FYI WIRZ: NASCAR's Biggest Teams Tally Multiple Wins

Much has been said of abundant resources in all motorsports. Engines seem to turn best on money. Top sponsors are attracted to productive teams as that creates coveted return on investment (ROI), the key reason for funding significant costs initially.

NASCAR is the prime organization in marketing and popularity among motorsports sanctions. Its success burst from regional origins into a national juggernaut during the past 20-plus years. Teams evolved with the racing giant. 

It’s no secret that motorsports teams with the most resources—including skilled drivers, top engineers, ace mechanics, athletic pit crews and top management personnel—produce frequent positive results on racetracks.

It is easy to examine the math in this successful equation by simply observing the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners’ list and the organizations behind the winning teams.

Four major teams field all of the 2015 NSCS winners, while each of the four large organizations has two winning drivers. No small or singular teams have a win. That’s an extraordinary mathematical balance.

Hendrick Motorsports is home for winners Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., whose emotional win at Talladega is the most recent HMS triumph. Kevin Harvick leads in points, and his teammate at Stewart Haas Racing, Kurt Busch, joined the elite group recently as well.

Team Penske has seen its two NSCS drivers, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, in Victory Lane this year. Joe Gibbs Racing completes the special equation with two of its four drivers, Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth, on the exclusive win list as well. 

Team Penske has productive teams in NASCAR and the Verizon IndyCar Series, where Juan Pablo Montoya won the first 2015 race and leads in points.

Keselowski discussed what the expansive Penkse organization means to him.

“It’s an advantage in so many different ways,” he said. “Whether it’s the facility costs and being able to take advantage of that and reduce some overhead—I think that’s great from the team perspective.”

Keselowski mentioned two skilled team members who went from NASCAR to Penske IndyCar, one of whom returned with even more prowess.

“It helps open up their minds and perspectives to different parts and technologies that might exist on one side and not the other,” he said. “And kind of help us cross-pollinate those two to the advantage of both efforts.”

Johnson scored a close second behind teammate Earnhardt in Talladega and has two wins to his credit this season. His drafting help and sensible maneuvers helped HMS get another win, even if it wasn’t his No. 48 Chevy. 

“Congratulations to my teammate one-two for the 48-88 shop,” he said. “Great pit stops and just a solid performance and a great month for us. If we really look at it, I think our worst finish this month has been third. I am very proud to be in a Hendrick car."

Earnhardt’s emotional win in Talladega—where his father often dominated—brought a first-place winnings purse of $306,055. The last-place driver and team recovered $64,955. Drivers share the winning purse money according to contract agreements, but the significant sums show the level of racing in NSCS. 

Sponsors and winnings keep the larger teams large.

Earnhardt is the most popular NASCAR driver year after year, yet he often shares his humility with the public, his enormous following. 

“What a great group of guys I get to work with every weekend,” he said. “I feel really blessed to have everything that I’ve got. I’m just real fortunate to be in the position I’m in, surrounded by so many good people. We have so much support.”

Big teams and top means tend to add up over and over. Exemplary team resources—mechanical parts, technical gear, efficient personnel—can create teamwork that excels.

Credit: Dwight Drum

HMS, SHR, JGR and Team Penske produce for tangible reasons. The right people make the big dollars score.

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official release materials provided by sanction and team representatives.