Dale Jr. and Denny Hamlin are among the richest drivers in the world

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the richest drivers in the world

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin are among the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. They are also some of the richest drivers in the world, according to a new report. Surprisingly, very few other NASCAR drivers, even the big ones, made it to qualifying.

A report in MvpMode has compiled the world's 40 richest active and retired drivers from across motorsports. Unsurprisingly, Formula 1 drivers dominated the list. In fact, according to the report, Michael Schumacher is the richest in the world – with an estimated net worth of $600 million. At No. 2 is NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. with an estimated net worth of $300 million. The richest active NASCAR driver is technically Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has 83 wins, 7 titles and a personal fortune of $160 million.

Of the 40 richest active and retired drivers in the world, nine come from NASCAR. Seven of them come from MotoGP, the hugely popular motorcycle racing organization in Europe whose new owner, Liberty Media, is hoping to gain a foothold in America. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon ($200 million) and Jimmie Johnson are among the ten richest racing drivers in the world. The other six NASCAR drivers in the top 40 are Tony Stewart ($90 million), Kyle Busch ($80 million), Kevin Harvick ($70 million), Kurt Busch ($70 million) , Denny Hamlin ($65 million) and Ryan Newman ($50). Million). In contrast, 22 current and former F1 drivers were on the list.

A tenth NASCAR driver on the list is technically Danica Patrick. Patrick started in IndyCar and is still the only woman to ever win an IndyCar race. Although she is closely associated with IndyCar – and is now a commentator for F1 races – Patrick spent a larger portion of her career in NASCAR Cup and NASCAR Xfinity than in single-seater racing. Patrick's net worth is estimated at $80 million.

NASCAR Rich

NASCAR's richest drivers are no longer racing in NASCAR. According to MvpMode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the richest driver in NASCAR with a net worth of $300 million. Earnhardt's money comes from racing wins, endorsements, driving a car in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and his growing multimedia empire. The second richest NASCAR driver is Jeff Gordon with a net worth of $200 million. Gordon ranks third on NASCAR's all-time wins list with 93 victories, behind Richard Petty with 200 victories and David Pearson with 105 victories. Gordon, now vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, helped dramatically expand NASCAR's appeal across the country.

NASCAR rich keep getting richer

Expect the NASCAR rich to get even richer. First, NASCAR itself is getting richer. The organization recently signed a 7-year, $7.7 billion media deal with FOX Sports, NBC Peacock, TNT and Amazon Prime. In addition, NASCAR has relied entirely on legal sports gambling. As we reported in March, “NASCAR already accounts for nearly 20% of legal sports gambling in the United States, but NASCAR wants more.” More money for NASCAR likely means more money for NASCAR teams and drivers. NASCAR is also looking for ways to expand beyond its traditional audience by targeting Hispanic viewers and exploring possible international races. NASCAR is also focusing on non-racing, NASCAR-related content with shows like Netflix's “NASCAR Full Speed” and the upcoming romantic comedy “Clean Air.”

At the same time, NASCAR's best drivers are proving particularly adept at new media and entrepreneurship. Denny Hamlin is a partner in 23XI Racing along with Michael Jordan. Dale Earnhardt Jr., a popular television anchor, also runs Dirty Mo Media, one of several companies. Kevin Harvick has become a popular NASCAR racing broadcaster. In the age of the influencer economy, being a successful racing driver can provide numerous additional opportunities.

Brian S Hall covers NASCAR, the NHL and the Michigan Wolverines for Heavy.com. He has been covering racing, cars and technology for over 10 years and is co-host of the F1 and racing podcast Hard Compound. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. More about Brian S Hall