It takes more than just race wins to reach the top of NASCAR. There have been a lot of successful teams in the 75-plus-year history of NASCAR. Some of the teams have come and gone, or even in some cases completely disappeared. Several of the most successful teams in NASCAR history continue to add to their legacy to this day.
Why these teams have reached their level isn’t just because of a driver. It takes a team, and that is true for each of the top 10 most successful NASCAR teams of All-Time. These teams are what people in the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL would call dynasties. Thousands of wins, at least half of the sports championships, and Hall of Famers have been a part of the teams that make this list. Let’s look at the most successful NASCAR teams of all.
#1 Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports has climbed the ladder to the top over the years. A team that started in 1984, and nearly shut down right before their first-ever win at Martinsville that season. Now 40 years later, team owner Rick Hendrick can call himself the best NASCAR has ever seen. 310 victories and counting. All the big race victories you can think of. The biggest number of all is 14 Cup Series Championships. Jeff Gordon From the first championship in 1995 with Jeff Gordon, to seven titles with Jimmie Johnson including five in a row from 2006-2010, to the most recent in 2021 with Kyle Larson. Hendrick has done it all and will continue to do it all for however long they want. The history of drivers that have raced an HMS car is out of this world.
One team. 40 years of history. pic.twitter.com/ewhxyzmGJm
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) April 2, 2024
Notable Drivers: Geoff Bodine, Tim Richmond, Darrell Waltrip (HOF), Ken Schrader, Ricky Rudd (HOF), Jeff Gordon (HOF), Terry Labonte (HOF), Ricky Craven, Jerry Nadeau, Jimmie Johnson (HOF), Joe Nemechek, Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, Dale Earnhardt Jr (HOF), Mark Martin (HOF), Kasey Kahne, Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman, William Byron, Kyle Larson.
#2 Petty Enterprises
The Petty Family has been a part of NASCAR since the beginning in 1949. That continues to this day but in a far less capacity. In their heyday, Petty Enterprises was the best team NASCAR had ever seen. The Petty’s were NASCAR’s first family and dynasty at that. A team that claimed 10 Cup titles between 1954 and 1979. The first three of which were claimed by Lee the first generation of the family, before son Richard went on to become the King with seven championships and 200 wins. After Richard won his final race in 1984 Firecracker 400 Petty Enterprises lost a lot of its juice. They continued with Richard racing until 1992, but the once famed Petty Enterprises quickly fell from grace in the series, eventually leading to a merger with another team in 2008. The success and history of Petty Enterprises will never be forgotten especially when the team’s 268 career wins were long thought untouchable.
Notable Drivers: Lee Petty (HOF), Richard Petty (HOF), Kyle Petty, Bobby Hamilton, John Andretti, Christian Fittipaldi, Jeff Green, Bobby Labonte (HOF), Buckshot Jones, Maurice Petty, Rick Wilson, Adam Petty.
#3 Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress started as an owner-driver himself, and it certainly didn’t seem like it was paying off until he and Dale Earnhardt crossed paths. Those two meetings led to one of the most successful runs in NASCAR history. Earnhardt was coming into his own after having won his first Cup Championship in 1980, Earnhardt wanted more so he moved to RCR, and quickly became the Intimidator. RC and Earnhardt built a dynasty winning six championships together in 1986, 87, 90, 91, 93, and 94. They were perfect together. Earnhardt’s death in 2001, certainly stained the team for a long time, and though they continue to this day with competent drivers, things haven’t been the same. Race wins have happened since 2001, but they truly haven’t had a championship contender since Dale. 116 Cup wins is a mighty feat especially with Earnhardt having a bulk of those wins. Kevin Harvick certainly can think of Richard for how his career went.
Notable Drivers: Richard Childress (HOF), Ricky Rudd (HOF), Dale Earnhardt Sr (HOF), Mike Skinner, Jeff Green, Steve Park, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Jeff Burton, Ryan Newman, Dave Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, Tyler Reddick, Daniel Hemric, Kyle Busch.
#4 Junior Johnson & Associates
Junior Johnson was a well-renowned racer in his own right as he won 50 Cup races in his career. That eventually led to him forming his racing team. Junior Johnson & Associates during their run from 1965 to 1996 was one of the best NASCAR has ever seen. 132 wins during that span, along with 6 Cup Championships. Not to mention they had some of the biggest names and characters NASCAR has ever seen as drivers. The No. 11 is a famous number in NASCAR primarily because of how successful it was for Junior Johnson & Associates. Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip drove the famed No. 11 to three titles a piece. Though this team was gone after 1996, it remains one of the most historic of all time.
Notable Drivers: Bobby Allison (HOF), Cale Yarborough (HOF), Darrell Waltrip (HOF), Terry Labonte (HOF), Geoff Bodine, Bill Elliott (HOF), Brett Bodine, Neil Bonnett, Davey Allison (HOF), Sterling Marlin, Hut Sticklin, Jimmy Spencer, Loy Allen Jr, Elton Sawyer.
#5 Joe Gibbs Racing
Like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing had a lot of tribulations at the start of their NASCAR career. NFL Hall of Fame Coach Joe Gibbs began his NASCAR foray in 1992, and burst quickly on the scene in 1993, winning the Daytona 500 with Dale Jarrett. Jarrett was a great first driver for Coach Gibbs, but it was Bobby Labonte in the same No. 18 car that eventually claimed the first Cup Championship for JGR. The team has added four more titles since 2000, with Tony Stewart winning in 2002 and 2005, and Kyle Busch winning the crown in 2015 and 2019. Gibbs continues to field four winning cars, with drivers capable of chasing down a sixth title for the team. Denny Hamlin continues to make history for the team while still seeking his first title. At 214 career wins, JGR is easily eye-balling getting to Petty Enterprises on the all-time wins list for second.
Thank you, fans, for your support of our team, drivers, and partners, all season long. It was a year of amazing accomplishments that will drive us to be even better in 2024. pic.twitter.com/V8qZ2G1z60
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 5, 2023
Notable Drivers: Dale Jarrett (HOF), Bobby Labonte (HOF), Tony Stewart (HOF), Jason Leffler, Denny Hamlin, JJ Yeley, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards (HOF), Daniel Suarez, Martin Truex Jr, Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth (HOF), Erik Jones, Christopher Bell, Ty Gibbs.
#6 Team Penske
Roger Penske has made his name in motorsports across the world, but his ventures in NASCAR took some time to become what they are today. Officially Penske started in NASCAR in 1972, but they had a brief first stint, as they left the sport in 1980, before making a big return in 1990 with Rusty Wallace piloting the now famous Miller Lite No. 2. Wallace was the face of Team Penske in NASCAR but wasn’t able to win a championship for the Captain. It took until 2012, for Roger to get his first Cup title. Team Penske has since won three championships including the most recent title won by Ryan Blaney. Four Championships, plus 147 total wins. Penske has a current three-driver line-up that can win at any track and will continue to climb in the history of NASCAR.
Notable Drivers: Mark Donohue, Dave Marcis, Donnie Allison (HOF), Bobby Allison (HOF), Rusty Wallace (HOF), Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, David Stremme, Brad Keselowski, AJ Allmendinger, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Austin Cindric.
#7 RFK Racing
RFK Racing first burst into NASCAR as Roush Racing in the late 1980s. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin helped put team owner Jack Roush on the map. The team would quickly grow into a four-car team in the 2000s as other historic and championship-level drivers got their shot with Roush. The 2003 and 2004 seasons were among RFK’s best as they won the NASCAR Cup Championship with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch respectively. Many changes including name changes occurred in the late 2000s and early 2010’s as Roush Racing became Roush-Fenway Racing. Though the team has won a championship since 2004, the addition of Brad Keselowski before the 2022 season to the ownership group and as a driver has quickly put RFK back into contention. The team’s 142 career victories certainly rank higher than the teams they are tied with for career Cup championships. RFK can continue to remain one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history with their current driver line-up. Outside of Team Penske, RFK has quickly returned to a level they haven’t been since 2011.
Notable Drivers: Mark Martin (HOF), Wally Dallenbach Jr, Ted Musgrave, Kevin Lepage, Johnny Benson Jr, Jeff Burton, Chad Little, Matt Kenseth (HOF), Kurt Busch, Jamie McMurray, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards (HOF), Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski.
#8 Stewart-Haas Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing didn’t truly become what it is today until 2009, but the team officially began in 2002 as Haas CNC Racing. When Tony Stewart bought into the team before the 2009 season, SHR started building a powerful race team. It all paid off in 2011, when Stewart captured his third career Cup title the first for SHR. Kevin Harvick helped take Stewart-Haas to the next level when he came aboard in 2014. That season saw him win the Cup Championship. The last several years have gone cold for SHR, and now the 2024 season marks the final year of the team. Regardless of the future, SHR was very consistent from 2009 until 2022, winning 69 races and two titles. They certainly earned their spot amongst the most successful teams in NASCAR history.
Notable Drivers: Jack Sprague, Ward Burton, Mike Bliss, Jeff Green, Scott Riggs, Tony Stewart (HOF), Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick, Aric Almirola, Daniel Suarez, Cole Custer, Clint Bowyer, Chase Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Noah Gragson, Josh Berry.
#9 Robert Yates Racing
Robert Yates one of the many NASCAR Hall of Fame Owners, that make up the most historic teams in the sport, spent a lot of work outside of team owning. His engine building was a huge part of the sport and continues to this day. The team itself began in 1989 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison piloting the famed No. 28 Havoline Ford. While he had a historic run, he couldn’t win the Championship and lost his life in 1993. That made way for other highly talented drivers to step in including Ernie Irvan before the team finally in its 10 seasons in the sport captured its lone Cup Championship. Dale Jarrett was the lucky driver in 1999 when Robert Yates finally reached the goal he had longed to reach. Of all the teams on this list, Yates Racing may have been the unluckiest.
Their run from 1989 until their closing in 2009, certainly was full of highs and lows. The Yates name still carries on today, as part of Ford’s engine program. Making Robert Yates Racing deserving of being among the most historic in the sport.
Notable Drivers: Davey Allison (HOF), Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett (HOF), Kenny Irwin Jr, Ricky Rudd, Elliott Sadler, Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland, Stephen Leicht, Paul Menard.
#10 Wood Brothers Racing
This final spot in the top 10, could have been several teams. Wood Brothers Racing lacks the championships sure, but they are still one of the most famous teams in NASCAR history. The team sits at 99 career victories. Not to mention the legacy of drivers who have piloted the famed No. 21 for the team. Despite lacking a title, they have had plenty of drivers who have won a championship. The best of which was probably David Pearson. This team has meant so much to NASCAR, they are deserving of a spot on this list.
Notable Drivers: AJ Foyt, David Pearson (HOF), Neil Bonnett, Buddy Baker (HOF), Kyle Petty, Dale Jarrett (HOF), Morgan Shepherd, Michael Waltrip, Elliott Sadler, Ricky Rudd (HOF), Ken Schrader, Boris Said, Jon Wood, Bill Elliott (HOF), Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, Paul Menard, Matt DiBenedetto, Harrison Burton.
Just Missing the Cut
There are plenty of other historic teams in NASCAR that could have made the list, but they just didn’t have the wins to match the Wood Brothers. AK Racing is arguably the greatest small team of all time in the sport’s history, as Alan Kulwicki won five career cup races and the 1992 Cup title. His death in 1993, certainly ended the chances of his title defense, but AK Racing proved that owner-drivers could still get the job done.
Melling Racing is another good example of a team just missing the cut. The team had a highly historic run in the 1980s with Bill Elliott behind the wheel of the Coors No. 9 Ford. He set speed records and won two Daytona 500s and the 1988 Cup Championship. After Bill’s departure in 1991, the team quickly fell to the bottom of the grid. They were never the same, as they only lasted until 2002. In total 34 victories for Melling Racing was a good run, especially when all those wins were by Awesome Bill From Dawsonville.
