NHRA has confirmed its payouts to the Top Fuel and Funny Car teams in a memo recently issued to its competitors.
The prize money for an event where a competitor makes four qualifying runs will pay $54,000 to win, and pays down to $5400 for the No. 20 qualifier. A first-round loser will earn $13,000, proving they make all four qualifying runs.
In a three-qualifier event, the winner pays down to 20, with $6500. A first-round loser gets $10,000, provided they make all three qualifying runs.
The NHRA U.S Nationals will pay $100,000 to win in a five-qualifier event and pay down to $6500 for the No. 20 car. A first-round qualifier will take home $14,000, provided they make all five qualifying runs.
The memo also said, “The NHRA will continue in 2024 to payout a race team fund to the Top Fuel and Funny Car competitors. Race team funds will be paid out approximately every fourth event to teams who earned money. The race fund paid out will be based on the total number of qualifying attempts made. The percentage of qualifying attempts made by a competitor versus the total number of qualifying attempts made by all competitors will be calculated. The percentage calculated for an individual competitor will be multiplied by the total race team fund to determine the payout. The total race team fund will be determined as follows:
• The unspent 19/20 funds will be put into a race team fund to be tallied and distributed quarterly based on the number of qualifying attempts.
• In addition to the first bullet, in events with four and five qualifying sessions the unspent first-round prize money will be tallied and applied to the race team fund. For example, if a competitor only completes two qualifying attempts the difference of $2,000 ($13,000 minus $11,000) would be applied to the race team fund.
• For all event prize money structures, the unspent “Qualifier 17 and 18” funds will not be included in the race team fund.”
