#9 Matt Kenseth

Forbes.com: NASCAR's Highest-Paid Drivers

$11.5 million
Roush Fenway Racing

Kenseth captured three races in 2011 and finished fourth in the final standings. He grossed $7.9 million in race winnings and bonuses.

(Getty Images)

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NASCAR's Highest... These drivers earned the most in 2011 from their salaries and personal endorsements, as well as their share of race winnings and licensing income. Hendrick Motorsports drivers dominate the list.

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#10 Kasey Kahne $11 million
Hendrick Motorsports

Kahne's earnings are headed up in 2012 as he joins the powerhouse Hendrick team. He replaces Mark Martin in the No. 5 car.

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#9 Matt Kenseth $11.5 million
Roush Fenway Racing

Kenseth captured three races in 2011 and finished fourth in the final standings. He grossed $7.9 million in race winnings and bonuses.

(Getty Images)

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#8 Danica Patric... $12 million
Stewart-Haas Racing

Yahoo's most searched-for athlete joins NASCAR full-time this year with the backing of major sponsor Go Daddy. Most of her 2011 income was earned through her IndyCar racing contract and personal sponsors.

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#7 Kyle Busch $14 million
Joe Gibbs Racing

Busch set a record for most wins across the top three NASCAR series in 2010 with 24. His merchandise sales ranked fifth in 2011 behind only Earnhardt, Stewart, Gordon and Johnson.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

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#6 Kevin Harvick $14 million
Richard Childress Racing

Harvick's third-place finish in the Sprint Cup Chase earned him a $1.9 million bonus, which gets split with his team.

(Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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#5 Carl Edwards $15.5 million
Roush Fenway Racing

NASCAR's top free agent re-signed with Roush Fenway in August in a deal worth roughly $10 million a year. Edwards lost a tiebreaker to Tony Stewart for the Sprint Cup title in 2011.

(AP Photo/John Raoux)

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#4 Jimmie Johnso... $21 million
Hendrick Motorsports

Stewart's title broke Johnson's five-year win streak. J.J. still rakes in one of NASCAR's top salaries with Hendrick. He is the betting favorite to capture the Sprint Cup in 2012.

(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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#3 Tony Stewart $22 million
Stewart-Haas Racing

Stewart became the first driver/owner to win the NASCAR championship since Alan Kulwicki in 1992. Stewart ranked second in merchandise sales behind only Dale Earnhardt.

(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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#2 Jeff Gordon $24 million
Hendrick Motorsports

The longest driver/owner/sponsor marriage in NASCAR is Gordon, Hendrick and DuPont, who celebrate 20 years together in 2012.

(Getty Images for NASCAR)

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#1 Dale Earnhard... $28 million
Hendrick Motorsports

Earnhardt is NASCAR's top-earning driver and has the highest licensing income in the sport despite a three-year winless streak. He has been voted NASCAR's most popular driver nine times. Bill Elliott holds the record with 16 wins.

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