When it comes to auto racing, nothing is more American than the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). We’re talking about an organization that goes way back to 1947 when Bill France Sr. held a meeting to talk about the future of stock racing. A few months later, NASCAR held its first race in Daytona Beach.
Since then, NASCAR has held race after race all over the country and Canada. Some of its popular race venues include the Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR has also made a lot of drivers famous and here’s what they drive:
10 Jimmie Johnson Drives A 1949 Chevy Stepside
As you may know, NASCAR drivers tend to prefer classic cars. This seems to be the case for Johnson who once told Men’s Journal that his daily driver happens to be a 1949 Chevy Stepside.
It may be decades old, but Johnson said the car still drives pretty well. In fact, he told the publication, “It sounds good and hauls ass – it’s got a Corvette engine under the hood.” To give the car a little upgrade, modern-day conveniences such as SiriusXM Radio and air conditioning had been added.
9 Kyle Busch Drives A 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air
Busch and his wife, Samantha, had purchased the car while attending the 43rd annual Barett-Jackson Scottsdale Collector Car Auction in 2014. The Bel Air was restored and upgraded with some modern running gear, making this car pretty easy to drive.
According to Fox Sports, Busch managed to buy the vintage Chevy for $99,000. Today, it’s still possible to score a 1956 Bel Air for yourself. Based on current listings on Hemmings, it sells for as much as $155,000. Obviously, you may end up paying a lot more than Busch.
8 Joey Logano Drives A Chevy SSR
For Logano, his Chevy SSR has true sentimental value. After all, his black Chevy SSR happens to be the very first car that the NASCAR driver bought with his own money. SSR stands for Super Sport Roadster, making this car a sports truck.
According to Top Speed, the SSR was introduced with a 5.3-liter V8 engine that can deliver more than 300 horsepower and 335 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, during the car’s last year of production, Chevy put in a 6.0-liter V8 engine that produces 390 horses and 405 pound-feet of torque.
7 Ryan Newman Drives A 1969 Chevrolet Camaro
The 1969 Camaro was a gift from wife Krissie, who had purchased the car with the help of NASCAR legend Ray Evernham. Around that time, this was the car that Newman wanted to add to his collection.
While speaking with Racing News.co, the NASCAR driver explained, “To me, I am an old car guy at heart. My Camaro is not a numbers’ matching car and that’s OK with me. I’ll drive it no matter what. It’s a good-looking car.” The 1969 Camaro represents the final year of the body style that the Camaro adopted in 1967.
6 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Drives An Intimidator SS Camaro
Earnhardt is more than aware that the Intimidator SS Camaro is pretty much a family legacy. In fact, it’s the first-ever high-performance car that had been created by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet.
Some of its special features include a chambered exhaust system that has the exact components that were fitted to the first generation of Camaros. The first prototype for the Intimidator SS prototype was built in June 2000. According to the website GMMG, the car was also updated to the 2001 specifications. It also underwent extensive testing.
5 Carl Edwards Drives A Shelby GT500KR
As NASCAR fans may know, Edwards never had to pay for his Shelby GT500KR since it was gifted to him after winning the 2007 Nationwide Championship. Ford had decided to bring back the car back in 2008 in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Shelby.
For the car’s remake, Ford gave the car a 5.4-liter V8 engine that can crank out 540 horses at 6,250 rpm and 510 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. According to Ford Performance, the car also goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.
4 Matt Kenseth Drives A Ford Mustang GT500
Kenseth mentioned this car briefly during a SportsNation chat on ESPN. If you’re interested in owning one, the 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500 comes with a starting price of $72,900. Under the hood is a 5.2-liter V8 engine that can crank out a mean 760 horses at 7,300 rpm and 625 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm.
So far, the car is well-reviewed. However, if you’re looking for a car that’s big on fuel economy, this is absolutely not the ride for you. A performance car like this is big on power after all.
3 Denny Hamlin Drives A Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition
NASCAR driver Hamlin is known for this particular off-track ride. Hamlin’s Lexus sports an orange exterior with a black Alcantara interior. As you might know, the LFA features a 4.8-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine that cranks out 552 horsepower. The car also has a top speed of 202 mph, which is not bad at all.
When you get the Nürburgring Package, however, things get even better. According to The Drive, your car’s output increases to 563 horses. However, this package also adds a $70,000 premium to your purchase.
2 Jeff Gordon Drives A Jaguar XK-8
Gordon has been seen driving around in this beautiful British car. It’s a well-loved car that made its debut in the late 90s. Just to give you an idea, the 2006 XK8 comes with a 4.2-liter V8 engine that delivers as much as 294 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 303 pound-feet of torque at 4,100 rpm.
When it comes to fuel economy, this sports car does pretty well. In fact, it is said to do roughly 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.
1 Tony Stewart Drives A Lamborghini Murcielago
The story behind Stewart’s Murcielago is pretty interesting. While on the Dan Patrick Show, Stewart revealed that he traded his two Shelby Mustangs and a Ferrari to get this sweet ride. In addition, he had to cash out $50,000 too so you can imagine how much he had to pay in total to get this Lamborghini.
The Murcielago is particularly special because Lamborghini has already stopped producing the car after it was succeeded by the Aventador. The very last time that the Murcielago was released was back in 2010.