Top 10 NASCAR Teams

Since its founding in 1948, NASCAR has seen decades of talent. Some teams burn out bright and fast, while other powerhouses have proven they’re here to stay. Listed below are the top ten NASCAR teams of all time.

Who Are the Best NASCAR Teams of All Time?

1. Hendrick Motorsports
2. Joe Gibbs Racing
3. Stewart-Haas Racing
4. Petty Enterprises
5. Richard Childress Racing
6. Junior Johnson & Associates
7. RFK Racing
8. Team Penske
9. Chip Ganassi Racing
10. Furniture Row Racing

1. Hendrick Motorsports

• 14 NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 291 Cup Series Race Wins
• 26 Xfinity Series Race Wins

Thanks to its long history of success, Hendrick Motorsports is the best NASCAR team of all time. The company was founded in 1984 by Rick Hendrick and originally operated under the name All Star Racing. In 1985, they formally became Hendrick Motorsports and began a history of innovation and achievement. They won their first championship in 1995 and kept winning for 13 further championships. In 2021, they won their 269th race, officially becoming the most successful NASCAR team in history, overtaking Petty Enterprises, which held the record since 1960.

Hendrick Motorsports has also won with over 20 different drivers, including stars like Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jimmi Johnson, who is responsible for seven of their titles. In 2023 the team is valued at $315 million and boasts a total of 14 Cup Series Championships.

2. Joe Gibbs Racing

• Five NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 200 Cup Series Race Wins
• 193 Xfinity Series Race Wins

Founded in 1992, Joe Gibbs Racing is former NFL coach Joe Gibbs’s team and has five Cup Series titles to their credit. Their diversity initiative in 2004 catalyzed NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, and their focus on training and development has produced some of today’s most competitive drivers. In 2007, Joe Gibbs left General Motors and got access to far more resources through a partnership with Toyota. The move paid off, and they brought Toyota their first Cup Series championship in 2015 (with racer Kyle Busch behind the wheel). In 2023, they’re valued at $250 million, and with Denny Hamlin, Ryan Truex Jr., Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs, Myatt Snider,  and Connor Mosack on their roster, they’ve cemented themselves as one of NASCAR’s teams to beat.

3. Stewart-Haas Racing

• Two NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 69 Cup Series Race Wins
• 22 Xfinity Series Race Wins

Stewart-Haas Racing is one of NASCAR’s newest powerhouses, founded in 2002 by Gene Haas. They didn’t start picking up steam competitively, however, until 2009 when Tony Stewart, a former driver from Joe Gibbs Motorsports, claimed 50% ownership of the company and helped guide the team to two championships. Racers like Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and Kevin Harvick have made Stewart-Haas one of today’s highest-earning teams and began building a legacy for the estimated $165 million organization. They show no sign of slowing down.

4. Petty Enterprises

• Ten NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• Held Record for Most Race Wins for 61 years
• 279 Cup Series Race Wins

Though they dissolved in 2008, Petty Enterprises was one of the most winning teams in the history of NASCAR. Founded in 1949, it was one of NASCAR’s earliest juggernauts, with driver and founder Lee Petty making history by claiming three championships between 1954 and 1959. His son Richard Petty then joined him in the history books in 1979 when he became the first driver to win seven championships, a feat that’s only been repeated by two other drivers since. The team held the record with 268 wins in the series for 61 years before being eclipsed by Hendrick Motorsports. Despite phasing out of competition, they spent years at the top of the heap and have set the bar for future teams to follow.

5. Richard Childress Racing

• Six NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 113 Cup Series Race Wins
• 89 Xfinity Series Race Wins

Richard Childress Racing is one of NASCAR’s most successful teams, having especially had their heyday in the 80s and 90s. The $132.8 million team got its start in 1969 but didn’t rise to prominence until they could rise alongside their star driver Dale Earnhardt. As a result, the team was prolific in the late 80s and early 90s, winning six Cup Series championships (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994), but fell off after Earnhardt’s death in 2001. They’ve thus far been unable to recapture their former glory, but their track record and drivers like Earnhardt, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick have certainly left their mark on the racing world. Despite falling on harder times competitively, RCR still offers one of the highest base salaries at $161,073 and continues to make waves in the sport.

6. Junior Johnson & Associates

• 6 NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• First Triple Crown Winner
• 132 Cup Series Race Wins

One of NASCAR’s early dynasties, Junior Johnson & Associates operated from 1965 to 1996. Much like Petty Enterprises, financial hardship prevented them from transitioning successfully into modern racing, but they had an impressive track record in their earlier era. In 1969, their star driver Cale Yarborough became the first in history to complete NASCAR’s triple crown, winning the Daytona 500, the Rebel 400, and the World 600 in a single season. The team was dominant throughout the 70s and 80s, making history in 1985 as the first team to win six championships (1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985). Though they’re no longer in play, they more than earned their spot as one of NASCAR’s greatest.

7. RFK Racing

• Two NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 138 Cup Series Race Wins
• 137 Xfinity Series Race Wins

Roush Fenway Racing was one of the largest teams of the 2000s, with five full-time Cup teams in operation between 1998 and 2000, and 2003 and 2009. They were established in 1988 and have also worked with major names like Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, and Kurt Busch. Sponsored exclusively by Ford since their inception, they’ve been a racing mainstay for the past several decades. In 2021, former Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski announced his addition to the team as both a driver and co-owner, renaming the company RFK and planning to push it to new heights. In 2023, the team is valued at a whopping $83 million.

8. Team Penske

• Three NASCAR Cup Series Championships
• 18 Indy 500 Championships
• 138 Cup Series Race Wins

Before their recent success in the Cup Series circuit, Team Penske debuted in the Indycar series in 1968 and dominated during the 70s and 80s in the Indy racing arena. They began competing in the Cup Series in 1972 and by 2001 had expanded into a multi-car NASCAR enterprise. Drivers like legend Dusty Wallace, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch helped grow the team into one of the most dominant of the 2010s, winning their first championship in 2012 and then again in 2018 and 2022. They’ve proven significant longevity and show no sign of falling off heading into the 2023 season, with three viable championship teams and a net worth of $76 million.

9. Chip Ganassi Racing

• 27 Cup Series Championship Wins
• 22 Xfinity Series Wins
• 242 Total Race Wins

Founded in 1990 by former racecar driver Chip Ganassi, Chip Ganassi Racing is a $63 million team currently owned by Trackhouse Entertainment Group. While a championship has thus far evaded them, they’ve got five Indy 500s to their credit and have worked with top talents like Kyle Petty, Joe Nemechek, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Jimmy Spencer, all of whom turned their popularity into massive merchandise sales, helping earn the team its impressive net worth.

10. Furniture Row Racing

• 2017 Cup Series Champion
• 1st Single Cup to qualify for Chase for the Sprint Cup
• 18 Cup Series Race Wins

Furniture Row Racing competed in the Cup Series from 2005 to 2018, claiming one remarkable championship during their brief tenure. Names like Carl Edwards, Kenny Wallace, and Jimmy Spencer helped garner the company a $24 million net worth, but the team still struggled to find sponsorship just a year after their big win and dissolved after the 2018 season. It was the only NASCAR team headquartered west of the Mississippi, owned by a furniture chain store in Colorado, and showed significant promise before its career was unfortunately cut short.

Honorable Mentions

• Wood Brothers Racing
• JD Motorsports
• ThorSport Racing
• Rick Ware Racing
• AK Racing
• Yates Racing
• JR Motorsports
• Holman-Moody
• 23XI Racing
• HScott Motorsports

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