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Like any other industry, NASCAR has seen many families pass down the “Family Business” of racing from generation to generation. A few families have reached a different stratosphere of success, and some have been a part of NASCAR since the sport was founded. Here are the most iconic NASCAR families.
The France family is the founding family of NASCAR, and that says it all. Over more than 75 years, multiple generations have had a hand in growing NASCAR from a fledgling stock car series, to a regional attraction, to a national phenomenon. Nowadays, it’s Jim France as the sport’s CEO, and he is the 4th member of the family to hold that spot.
The Petty family was the first family to make NASCAR racing a full-time family business. It started with Lee Petty, then it went down the generations to Richard (“The King”), to Kyle, to the late Adam. Nowadays, the Petty family still lives on with Richard’s grandson Thad Moffitt racing full-time in the Truck Series. With 262 Cup Series wins and 10 Cup Series Championships, no family has accounted for more wins and Championships at the sports’ top level.
The Earnhardt family spans 3 generations, but, the anchor of the Earnhardt legacy has always been 7-time Cup Series Champion Dale Earnhardt, the son of former racer Ralph Earnhardt. Since then, his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. put together a Hall of Fame Career of his own, and he is arguably the most recognizable face in the sport today, despite not driving anymore. Dale’s other son Kerry alongside nephew Jeffrey carries on the Earnhardt legacy as well.
The Wood Brothers created one of the fiercest NASCAR teams of the early years of the sport. They have been in the sport since the beginning, and the red and white Number 21 car is about as iconic as any in the series. They have 99 wins with the likes of David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, and Kyle Petty all winning races for the team.
Bill Elliott alongside his brothers Ernie and Dan created an incredible force of a race team in the 1980s. Bill went on to win 44 races and the 1988 Cup Series Championship, a legacy carried on by his son, Chase. Chase Elliott won the Cup in 2020, and he is still writing the Elliott family story.
The Labontes became the first brothers to win Cup Series Championships, with Terry winning in 1984 and 1996, and Bobby in 2000. They all did so thanks to the dedication of their father, Bob, who supported the two’s racing endeavors. Bob has since passed away, but, the legacy his sons left on the sport thanks to his help cannot be understated.
“Gentleman” Ned Jarrett and his son Dale have impacted NASCAR both on and off the track. After successful driving careers in which both won Championships, they both went on to have incredible careers in NASCAR broadcasting. Ned worked for both CBS and ESPN alongside the likes of Ken Squier, Bob Jenkins, and Benny Parsons. Dale now works for NBC, but, he spent time before that at ESPN working alongside Alan Bestwick.
Buck and his son Buddy Baker both made a name for themselves in the earlyish days of the sport. While Buck was a 2-time Champion, Buddy was a great racer in his own right, as the first race car driver to exceed 200 MPH on a closed course at Talladega in 1970. Both are enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The Allison family accounts for 3 NASCAR Hall of Famers, more than any other family on this list. There’s Bobby who won the 1983 Cup Series Championship and 84 races, and Donnie who added 10 wins against many of the sport’s greats. Davey Allison is forever one of NASCAR’s Greatest What If?’s, but, that should not overshadow his 19 career wins in only 191 starts.
The brother tandem of Darrell and Michael Waltrip accounts for 88 Cup Series wins and 3 Daytona 500s. While Darrell had by far the best overall career, Michael has the edge in Daytona 500 wins with 2 to Darrell’s 1. Both went on to enjoy solid broadcasting careers at Fox, with Michael being a current color analyst for Truck Series broadcasts.
Honorable Mentions: The Busch Family, The Wallace Family, The Bodine Family
