5 NASCAR drivers who had completely different careers before racing, ft. Carl Edwards

Racing’s ladder is rarely straight. Many of NASCAR’s familiar names tried other trades first, juggling odd jobs, family businesses, or even different sports before steering into stock cars full-time. Grassroots racing often means balancing bills with ambition, and for some, the paycheck away from the track kept the dream alive until an opening arrived.

Generations of drivers have come from farms, shops, or local garages, but a few carried resumes that had little to do with horsepower. Here are five NASCAR drivers who held completely different careers before chasing laps around America’s ovals.

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5 NASCAR drivers with completely different careers before racing

#5 Stanton Barrett - Movies

Stanton Barrett at Daytona International Speedway in 2024. Source: Imagn

Stanton Barrett carved a life that blended Hollywood action with high-speed corners. A journeyman across NASCAR’s national series, Barrett has logged more than 200 Xfinity starts and 25 Cup Series appearances, with occasional IndyCar entries.

But away from pit road, he has also built a parallel career as a stuntman and director. Barrett worked in major films like Spider-Man, Jurassic Park 2 and 3, Blade, Batman Forever, and Jumanji. Although he no longer races full-time, he continues to pursue both passions.

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#4 Benny Parsons - Taxi Business

Benny Parsons during the 1985 Daytona 500. Source: Imagn

Long before his induction into the Hall of Fame, Benny Parsons worked at the family service station and taxi business in Detroit. He rarely played the full-time cabbie, stepping in mostly when regular drivers missed shifts, but the experience kept him close to the wheel while he managed repairs and dispatch for his father’s operation.

That steady work supported his early stock car entries on Midwest tracks. Parsons turned those appearances into a stellar racing career, winning the 1973 Winston Cup and then becoming one of NASCAR’s most respected TV voices.

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#3 Harry Gant - Carpentry

Harry Gant before the NASCAR 1985 Daytona 500. Source: Getty

Harry Gant’s legend as “Handsome Harry” started not in a garage but on construction sites. A skilled carpenter and contractor, Gant built homes and even owned a steakhouse in Taylorsville, North Carolina. He believed he was a better carpenter than a racer.

Gant sold his contracting business in 1979 to chase Cup racing full-time, debuting with equipment he’d largely maintained himself. The gamble worked. Across two decades, Gant collected 18 Cup wins and 21 Xfinity Series victories, becoming a fan favorite for his late-career surge and smooth driving style.

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#2 Kevin Harvick - Wrestling

Kevin Harvick at North Wilkesboro Speedway 2024. Source: Imagn

2014 Cup Series Champion and current Fox Sports analyst Kevin Harvick's path to the race tracks came through mats. Growing up in Bakersfield, California, he wrestled throughout high school, even winning sectional tournaments while balancing weekend kart races.

Harvick has often credited the wrestling for his competitive edge. He fully transitioned to stock cars in the mid-1990s, rising through regional tours before replacing Dale Earnhardt Sr. in 2001. The two-time Xfinity champ retired with more than 100 NASCAR national-series wins.

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#1 Carl Edwards - Teacher

Carl Edwards after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond. Source: Getty

Before his trademark backflips, Carl Edwards answered roll calls. The Missouri native worked as an elementary school substitute teacher in Columbia, juggling it with weekend short-track racing to pay for tires and travel. Teaching was never the final goal, but it bought time while he chased sponsors.

When the opportunity knocked in 2002, Edwards impressed in the Truck Series, setting a path toward Roush Fenway Racing’s Cup program. In 12 seasons, he amassed 28 Cup wins and twice finished the championship runner-up.