There was a time when making it to NASCAR’s national series meant a driver had cleared one of the biggest hurdles in racing. Getting noticed, earning an opportunity and proving they belonged were supposed to be the hard parts.
These days, there’s another question that can be just as important: How much money can you bring?
Denny Hamlin put a startling number on that reality during a recent episode of his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, estimating that 80% of drivers competing in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series are paying for their seats.
“The unfortunate truth is that 80% of those drivers in the Saturday races are paying some sum of money to the team owner to drive those cars,” Hamlin said.
It’s a remarkable assessment, particularly coming from someone who has spent more than two decades in the Cup Series and now owns a team himself.
Hamlin wasn’t suggesting that 80% of the field lacks talent. His point was about the economics of getting on the racetrack in the first place.
And when the cost of a competitive ride can reach six figures for a single weekend, it’s not difficult to understand why money has become such a powerful factor in determining who gets an opportunity.
$40K to $45K a race buys a car running 25th or worse. Up to $150K buys a Gibbs or JR Motorsports seat.
We followed 10 of them. The article on what it buys and doesn’t: t.co/t8fuY3zHds
Denny Hamlin Puts NASCAR’s Pay-to-Race Reality in the Spotlight
The concept of drivers bringing sponsorship money to teams is hardly new. Racing has always been expensive, and financial backing has helped launch plenty of successful careers.
What’s striking about Hamlin’s comments is the scale.
He’s not talking about a handful of drivers relying on family money or sponsors to keep their careers alive. He’s suggesting that paying to compete has become the norm across much of NASCAR’s second-highest national series.
And the checks involved aren’t small.
An Oct. 16 investigation by PitByNumbers examined the funding and performance of 10 O’Reilly Series drivers, citing estimated costs of $40,000 to $45,000 per race for seats in cars typically running 25th or worse.
For a ride with an established powerhouse such as Joe Gibbs Racing or JR Motorsports, the reported price can climb to $100,000 to $150,000 per race.
Those figures aren’t fixed rates charged to every driver. Deals vary, and the money doesn’t necessarily come out of a driver’s personal bank account.
Some bring longtime corporate partners. Others have family businesses willing to sponsor them. Manufacturer support can also play a role.
But regardless of where the funding originates, the underlying challenge is the same. A driver might have the speed to compete, yet still struggle to find a team willing or able to put them in a car without substantial financial backing.
The Biggest Check Doesn’t Always Produce the Best Results
There’s another side to the conversation that often gets lost when drivers are labeled as having bought their rides.
Money can open a door. It can’t drive the car.
The PitByNumbers investigation highlighted Brent Crews, a Toyota development driver competing for Joe Gibbs Racing, as an interesting example.
Crews, whose ride wasn’t identified as being backed by family money, had a 12.4 average finish through the races examined. That was the best mark among the organization’s four O’Reilly Series drivers.
The same analysis examined Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 Chevrolet, comparing Nick Sanchez’s 2025 season with Patrick Staropoli’s 2026 campaign.
Sanchez averaged a 16.5 finish in the car last year. Staropoli’s average stood at 23.8 through the races included in the study.
That comparison doesn’t tell the whole story. Different seasons bring different circumstances, and no two drivers arrive with identical experience or expectations.
Still, it illustrates why financial backing and on-track performance shouldn’t be confused.
A driver bringing money to a team isn’t automatically undeserving of the opportunity. And a driver without significant personal funding isn’t necessarily less capable of succeeding.
That’s what makes Hamlin’s comments worth paying attention to.
His 80% figure is an estimate, not an independently verified count of the entire field. But the broader issue is one NASCAR has wrestled with for years: How do talented young drivers advance when the cost of competing keeps the financial barrier so high?
The O’Reilly Series is supposed to be a proving ground for drivers hoping to reach the Cup Series.
Hamlin’s comments are a reminder that, for many of them, proving they belong is only part of the battle.
Denny Hamlin Makes Stunning Claim About 80% of NASCAR Drivers