The NASCAR world was taken by storm when two teams — 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports — accused the series of acting as a monopoly. Their biggest concern? Low driver salaries compared to series income.
To contextualize some of the conversations happening in NASCAR regarding driver pay, we’ve collected information about the 15 highest salaries in the sport pulling data from NASCAR press releases, Spotrac, and SalarySport.
The 15 highest NASCAR driver salaries
15. Ross Chastain: $2.1 million
No. 1 Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain is an eighth-generation watermelon farmer from Alva, Florida who was able to transform his passion for motorsport into a career. The driver of the famed “Hail Melon” wall-ride reportedly makes around $2.1 million per year.
14. Bubba Wallace: $2.2 million
No. 23 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace has risen to prominence in recent years, becoming the second Black driver to win a Cup Series race in all of NASCAR history. Upon joining 23XI, he received a hefty salary boost and is said to make $2.2 million per year.
13. Erik Jones: $2.3 million
Erik Jones is the driver of the No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota, reuniting with the manufacturer with which he spent his driver development years in the lower categories. He’s estimated to make around $2.3 million per year.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: $3 million
No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is estimated to make around $3 million per year after 14 years in the top level of American stock car racing.
11. Austin Dillon: $3.5 million
No. 3 driver Austin Dillon is estimated to make around $3.5 million racing for Richard Childress, but many sources say he brings home an additional $4 million as a result of his personal sponsorships.
9. Alex Bowman: $3.5 million
Alex Bowman, driver of Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 48 machine, is estimated to make somewhere between $3.5 million and $4.5 million. The young driver is notable for many reasons, but largely for his five consecutive front-row starts at the Daytona 500.
10. Michael McDowell: $3.7 million
Michael McDowell is estimated to make roughly $3.7 million as the driver for the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports team. McDowell got his start in open-wheel and sports car racing before he made the move to stock cars in 2006.
8. Daniel Suarez: $4.5 million
No. 99 Trackhouse Racing driver Daniel Suarez is estimated to be roughly $4.5 million per year. He’s one of the most successful Cup Series drivers to hail from Mexico, where he’ll be able to race in front of his home crowd in 2025.
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7. Chase Elliott: $8 million
Eternal winner of NASCAR’s fan-favorite driver vote, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott earns an estimated $8 million per year — not bad for the 2020 Cup Series champion.
6. Kyle Larson: $8 million
No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson is perhaps the most internationally recognized Cup Series driver on this list, but that doesn’t make him the highest paid. Still, his contract nets him an estimated $8 million, just for the Cup Series alone.
Also bolstering Larson’s bank account was the check he received for competing as a one-off driver in the 2024 Indianapolis 500. There, he took home $178,000 — and Rookie of the Year honors — for his 18th-place finish in the IndyCar event.
5. Joey Logano: $9 million
Of the three Team Penske drivers currently signed by The Captain, No. 22 driver Joey Logano makes the largest salary. The two-time Cup Series champion is estimated to make around $9 million per year.
4. Brad Keselowski: $9.4 million
Longtime Team Penske stalwart Brad Keselowski took a dive into team co-ownership by purchasing a stake in the Roush Fenway Keselowski team, for which he drives the No. 6 machine. His success behind the wheel has set up up well for a $9.4 million annual estimated salary.
3. Martin Truex Jr.: $10.4 million
Martin Truex Jr., driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, is set to retire at the conclusion of the 2024 Cup Series season. By doing so, he’ll be giving up an estimated $10.4 million annual paycheck — though most drivers are able to leverage their careers well into retirement.
2. Denny Hamlin: $13.1 million
The ever-controversial Denny Hamlin — driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Machine and co-owner of 23XI Racing — has become one of the most forward-thinking businessmen in Cup Series racing today. Paired with his skill behind the wheel, his contract with JGR should earn him around $13.1 million.
1. Kyle Busch: $16.9 million
The highest-paid NASCAR Cup Series driver is none other than No. 8 Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch — one of the most successful and longest tenured drivers in the sport’s history. Fittingly, he’s rumored to be making around $16.9 million per year.
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