Richest race car drivers

Kuznetsov Alexey // Shutterstock On August 30, 1867, what is believed to be the first documented automobile race took place in Manchester, England. Two drivers steered their road steam carriages over an 8-mile countryside course, excited about pushing the boundaries of self-powered vehicles (but wary of attracting the attention of authorities). By the late 19th century, officially sanctioned and organized races were taking place across the United States. Today, automobile races are held on almost every continent, from open-wheel races like Formula One and IndyCar, to stock car racing like NASCAR. That has changed the financial landscape of the globally popular sport. NASCAR (founded 1948) is in the middle of a 10-year television agreement worth an estimated $8.2 billion. Formula One (founded 1950), has a large following overseas and made $2.6 billion in total revenue between Q4 2021 and Q3 2022, per earning reports released by Liberty Media, the parent company of the racing series. In June 2022, Formula One signed a television rights deal with ESPN worth a reported $75 to $90 million per year. But does this wealth trickle down to the athletes competing in the sport? In many cases, yes. Stacker ranked the 25 richest race car drivers based on estimated net worth data from Celebrity Net Worth. The data set includes each driver’s nationality and which racing series they are best known for driving in. Formula One makes up the bulk of this list–16 of the 25 drivers have spent significant time in the open-wheel series. Seven, meanwhile, compete or competed in NASCAR. Read on to see whether any of your favorite drivers made the list. You may also like: States with the most gambling and sportsbook writers and runners #22. Kyle Busch (tie) Jared C. Tilton // Getty Images – Net worth: $80 million – Known for: NASCAR – Nationality: United States Dubbed “The Candy Man” thanks to his longtime sponsorship with Mars Inc., Kyle Busch races full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series. At various points in his career, Busch, who owns his team Kyle Busch Motorsports, won the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Additionally, he holds the record for having the most all-time wins in the Xfinity Series (102) and the Camping World Truck Series (62). #22. David Coulthard (tie) Mark Thompson // Getty Images – Net worth: $80 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Scotland Now retired, David Coulthard competed in 15 seasons of Formula One racing. He won 13 Grand Prix races with teams like Williams-Renault, McLaren, and Red Bull. After retiring from that circuit, he’s worked as a commentator for BBC and Channel 4 in the U.K., been a consultant for the Red Bull team, and done small stints in a German racing league. #22. Danica Patrick (tie) Jason Miller // Getty Images – Net worth: $80 million – Known for: NASCAR and IndyCar – Nationality: United States Danica Patrick is the only woman to have ever won an IndyCar Series race (the 2008 Indy Japan 300). Patrick has also raced in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where she became the highest-finishing woman in a major stock car series in 63 years based on top-10 placing points. According to Forbes, at the time of her retirement in 2018, Patrick had one of the biggest endorsement portfolios in sports with over 15 sponsors. #22. Bobby Rahal (tie) Pascal Rondeau // Getty Images – Net worth: $80 million – Known for: IndyCar – Nationality: United States Throughout the 1980s, Bobby Rahal was one of the most popular drivers in Championship Auto Racing Teams (a predecessor to IndyCar). He won three championships in the league, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500, before retiring after the 1998 season. After stepping out from behind the wheel, Rahal held a number of executive positions including being the interim president of the CART series, a manager with Jaguar’s Formula One team, and IndyCar team owner. #20. Tony Stewart (tie) Jared Tilton/SRX // Getty Images – Net worth: $90 million – Known for: NASCAR and IndyCar – Nationality: United States A three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Tony Stewart actually got his start in IndyCar. He began driving in the latter league in 1996 and won a cup there in 1997. In 1999, he moved to NASCAR, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, Stewart is co-owner of the Stewart-Haas Racing team and the sole owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. You may also like: 25 athletes who retired in their prime #20. Nigel Mansell (tie) Clive Rose // Getty Images – Net worth: $90 million – Known for: Formula One and IndyCar – Nationality: United Kingdom Nigel Mansell spent the bulk of his career in Formula One racing, where he drove for 15 seasons and had 31 wins. However, many Americans better recognize him for his two seasons racing in the CART league (he won a championship here in 1993). His final racing appearance was in 2010 in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he participated alongside his two sons. #14. Rubens Barrichello (tie) Robert Laberge // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Brazil An 11-time Grand Prix winner, Rubens Barrichello drove in the Formula One series for 19 years. After retiring from that league, he spent a single season in IndyCar racing before moving to the Brazilian Stock Car series. In 2022, he won his second stock car title at Interlagos. #14. Ralf Schumacher (tie) Mark Thompson // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Germany The younger brother of Michael Schumacher, Ralf Schumacher made his Formula One debut in 1997. He won his first Grand Prix in 2001 and continued to race until 2012. After retirement, he worked in a managerial and mentorship role in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series and as a commentator for Germany’s Sky Sports network. #14. Martin Brundle (tie) Heritage Images // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: United Kingdom Martin Brundle drove for eight Formula One teams and had 158 starts over the course of his 12-year career. In addition to his success there, he has a 24 Hours of Le Mans win under his belt and has made appearances in a number of celebrity races. Since his retirement, Brundle became well-known as a commentator for networks like ITV, BBC, and Sky Sports F1. #14. Jody Scheckter (tie) Mark Thompson // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: South Africa Despite only being active in Formula One racing for eight years, Jody Scheckter is a well-known name with racing fans thanks to the number of heart-stopping crashes he caused throughout his career. He eventually won the F1 World Championship in 1979 (his only win) before retiring in 1980. To date, he remains the only South African driver to have won an F1 World Championship. You may also like: Best beers from every state #14. Alexis DeJoria (tie) MediaNews Group/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Drag racing – Nationality: United States The second woman to make the list, Alexis DeJoria is a drag racer who competes in the NHRA’s Funny Car division. She began competing in 2005 and, following a brief break in 2017, returned to the sport full-time in 2020. She holds the record of being the first woman to compete in 100 Funny Car events. #14. Alain Prost (tie) NurPhoto // Getty Images – Net worth: $100 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: France One of the greatest drivers in Formula One history, Alain Prost has won 51 individual races and four championships. After retiring in 1993, he went on to own his own Formula One team, Prost Grand Prix, which disbanded in 2001 due to financial troubles. #13. Eddie Irvine Darren Heath Photographer // Getty Images – Net worth: $120 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: United Kingdom Irish-born Eddie Irvine spent almost a decade racing in the Formula One series for teams like McLaren, Jaguar, and Ferrari. His top finish was runner-up at the 1999 Drivers World Championship. Since retirement, Irvine has had little involvement in the racing world, spending a bit of time as a commentator before moving on to new interests and professional pursuits. #12. Mario Andretti Jared C. Tilton // Getty Images – Net worth: $130 million – Known for: Formula One, IndyCar, and NASCAR – Nationality: United States Mario Andretti is one of three athletes to have ever won championships in Formula One, IndyCar (both under CART and USAC sanctioning), the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR. With 111 career wins on major circuits, he also remains the last American to win a Formula One World Championship race, in 1978. He remains active in the racing world, working as an official ambassador for the Circuit of the Americas. #11. Sebastian Vettel Dan Istitene // Getty Images – Net worth: $140 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Germany The youngest Formula One champion of all time, Sebastian Vettel holds four World Driver’s Championship titles. When he began competing in 2007, the youngster was often compared to fellow German Michael Schumacher thanks to his driving style and hands-on approach to racing. Vettel retired in 2022, and now spends much of his time focused on activism. You may also like: 10 most highly attended women’s soccer matches ever played #10. Jenson Button James Gilbert // Getty Images – Net worth: $150 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: United Kingdom Jenson Button spent 17 seasons as a Formula One driver, starting 305 Grand Prix races and winning 15. In 2017, Button retired from racing but returned to the sport in 2021 as a senior advisor for the Williams team. He will make a return to international motorsports, driving an experimental car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. #9. Jimmie Johnson James Gilbert // Getty Images – Net worth: $160 million – Known for: NASCAR – Nationality: United States The third seven-time champion in NASCAR history, Jimmie Johnson remains the league’s only driver to win five back-to-back championships. From 2021 to 2022, he stepped away from NASCAR to compete in IndyCar, although he announced a part-time return in early 2023. He’s also a part-owner of Legacy Motor Club (formerly Petty GMS Motorsports). #7. Jeff Gordon (tie) James Gilbert // Getty Images – Net worth: $200 million – Known for: NASCAR – Nationality: United States Jeff Gordon is often considered one of the most influential drivers in NASCAR history. Over the course of his 24-year career, Gordon did a lot to bring racing into the mainstream and started a record-setting 797 consecutive races. The three-time Daytona 500 champion now works as an analyst for Fox Sports and is the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports. #7. Connie Kalitta (tie) Icon Sports Wire // Getty Images – Net worth: $200 million – Known for: Drag racing – Nationality: United States Nicknamed “the bounty hunter,” Connie Kalitta was a hugely successful Top Fuel drag racer, competing from the 1950s to the 1990s. Much of his fortune was not made on the track but in the air via his Kalitta Air business. He also owns the Kalitta Motorsports team. #6. Kimi Raikkonen Chris Graythen // Getty Images – Net worth: $250 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Finland Known for his stoic personality and reluctance to engage with fans and the media, Kimi Raikkonen is the most accomplished Finnish driver in Formula One history. With a record 349 race starts, plus 103 podium finishes, his 20-year career is nothing to bat an eye at. In 2022, the retired driver shocked everyone by becoming a principal racer for a motocross team. You may also like: 20 photos from the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 #5. Fernando Alonso Eurasia Sport Images // Getty Images – Net worth: $260 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: Spain Fernando Alonso is perhaps best known for knocking Michael Schumacher from his throne when he became the World Drivers’ Champion in 2005. The fiercely competitive two-time champion still races in Formula One and currently drives for the Aston Martin team. #4. Lewis Hamilton Eurasia Sport Images // Getty Images – Net worth: $285 million – Known for: Formula One – Nationality: United Kingdom One of the first Black drivers to race in a Formula One series, Lewis Hamilton had one of the most explosive rookie campaigns in the sport’s history. That was just a sign of things to come–Hamilton holds seven World Driver’s Championship titles, tied with Michael Schumacher for most all-time. #3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.