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.[1] 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 (1992 and 2011, respectively), no NASCAR Cup Series champion was an owner-driver.
