The driver helps create revenue the car owner (often in the form of ad dollars). They may do this by driving well or they may do this by dating a country superstar or starting fights with other drivers.
Sure at the end of the day driving is a big part of it, but it’s not the only thing.
There’s what, 40 cars in the Daytona 500 and 39 of them lose. Are those 39 bad at their jobs?
I know nothing about car racing and I’ll prove it: until your comment I always vaguely assumed that the number of cars in the Daytona 500 was…500?