{"id":25150,"date":"2020-11-15T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-15T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=25150"},"modified":"2020-11-16T11:00:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-16T17:00:05","slug":"top-10-richest-racing-drivers-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/top-10-richest-racing-drivers-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Richest Racing Drivers Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Racing\ncomes in many different shapes and sizes, from Formula One through to drag\nracing. The best drivers in the world have fortunes worth hundreds of millions,\nearned from race winnings, sponsorships and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\nwho are the richest racing drivers in the world? We\u2019ve put together a list\nbelow, which might contain a few names you weren\u2019t expecting to see, as well as\nsome you\u2019d expect to be on any list. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, keep\nreading to find out more about the richest racing drivers ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Jimmie Johnson – $160 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Jimmie
Image: Zach Catanzareti\/Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first name on our list of the richest racing drivers of all time is Jimmie Johnson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s won the NASCAR Cup Series<\/a> seven times \u2013 nobody has ever won more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nstill drives in the series for Hendrick Motorsports but has announced that\nhe\u2019ll retire when his contract finishes at the end of 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout\nhis career Johnson has managed to build up a fortune of $160 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According\nto Sportekz, he currently earns around $15 million per year from his salary and\nwinnings, plus he makes around $3 million from endorsements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\ncompanies he\u2019s worked with include Chevrolet, Seiko and Gatorade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.\nRichard Childress – $200 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Richard
Image: Sarah Stierch\/Wikimedia Commons <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now we start a long streak of drivers with a net worth of around $200 million. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is Richard Childress, who is a former NASCAR driver and now the owner of Richard Childress Racing (RCR).<\/a> His team has won six championships in the Cup Series and five in the Xfinity Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Childress\ndidn\u2019t earn a huge amount of money from his NASCAR career. His ownership of a\nNASCAR team proved to be far more fruitful though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The racing\ndriver also owns a vineyard and a racing museum, both of which are located in\nLexington, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8.\nKen Block – $200 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ken
Image: Dave Wilson<\/em> Photography<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ken\nBlock is a professional rally driver who drives for the Hoonigan Racing\nDivision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nhas 16 wins in the Rally America National Championship, plus has raced 24 times\nin the World Rally Championship but he\u2019s best known for being one of the founders\nof DC Shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Block has made money from his rally career, the vast majority of his wealth comes from the sale of DC Shoes to Quiksilver for $87 million<\/a> in 2004. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nis now \u201cHead Hoonigan in Charge\u201d of Hoonigan Industries. He is also the owner\nof Hoonigan Racing Division.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7.\nConnie Kalitta – $200 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Connie
Image: Twitter\/GETTRX<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Connie\nKalitta was a drag racer, who raced from the 1950s until the 1990s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He holds the distinction of being the first driver to reach a speed of 200 mph at an event sanctioned by the NHRA. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America<\/a> in 1992.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nmajority of Kalitta\u2019s money has come from business investments. He is currently\nthe CEO of Kalitta Air, which operates dozens of planes, and is also the owner\nof Kalitta Motorsports. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6.\nJeff Gordon – $200 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Jeff
Image: Flickr\/Zach Catanzareti Photo, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jeff\nGordon is a former stock car racer and four-time Cup Series Champion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s\ncompleted three Grand Slams and won a total of 16 Grand Slam titles, including\nthree victories at the Daytona 500. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of\nFame in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gordon\nearned more than $140 million from track winnings. At one point, he was also\nearning around $20 million per year from endorsements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His\nmost famous sponsorship deal was with Pepsi, however he also had deals with\nRay-Ban and Frito-Lay, among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lost a lot of money in an expensive divorce<\/a> though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5.\nFernando Alonso – $240 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Fernando
Image: Twitter\/alo_oficial<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Fernando\nAlonso is best known for his time in Formula One, winning the World\nChampionship in 2005 and 2006. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nSpaniard has also won the Le Mans 24 Hour twice, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the\nFIA World Endurance Championship. He\u2019s regarded by many as one of the most\ngifted racing drivers of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alonso\nis one of the highest paid Formula One drivers of all time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nhad endorsement deals with some large companies, including Citibank and\nPirelli, plus he also owns Kimoa, a lifestyle brand inspired by surfwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.\nKimi Raikkonen – $250 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Kimi
Image: Morio\/Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Known\nas \u201cThe Iceman\u201d by fans, Raikkonen is a current F1 driver, driving for the Alfa\nRomeo team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nwon the F1 World Championship in 2007, spectacularly beating Lewis Hamilton and\nFernando Alonso to the title by winning the final race of the season. He also\ncompeted in the World Rally Championship, winning one stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raikkonen currently earns a salary of $4.5 million per year, however was earning $37 million per year<\/a> when racing for Ferrari in 2008 and 2009. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nit comes to endorsements, he\u2019s not earned as much as many other drivers,\nhowever he has still had deals with brands including Oakley, Wrangler and\nSingha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.\nLewis Hamilton – $285 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Lewis
Image: Twitter\/LewisHamilton<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next\non the list is British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, who is the highest\nplaced driver on this list still competing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Sunday 15 November, he has won an incredible seven Formula One World Championships, equalling Michael Schumacher in terms of titles achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was also listed as one of the Time 100 in 2020<\/a>, for his driving brilliance and activism. It’s been a very good year for the superstar, who puts much of his success down to his vegan diet<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hamilton\u2019s\ndeal with Mercedes is reportedly worth around \u00a340 million ($51 million) per\nyear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also currently has a large number of sponsorship deals, with companies such as Bose, Sony, L\u2019Oreal, Puma and Monster Energy Drinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endorsements earned him around \u00a315 million in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.\nDale Earnhardt Jr. – $300 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dale
Image: Flickr\/Jr 88 Rules, CC BY-ND 2.0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The\nsecond placed driver on this list comes from the world of NASCAR, and it\u2019s Dale\nEarnhardt Jr. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ntwo-time winner of the Daytona 500 was voted the most popular driver in NASCAR\nfor 15 consecutive years. He retired from driving in 2017, finishing with a\ntotal of 26 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Earnhardt\nJr. is the highest paid driver in NASCAR history and at one point was earning\nover $15 million per year from salary and winnings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nalso leveraged his massive popularity to gain many endorsement deals, with\ncompanies such as Budweiser and Chevrolet, plus sales of his merchandise were\nphenomenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\nMichael Schumacher – $800 Million<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Michael
Image: Michael Cooper\/Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The number one driver on this list is Michael Schumacher, who is widely regarded as one of the best Formula One drivers of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tragically,\nhe had a skiing accident in 2013 and is still continuing his rehabilitation.\nThere\u2019s very little information on his current condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formula\nOne is well-known for being a high paying sport, especially for the very best.\nAt one stage, Schumacher was reportedly earning up to $100 million per year,\nfrom winnings and endorsements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\nof the companies he had deals with include Vodafone, Shell and Mercedes-Benz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more rich lists, check out:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
Who Are The 10 Richest Olympians Ever?<\/a><\/blockquote>