – $10.9 million – come from his salary, with the gravy coming from licensing and endorsement deals.

#3. Denny Hamlin

  • Combined earnings: $14.6 million

The $1.5 million he’s earned from licensing and endorsement deals comes mostly from Nike’s Jordan brand, whose namesake is a friend and golfing buddy of Hamlin’s.

#2. Jimmie Johnson

  • Combined earnings: $17.6 million

#1 Kyle Busch (shown above)

#2 highest paid Jimmie Johnson made more in his last  year of NASCAR than if he were to win the Indy 500 five times. He is seen here smiling all the way to the bank.