NASCAR teams having car dealerships is quite common, or at least it used to be. While it seems like a good side gig, there’s more to it. Recently, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace shared why NASCAR drivers and team owners own car dealerships.
This includes the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., who owns Chevrolet and Cadillac dealerships in Tallahassee, and Rusty Wallace, who’s got eight dealerships around Eastern Tennessee. But do you know the biggest name in the game?
It is Rick Hendrick A.K.A Mr. H. The owner of Hendrick Motorsports has run the Hendrick Automotive Group since 1976, with over 90 dealerships nationwide. They even started Hendrickcars.com for their online customers, selling both new and old cars. Also, Mr. H’s got a secret that instantly makes car dealerships more popular.
Kenny Wallace Opens Up on Why Many Car Dealerships Have NASCAR Drivers’ Names
According to Mr. H, many in the NASCAR community think he was already selling cars before getting into racing, but that’s not the case.”People think I’m a car dealer who got into racing, but it’s really the other way around. I’m a racer who has a passion for cars and got into the car business,” he had said previously.
Similarly, many drivers have run car dealerships alongside their racing careers. Well, it’s mostly selling for the OEMs they drive for. That way, they automatically become brand ambassadors, and there is that additional level of trust that people get when going to their dealerships. In fact, according to what Wallace shared, it’s enough to have just the name of a NASCAR driver on a dealership to take the sales off the roof.
Wallace, in an X post, wrote, “Rick Hendrick has said in the past that when a
@NASCAR drivers name is on a dealership it for sure sells more vehicles🏁.”
Rick Hendrick has said in the past that when a @NASCAR drivers name is on a dealership it for sure sells more vehicles🏁 https://t.co/PDIQwV28PH
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) June 27, 2025
This was his reply to a post by an X user who posted a picture of Dale Earnhardt Sr. in front of a car dealership with the caption, “You name dropped some big time ex Nascar drivers with car dealerships this morning Kenny, I miss the connection from the race track to the dealership floor. It was at its peak right here! Can’t knock the Toyota, they’ve come a long way on their full size trucks.”
You name dropped some big time ex Nascar drivers with car dealerships this morning Kenny, I miss the connection from the race track to the dealership floor. It was at its peak right here!
Can’t knock the Toyota, they’ve come a long way on their full size trucks. pic.twitter.com/MCNBeIF87I
— Chris George (@ChrisGe90850891) June 27, 2025
The number of NASCAR drivers owning dealerships has decreased. This is a shock, as race car drivers already have good relations with manufacturers. Having a dealership is like a no-brainer for them, which could be a good investment opportunity. NASCAR drivers might even opt to partner with existing dealerships so that they can use their name and maybe get royalties from it. But it does look like NASCAR is forgetting its roots. Remember the car manufacturers’ slogan from the 1950s?
“Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” was a slogan automakers took very seriously back in the day. However, it does not look like the younger generation is up for following it. Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, and RAM (the newest OEM), awaiting the 2026 season, are all investing millions of dollars annually in the sport to fuel their corporate rise. But maybe drivers have found better investment opportunities for their time and energy.
