By Jerry Bonkowski
Even NASCAR’s greatest drivers wouldn’t have found success if not for the men and women “back at the shop.”
Here’s a look at 10 of the most iconic teams in NASCAR history:
Hendrick Motorsports: When Joseph Riddick “Rick” Hendrick formed All-Star Racing (now Hendrick Motorsports) in 1984, he came close to folding several times in the first couple of years due to lack of money. But once his teams started winning both races (291) and Cup Series championships (14), HMS has gone on to become the sport’s most successful organization.
Petty Enterprises: A close second to Hendrick Motorsports, Petty Enterprises was formed by team patriarch Lee Petty in 1949 and continued by son Richard. The Petty camp has earned 268 NASCAR Cup Series victories, with Richard contributing the most (196 wins and seven championships). While the Petty clan became the most successful organization in the 1960s and 1970s, by the 1980s things had gotten lean – and have continued that way since.
Joe Gibbs Racing: When NFL coach Joe Gibbs announced he was forming a NASCAR team in 1992, many laughed at him. But using the same diligence and strategy he utilized on the gridiron; Joe Gibbs Racing has gone on to 200 career Cup Series wins and five series championships. Unfortunately, the two sons Joe Gibbs planned to succeed him in running the organization, J.D. and Coy, have passed away, leaving the future of JGR unclear.
Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing: This team has gone from Roush Racing to Roush Fenway Racing to Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022 when NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski joined the organization as a driver and part-time owner (with the plan he’ll succeed team patriarch Jack Roush when his racing days are over). The organization has 138 Cup Series wins and two series championships, but has struggled of late, with no points finishes higher than 15th since 2015.
Team Penske: Operated by perhaps the most iconic team owner in all of motorsports (including his tremendous success in Indy car racing), Roger Penske has built a NASCAR organization that can hold its own against any rival, with 135 Cup Series wins and three championships (all in the last decade, including Joey Logano winning the 2022 crown). Austin Cindric, who won the 2022 Daytona 500, and Ryan Blaney are on the cusp of becoming NASCAR greats.
Junior Johnson and Associates: Junior Johnson was among the first five inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, not just for his 50 victories as a driver, but also for the 132 wins he amassed as a Cup Series team owner, including six championships (three each by Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip). Johnson was an innovator, mentor and one of the most intelligent men to ever sit behind the wheel or atop the pit box.
Richard Childress Racing: Like many of his predecessors, Richard Childress went from being a so-so driver to an outstanding team owner, amassing 113 Cup Series victories and six championships. All of the team’s titles came with Dale Earnhardt driving and RCR has struggled to find its footing since his death in 2001 Daytona 500. However, with Kyle Busch joining the team this year, look for a major uptick in performance, wins and championships.
Wood Brothers Racing: A true family operation that began in little, bucolic Stuart, Virginia, Glen Wood and brother Leonard formed the backbone of the organization. When Glen retired in the late 1980s, his sons, Eddie and Len, took over leadership of the organization, roles they continue in to this day. The organization has won 99 NASCAR Cup Series, but has never earned a championship.
Holman-Moody Racing: From 1957 until 1973, Holman Moody was one of the most feared organizations in NASCAR. Backed by Ford Motor Co., it also was one of the most coveted destinations for drivers, winning 96 races with the likes of Fred Lorenzen, Mario Andretti (won his only Daytona 500 in 1967 for Holman Moody), Bobby Allison, Joe Weatherly and David Pearson, who brought the company its only two NASCAR Cup Series championships in 1968 and 1969.
Stewart-Haas Racing: This is one of the most pleasant surprises on this list. Prior to Tony Stewart joining as co-owner in 2009, Gene Haas went 284 races as an owner (Haas CNC Racing) with zero wins. But once Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing and received a 50 percent equity share of the rechristened Stewart-Haas Racing, the organization has gone on to win 69 races and Cup Series championships with Stewart (2011) and Kevin Harvick (2014).
Where do all the drivers stand after the first official points race in the standings table?
After winning the opening points race of the season at Daytona by leading one lap, Tyler Reddick made it to the top of the standings. Under the new rules, he managed to pull up 58 points. He pocketed 55 for the win and added three more by finishing Stage 2 in P8. He may have squeezed out at least one more had he landed inside the top 10 in Stage 1, but after getting swept into a Lap 5 crash, Reddick limped the Stage 1 in P20, giving him no extra points.
Rounding out the top 10 are Brad Keselowski with 39 points in sixth despite a P5 finish, followed by his driver, Chris Buescher, in seventh with 39, Bubba Wallace in eighth with 37, Carson Hocevar in ninth with 36, and Ryan Blaney in 10th with 36.
Atlanta could be a springboard for Elliott, who owns an average finish of 11.4 across 14 starts there, with two wins, including one in last year’s fall race, plus three top fives and nine top 10s. The track could also pull Kyle Busch back into contention. Having already shown his speed at Daytona by winning the pole, he may potentially pull it off at the 1.54-mile track. The RCR driver sits P14 in the standings, but with an average finish of 8.8 at Atlanta since 2023 across six starts, the place might finally snap his 94-race drought.
Then again, Connor Zilisch has only one start at the track and came home P11 last year when he made his third Cup start there, making Atlanta a stage where he could stamp his mark.
Ryan Blaney will also have a better chance than anyone else to climb through a win or even points alone at Atlanta. The No. 12 Team Penske driver has one win there from 2021, but consistency has been his strong suit, with seven top fives and nine top 10s in 15 starts. And that puts him in a position to move the needle when the field rumbles into Atlanta.
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The Daytona 500 and Speedweeks may be over, but that doesn’t mean the chaos will cool off for the stars of NASCAR’s three National Series, as they roll into Hampton, Georgia, to the high banks of EchoPark Speedway for one of the schedule’s most unique race weekends.
Note: This article will be updated as more information about the weekend comes out.
One race weekend is in the books, and a 36-week march back to Florida is underway for the three NASCAR National Series. Whether you are going to be at the track or home, what does the forecast look like for the race weekend in Hampton, Georgia?
Before the Races (10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
During the Truck Race (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
During the OAP Series Race (5:00 PM – 8:00 PM)
After the Race (8:00 PM – 11:00 PM)
Before the Race (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)
During the Race (3:00 PM – 7:00 PM)
After the Race (7:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
NASCAR got lucky at EchoPark in 2025, and, as a matter of fact, everywhere else, but that doesn’t mean weather hasn’t affected the track’s races in the past with spot showers and major showers taking on race weekends. Take the summer of 2023, when the race took on a large rain shower that resulted in the race ending after just 185 laps, with race winner William Byron the leader at the time of caution.
Note: This article will be updated with a more accurate and detailed forecast as the race weekend nears.
