NASCAR is one of the biggest and most watched sports in the US and has a tremendous fan following. The drivers involved in the sport are some of the best drivers in the world and they have a  knack for wanting to go fast and haul it in all the way to the finish line. It’s not an easy task driving around at such high speeds and any lapse of concentration could cost you the race—and potentially could put you into a bad safety situation. You’d expect that a lot of these drivers all feel the need for speed and would want that to reflect in their daily rides, as well—but you would probably be surprised by the reality of the vehicles race car drivers own at home.

Many of these drivers are accustomed to racing in their stock cars for multiple seasons but this leaves a lot of people to wonder what these drivers use off the tracks. If many of us were in their situation, we’d definitely opt for some flashy sports cars to let it be known on the street that this is what we do, and this is what we're good at. Feeling the rush of adrenaline on the track would probably transfer over to being the same on the roads, right? Well, these NASCAR drivers chose a different path and showed the mighty pickup truck some love. So, without further ado, here are 20 NASCAR drivers who drive trucks when they're not on the track.(

19 Joey Logano's Rat Rod

via hotrod.com

Joey Logano’s rat rod is definitely one of those head-turning vehicles when you manage to see it cruising down the road. Built form the base of a 1939 GMC pickup, this rat rod looks like it came out straight from the movies. Its rustic complexion and white-walled tires give it a look like it can do some serious speed and that it’s withstood the test of time. Building this thing up must have taken some serious dedication and work, and the end result definitely gives off something beautiful, with an homage to the old-school cool generation of trucks when they were still new on the market.

18 Chase Elliott's Chevy Silverado

via trucktrend

Chase Elliott has an impressive track record in his professional racing career so far. In 2014, he was the first rookie to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, and he was 2016’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. When he’s not tearing it up on the track, he prefers to drive his 2015 Chevy Silverado, as it gets the job done and has a lot of room for day-to-day activities. You’d expect a young driver with a history like his to indulge a bit and get a nice sports car, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled just in case.

17 Tony Stewart's 1956 Short Bed Pickup

via ccmarketplace

Tony Stewart has had a long and prominent racing career in IndyCar and a 20-year driving career in NASCAR racing. Due to this, Tony is one of the household names when it comes to NASCAR racing. He also has quite a large and unique car collection, and most people probably first recognize the Cadillac Hearse which he’s famous for having. But, one of the cars that don’t make it into the limelight a lot is his 1956 Chevy 3100 short bed pickup. This pickup is pretty low key but there are glimpses of it in video walkthroughs of his car collection.

16 Ryan Newman's Chevy C10

via racingnews

Ryan Newman’s Chevy C10 was given to him on his birthday by his dad, after his dad had seen it at the Daytona Turkey Rod Run. Often referred to as a beater, this truck holds close to Newman’s heart, as he says he “likes it the way it is.” Although being rusted and definitely in need of a new coat of paint, this truck definitely looks like it holds up very well and will continue to hold up well with the years to come. Seeing how it’s now being kept in a garage, there’s no doubt it’ll stay in exactly the condition it's in.

15 Joey Logano's Ford F-150 Raptor

via motortrend

One of Joey Logano’s daily drivers includes a Heritage Edition model of the Ford GT, which he absolutely loves due to its acceleration, launch control, and overall fun-to-drive factor. His other daily driver is his Ford F-150 Raptor, which he rates as a 10/10 for daily-driver material. He expresses his love of driving it on and off road and loves the EcoBoost engine in the truck, as well. He also praises the truck on how well it runs and although he has quite a formidable collections of cars, this one takes the cake as his favorite choice for those daily drives.

14 Ryan Newman's 1949 Ford F100

via nascarracemom

Ryan Newman’s 1949 Ford F100 was actually gifted to him by his wife, Krissie, on his birthday. What she didn’t know was that he’d actually also bought another truck the same day, so he ended up getting two on his birthday! That’s a pretty sweet deal considering how beautiful this F100 is. One could only dream of having one of these in their garage, let alone two of them from nearly the same time period. This 1949 F100 is in immaculate condition and looks just how it was on the initial date of release other than what looks to be a slightly lower ride height.

13 Bubba Wallace's Roush F-150

via youtube

Bubba Wallace’s Roush F-150 can be seen shredding it through unpaved roads and plowing through muddy waters. This truck is something that knows no boundaries when it comes to where it can go and where it’s willing to go. Decorated with a Roush front grille, fender extensions, and black vinyl Roush decals, this truck definitely stands out among the pack. And that's not to mention this thing boasts an impressive 600 horsepower with 557 lb-ft of torque under the hood, which makes on-road and off-road travel a breeze. Bubba’s praised the truck for its fun-to-drive factor and its delightful output of power.

12 Ryan Newman's Sanford And Son Replica

via racingnews

Earlier in the article, we mentioned that Ryan Newman’s wife actually purchased him a 1949 F100 for his birthday. Newman was unaware of this and actually sought out his own F100 as well. So, he went on eBay and feasted his eyes upon this Sanford and Son 1949 Ford F100 replica. He stated he always wanted an old Ford truck and that he was a fan of the show, so he made the logical decision and bought the truck for around $1,900. This is definitely one of the cheapest cars Newman owns, but as he says, it makes for a great conversation piece.

11 Jimmie Johnson's 1949 Stepside

via oldcarsalekarr

Jimmie Johnson’s 1949 Stepside is one of those things that proves the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover." Upon first glance, you may see this thing on the road and figure it looks like a total beater. It definitely looks like it needs a new...everything, really; it gives off the look that it may fall apart at any second. But upon closer inspection and a peek under the hood, you’ll notice that things are way different. Johnson’s 1949 Stepside is actually equipped with a Corvette engine underneath, which means this beater can definitely give you a run for your money.

10 Joey Logano's Chevy SSR

via autoinfluence

One car that doesn’t make it to the limelight very often is Joey Logano’s Chevy SSR. A fun fact about his SSR is that it’s the first car he ever bought with his own money and he still owns it to this day. Although nowadays, he’s built up an impressive car collection and has many vehicles to choose from in his day-to-day life, his Chevy SSR still remains an iconic piece of history for him. It's definitely understandable, as most of our first cars also maintain a special place in our hearts, as well, and not many people owned a V8-powered, hardtop-convertible pickup.

9 Ryan Newman's 1940 Chevy Pickup

nascarracemom

Ryan Newman has been on this list quite a few times and you can tell he has an affinity towards older models of pickup trucks. We’ve seen his C10, his 1949 Ford F100, and his 1949 Sanford and Sons Ford F100—and that brings us to his final pickup: this 1940 Chevy pickup. There’s definitely an allure to these old pickups, whether it’s just the way they’re styled, how they sound when you fire up the engine, or just cruising down a road in a pristine-condition pick that not many people on the road have. It’s definitely an eye-catcher on the road and Newman’s well aware of that.

8 Dale Earnhardt Jr's Grunge Truck

via facebook

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Chevy 3100 TK Pickup might look like a bit of a beater on the outside but it managed to find its way into his collection of cars—and even as one of his most surprising rides. Under the hood, the engine’s been replaced to suit modern standards but he chose to keep the truck’s exterior looking as it did when he first got it. As he states, the rust and the faded paint give the truck a lot of personality and give you a glimpse at how this truck is meant to be seen. That faded paint definitely tells a story.

7 Kurt Busch's Ford F-150

via velocityjournal

This truck has definitely got it all! Kurt Busch’s F-150 was showcased at the Performance Racing Industry Show in 2018 and performed drift demos in the 2018 SEMA Auto Show. This thing is no joke. With 1,000 horsepower under the hood, this truck is powered with twin-turbos and many other exciting speed bits under the hood. Not only that, but this beast is just appealing all around with a brand new set of rims and other body modifications including a lowering kit, fender flares, and a custom grille—not to mention topping it off with a nice electric blue paint job.

6 Vaughn Gittin Jr's Ford F-150

via knfilters

Officially dubbed The Ultimate Fun Haver, Vaughn Gittin Jr’s F-150 is definitely named for what it does best. Having started off with a 2015 Ford F-150 EcoBoost, Gittin Jr went a little overboard adding some modifications, including air suspension (to take those wicked jumps) in order to turn this thing into the Ultimate Fun Haver. Plowing through the dirt, drifting through off-road courses, and going off jumps are all an essential part of having loads of fun in the great outdoors and Gittin Jr managed to capture all of that essence into one unique pickup package that brings style with its bright green details, as well.

5 Jeff Gordon's Chevy Tahoe Hybrid

via caranddriver

Although it’s not a pickup truck, Jeff Gordon’s Chevy Tahoe Hybrid definitely makes it onto the list. Jeff Gordon is one of the biggest household names in NASCAR, and he’s definitely one for wanting to go fast on the track. But off track, he prefers his daily driver to be more of a leisurely drive, as he brings out his Tahoe Hybrid. I can definitely see him wanting to economize his fuel with a big truck like this but then again, it only seemed to save around 30% more fuel than a regular Tahoe. Still, the numbers are still decently significant.

4 Joey Logano's Suburban

via oldparkedcars

Here we have Joey Logano’s 1972 Chevy Suburban. Most people who buy older cars that are in less-than0perfect shape usually have a specific plan for them. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities that people will change what’s under the hood, throw some new rims on, or even fix up the current paint job that it has. Logano’s got a different plan for his Suburban; he’s leaving it exactly how it is. He claims he likes to keep it original and just how it is, and the only thing he does to it is put gas in the tank and air in the tires.

3 Danica Patrick's Ford Expedition

via Wikipedia

Danica Patrick has also been known to have a Lamborghini Gallardo sitting in her garage—although certain sources have indicated she actually sold it earlier this year—but that's not the main vehicle she takes out on a daily basis. This leaves her with her Ford Expedition, still going strong. She’s stated she’s not that big of a car person and her ideal car was something that looked nice, is comfortable, and that has decent launch speeds at red lights. The Expedition definitely ticks off two of these boxes, but at the end of the day, comfortability really is paramount when it comes to a daily driver.

2 Kurt Busch's Ford Expedition

via classiccars

One of Kurt Busch’s daily drivers is his 2017 Ford Expedition. As fun as whirring around a course at high speeds may be, a lot of times, you just want to cruise on the road in a comfortable, large ride—and Busch does exactly that. Apart from his Expedition, Busch also has a collection of six 1932 Ford cars, all of which almost make up half of his collection. Busch has a certain affinity towards Ford vehicles and his daily driver Expedition is no exception from that. With lots of room on the inside and a high driving position, running to the grocery store in traffic becomes a lot less tedious.

1 Jeff Gordon's Suburban

via cargurus

One of Jeff Gordon’s daily drivers includes a jet black Chevy Suburban LT1 which he professes that he drives almost every single day. Apart from being a speed hunter on the track, Gordon uses this truck as his daily driver for everyday activities and for driving around with his family. He’s definitely not going to want to be shredding it on the road with his family in the car, so he and his family find comfort in driving this behemoth. It has plenty of space to suit his and his family’s needs, and it ensures his family’s safety on any drive.

Sources: Racing News, Motor Trend, Pole Position Magazine, Ford Authority, and The News Wheel.