It’s in many ways a natural association. Both sports rely on horsepower—one just focuses on it in a more organic and natural way.
Right now, horse racing fans, including several NASCAR legends, are anxiously researching Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders as the racing season winds down. While you wait for the big season-ending event, there are more immediate ways to satisfy your horse racing itch.
Let’s take a look at several NASCAR racers with a distinguished interest in horse racing.
Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart is arguably one of the most famous names in NASCAR’s entire history. He has won the Cup Series Championship three times and the IndyCar Series (1996–97). He’s also won the USAC Midget, Sprint, and Silver Crown series.
For those not particularly attuned to the nuances of NASCAR racing, this is an extremely versatile set of accomplishments, and he is, in fact, the only driver to date to have won in every category. He has earned a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame for his success..
But for his contributions to the sport of horse racing, he’s been equally endearing to the public.
Not only does he love the sport, but he has also established the Tony Stewart Foundation, which ended in 2024. But the nonprofit organization awarded $20,000 to the Friends of Ferdinand Incorporated, an organization that helps rescue retired thoroughbred horses.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The son of noted NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, who tragically passed away in the 2001 Daytona 500 in a crash, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is himself an incredibly renowned racer. He won the Daytona 500 twice, including in 2004, just three years after his father’s accident, and in 2022, he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
He’s now still involved in the sport in several aspects, including owning JR Motorsports, doing his own podcast, and working as a broadcasting analyst for NBC. He is also a devoted philanthropist, particularly in his support of underprivileged youth.
During his retirement ceremony, Earnhardt Jr. was gifted a horse named Sarah Jessica Parker from Texas Motor Speedway.
Taylor Earnhardt Putnam
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sister, Taylor Earnhardt Putnam, has expressed a lifelong interest in horses that began at the age of three with riding lessons. She developed her love of equines alongside her father, Dale Earnhardt. In 2001, when the NASCAR legend passed away, she turned to horses as a form of comfort.
This relationship eventually developed into a career. Taylor Earnhardt Putnam participated extensively in rodeo circuits and was most strongly associated with the Southern Rodeo Association. She’s competed in hundreds of events across the country, has a strong winning record, and has since migrated towards breeding ventures as well as other forms of equine interest.
A Connection Rooted in Compassion
It would be natural to assume the connection between NASCAR and horse racing is rooted in a love of all things that go fast. Maybe there is a degree of overlap that makes the relationship more natural.
Retired racers understand better than anyone the pains and pressures of competitive racing. Perhaps, in that way, they develop a natural sympathy with animals that the rest of us view primarily as a source of entertainment.
However, as you look at the examples above, there is a stronger bond, much more worthy of celebration. It’s not just that the NASCAR legends we’ve referenced above enjoy the sport of horse racing. It’s that they all recognize on a profound level how rewarding equine interactions can be.
Taylor Nicole Earnhardt Putnam is perhaps the most obvious example, as she took a coping mechanism from her childhood and developed it into a lifelong and notable career. She’s not the only person to turn to horses for comfort, however.
You don’t have to love horsepower to love horses, and there is a long and proven relationship between horses and wellness.
There are so many athletes and celebrities with a public interest in racing that it’s easy to associate a love of ponies with money. Get rich, buy a horse.
There’s more to it than that. Yes, having money does help one explore their interest in equines, but really, horses are for everyone. NASCAR legends, sure, and even movie stars, basketball players, and singers, but also everyday people experiencing everyday problems and looking for profoundly soothing solutions.
The nice thing about the racers on our list? Every single one of them have made the world a better place for horses, and the people who love them. That’s worth celebrating.
