An old joke goes that an aspiring racer goes up to an owner. The driver says, "How much money will it cost to race?" The owner replies, "How fast do you want to go?" Nascar, unlike most other sports, has a pretty high barrier to entry--money. Young, hopeful drivers need thousands of dollars just to get their foot in the door at a local dirt-track, much less work their way up the sport's ladder.
So how did today's racers afford to get started in Nascar?
Well, there's a variety of ways. From family wealth to a racing pedigree, from sponsorship connections to developmental deals, it took more than luck and talent to reach the top--it also took cash. Here's where it came from:
Jamie McMurray--Jamie's father (Jim) was a Kart-racer and short-track racecar owner
Brad Keselowski--His father is Bob Keselowski, longtime ARCA and short-track racer, who later took his K-Automotive Racing team to the (then) Craftsman Truck Series
Austin Dillon--Son of Mike Dillon (former racer), grandson of team-owner Richard Childress
Kevin Harvick--Father Mike, whose full-time job was as a firefighter, was a longtime fixture of Bakersfield, California's local racing scene
Kasey Kahne--Father (Kelly) owned multiple sprint-cars
Michael Annett--The Annetts perviously served as team-owner and sponsor for sprint-car driver Sammy Swindell
Marcos Ambrose--Marcos's father Ross was a racer-turned-chassis-engineer
Danica Patrick--Both her parents (mother Bev and father Terry) have been involved in recreational racing for years, ranging from motocross to midgets to snowmobiling
Denny Hamlin--Denny's family owned a trailer-repair business, which helped finance his rise through the ranks of local Virginia racing
Casey Mears--Casey is a member of the famed "Mears Gang" of racers--he is the son of Roger (a longtime off-road racer) and nephew of IndyCar legend Rick
Tony Stewart--Nelson (Tony's father) worked as a high-school teacher, but spent most of his free-time (and money) supporting Tony's racing career
Clint Bowyer--Clint's family owned a tow-truck business in his native Emporia, Kansas
Greg Biffle--"The Biff" has a different story than most of today's Nascar drivers--he only became interested in racing at age 17, and after his father helped him get his start, he self-financed his racing ambitions through a fabrication company
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.--Ricky's dad was a sprint car racer and a local-team engine builder
Kurt & Kyle Busch--the Busch Brothers' father Tom was a local racer in the Las Vegas area
Matt Kenseth--Matt's father (Roy) and uncles were all racers on local Wisconsin short-tracks
Trevor Bayne--Bayne's father Rocky owned Trevor's early late-model teams
Joey Logano--Joey's father Tom owned a trucking company, which he sold to help finance his son's racing ambitions (and his daughter's ice skating career)
Alex Bowman--Father Sean Bowman is a Tuscon-area car dealership owner
Jeff Gordon--Jeff's step-father, John Bickford, helped Jeff make the necessary business and sponsorship connections to move up through the sprint-car ranks (John himself worked at a medical supply company with Jeff's mother)
Cole Whitt--Cole's father and grandfather both raced on local short-tracks
Paul Menard--Paul's father is John Menard, founder of the Menards home improvement store chain
Ryan Newman--Newman's father Greg ran an auto-repair business while Ryan was growing up
David Ragan--Ken Ragan, David's father, was a part-time Cup racer in the 1980's
Reed Sorenson--Reed's father Brad was a local racer in Georgia
David Gilliland--David's father Butch was a longtime competitor in the Nascar Winston West regional series
Landon Cassill--Landon's father Roger owns a car dealership in Iowa
Kyle Larson--Kyle's father was an electrical worker, while his mother was a government employee. Most of his funding was obtained through sponsorship and driver development deals
Aric Almirola--Aric's father Ralph was a Tampa firefighter and crew-chief ed for Aric's grandfather, Sam Rodiguez, a local bodyshop owner
JJ Yeley--Midget racing legend "Cactus" Jack Yeley is JJ's father
AJ Allmendinger--AJ's father Greg, a part-time local racer, worked as a carpet-layer to support his son's career
Jimmie Johnson--Jimmie's father Gary worked as a truck driver, while his mother Cathy was a school-bus driver
Justin Allgaier--Mike Allgaier (Justin's father) worked for Hoosier tires
Brian Vickers--Brian's parents started a race car parts company, specializing in titanium valves
Martin Truex Jr. & Ryan Truex--Martin Jr. & Ryan's father is Martin Truex Sr., a clammer and occasional competitor in the old Busch North Series
Joe Nemechek--Joe Nemechek III (his actual name) is the son of Joe Nemechek Jr., a machine tool business owner
Dale Earnhardt Jr.--Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the son of seven-time Nascar champion Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Carl Edwards--Carl's father (Carl Edwards Sr.) was a local track racer