CHEW ON THIS
Mon, 2007-06-18 18:52
With 15 of 36-races completed, 38 drivers competing in the NASCAR
Nextel Cup Series have already earned in excess of $1,000,000. Kevin
Harvick leads the way with $4,462,037 in earnings, with current points
leader Jeff Gordon second at $3,496,991. Dale Jarrett, who has DNQ’d
three times in his new Toyota, is at the bottom of the millionaire’s
list with “only” $1,114,852 to his credit. Poor guy! Johnny Benson,
who has but one start this season, is at the very bottom of the money
list with $64,875. That’s $24,875 more than the Top Fuel or Funny Car
winner at a POWERade Series event takes home.
After 16-races in the Busch Series, which is the support series and not the main event, 17 drivers have earned in excess of $400,000 – the equivalent of a T/F or F/C driver having won 10 POWERade races – something only Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has even come close to, and he’s won five times in 2007. With 15 of 36-races completed, 38 drivers competing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series have already earned in excess of $1,000,000. Kevin Harvick leads the way with $4,462,037 in earnings, with current points leader Jeff Gordon second at $3,496,991. Dale Jarrett, who has DNQ’d three times in his new Toyota, is at the bottom of the millionaire’s list with “only” $1,114,852 to his credit. Poor guy! Johnny Benson, who has but one start this season, is at the very bottom of the money list with $64,875. That’s $24,875 more than the Top Fuel or Funny Car winner at a POWERade Series event takes home.
After 16-races in the Busch Series, which is the support series and not the main event, 17 drivers have earned in excess of $400,000 – the equivalent of a T/F or F/C driver having won 10 POWERade races – something only Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has even come close to, and he’s won five times in 2007.
Considering that the Pro Stock winner’s purse is only $20,000, Anderson’s winners purses totals only $100,000 – a fourth of what those 17 Busch drivers have earned and a tenth of what those 38
millionaires in the Cup series have taken in. The big winners in the fuel categories, Ron Capps and Brandon Bernstein, have three victories each, or a total of only $120,000 in winner money (and we acknowledge that we aren’t including first, second or semifinal round monies earned).
The Indy Racing League’s earnings are markedly bolstered by the Indy 500, but you could make the same argument about drag racing – the U.S. Nationals purse increases the racer’s earnings slightly beyond the norm. Regardless of the Memorial Day classic, earnings by the top 33 drivers currently listed all exceed $200,000
(the list includes a number of one-time entrants), with three millionaires at the top of the list and another 14 who have won more than $500,000. The Champ Car World Series, the other open wheel group, does not publish their purse structure, but media estimates place the winner’s purse in the neighborhood $100,000 per race.
Something continues to be wrong with this picture.
After 16-races in the Busch Series, which is the support series and not the main event, 17 drivers have earned in excess of $400,000 – the equivalent of a T/F or F/C driver having won 10 POWERade races – something only Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has even come close to, and he’s won five times in 2007. With 15 of 36-races completed, 38 drivers competing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series have already earned in excess of $1,000,000. Kevin Harvick leads the way with $4,462,037 in earnings, with current points leader Jeff Gordon second at $3,496,991. Dale Jarrett, who has DNQ’d three times in his new Toyota, is at the bottom of the millionaire’s list with “only” $1,114,852 to his credit. Poor guy! Johnny Benson, who has but one start this season, is at the very bottom of the money list with $64,875. That’s $24,875 more than the Top Fuel or Funny Car winner at a POWERade Series event takes home.
After 16-races in the Busch Series, which is the support series and not the main event, 17 drivers have earned in excess of $400,000 – the equivalent of a T/F or F/C driver having won 10 POWERade races – something only Pro Stock driver Greg Anderson has even come close to, and he’s won five times in 2007.
Considering that the Pro Stock winner’s purse is only $20,000, Anderson’s winners purses totals only $100,000 – a fourth of what those 17 Busch drivers have earned and a tenth of what those 38
millionaires in the Cup series have taken in. The big winners in the fuel categories, Ron Capps and Brandon Bernstein, have three victories each, or a total of only $120,000 in winner money (and we acknowledge that we aren’t including first, second or semifinal round monies earned).
The Indy Racing League’s earnings are markedly bolstered by the Indy 500, but you could make the same argument about drag racing – the U.S. Nationals purse increases the racer’s earnings slightly beyond the norm. Regardless of the Memorial Day classic, earnings by the top 33 drivers currently listed all exceed $200,000
(the list includes a number of one-time entrants), with three millionaires at the top of the list and another 14 who have won more than $500,000. The Champ Car World Series, the other open wheel group, does not publish their purse structure, but media estimates place the winner’s purse in the neighborhood $100,000 per race.
Something continues to be wrong with this picture.
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