NASCAR has been America’s most significant racing pastime for over seven decades. It has given rise to several legends who have gone on to become household names. Many champions have even established their own teams in the sport, with varying degrees of success.
Running a successful NASCAR team is clearly no joke. A modern-day team is a well-oiled organization that may have over 100 members. Headed by a team owner, they generally have a team manager, crew chief, engineers, a pit crew and of course, the drivers. Today, a full-time NASCAR team is only allowed to field a maximum of four drivers per series.
The average net worth of a full-time team is approximately $150 million, making NASCAR one of the most lucrative forms of motorsport in the world.
Raymond Parks became the first-ever team owner to win the NASCAR Cup Series in 1949 when Red Byron won in an Oldsmobile. A total of 51 different teams have won the Cup Series till 2022. The biggest giant among them is Hendrick Motorsports. Founded as All-Star Racing by Rick Hendricks, the team has a record of 14 titles and 297 race wins in the Cup Series. It is also the only team to have produced four different champions in the top tier of NASCAR. Unsurprisingly, the team has the highest net worth in NASCAR today with a value of over $315 million. Previously the records were held by Petty Enterprises with 10 titles and 268 race wins. The only other teams that have won the Cup Series at least five times are Richard Childress Racing, Junior Johnson & Associates and Joe Gibbs Racing, with six, six and five titles respectively.
On the current grid, all teams have their cars manufactured by one of Ford, Chevrolet or Toyota. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest team still in existence but is yet to win a single NASCAR championship. On the other hand, Legacy Motor Club is the newest full-time team on the grid, having made its debut in 2022. Apart from the Hendrick, Richard Childress and Joe Gibbs teams, the only other current outfits with at least one Cup Series title to their name are Stewart-Haas Racing, Team Penske and RFK Racing.
The table below lists all the 16 full-time teams competing in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series with their driver lineups, team owners and debut races.
| Team Name | Car manufacturer | Drivers | Team Owner(s) | Cup Series debut |
| 23XI Racing | Toyota | Tyler ReddickBubba Wallace | Michael JordanDenny Hamlin | 2021 Daytona 500 |
| Front Row Motorsports | Ford | Todd GillilandMichael McDowell | Bob Jenkins | 2005 Food City 500 |
| Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Alex BowmanWilliam ByronChase ElliottKyle Larson | Rick Hendrick | 1984 Daytona 500 |
| Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | Christopher BellTy GibbsDenny HamlinMartin Truex Jr. | Joe Gibbs | 1992 Daytona 500 |
| JTG Daugherty Racing | Chevrolet | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Tad Geschickter and Brad Daugherty | 2008 Brickyard 400 |
| Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | AJ AllmendingerJustin Haley | Matt Kaulig | 2020 Daytona 500 |
| Legacy Motor Club | Chevrolet | Noah GragsonErik Jones | Maury Gallagher Jr. and Jimmie Johnson | 2022 Daytona 500 |
| Live Fast Motorsports | Chevrolet | BJ McLeod | B.J. McLeod and Matt Tifft | 2021 Daytona 500 |
| RFK Racing | Ford | Chris BuescherBrad Keselowski | Jack Roush and Brad Keselowski | 1988 Daytona 500 |
| Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Kyle BuschAustin Dillon | Richard Childress | 1969 Talladega 500 |
| Rick Ware Racing | Ford | Todd GillilandCody Ware | Rick Ware | 1998 Save Mart / Kragen 350 |
| Spire Motorsports | Chevrolet | Ty DillonCorey Lajoie | T.J. Puchyr | 2019 Daytona 500 |
| Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | Aric AlmirolaChase BriscoeKevin HarvickRyan Preece | Tony Stewart | 2002 Protection One 400 |
| Team Penske | Ford | Ryan BlaneyAustin CindricJoey Logano | Roger Penske | 1972 Winston Western 500 |
| Trackhouse Racing Team | Chevrolet | Ross ChastainDaniel Suarez | Justin Marks | 2021 Daytona 500 |
| Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Harrison Burton | Eddie Wood | 1953 Martinsville |
FAQs
A. There are 16 full-time teams competing in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series.
A. Yes, there have been many instances of an F1 driver competing in NASCAR. They include Mario Andretti, Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve.
A. Hendrick Motorsports is the most successful team in NASCAR Cup Series history with 14 titles and 297 races won. It also has the highest net worth for a NASCAR team today with an estimated $315 million valuation.
A. NASCAR uses the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang GT and Toyota Camry TRD cars in the Cup Series currently.
