2006 Drag Racing Driver Earnings (1 Viewer)

[Draglist]

I forgot to post this up here. This has always been of interest to many.

Steve Klemetti once again adds up the NHRA and IHRA pro and alcohol driver winnings from the former season.

Drag Racing List - 2006 NHRA and IHRA Driver Earnings

 

[Rajunz]

If a driver on a top team had a contract to keep even just 50% of their winnings, they could make a real nice living and have a grand time doing it!

 

[Ponyhntr]

If a driver on a top team had a contract to keep even just 50% of their winnings, they could make a real nice living and have a grand time doing it!

Yeah, but those figures are TINY when compared to how much is spent each year on each car to make them go down the track!

Let's not even think of comparing these figures with those of NASCAR!

 

[pete]

Josh, how much is spent on those Nascar rides yearly? I don't think that compares either.

 

[Nunz]

Well, let's assume that Force spent 3Mil on just his car to earn that 1Mil. What do you think the 2006 Nextel Cup winning car's budget was? I don't know myself, but I'm sure the ratio is probably similar. Of course, this comparison is really a dead horse...

 

[Greggo]

Although it is probably impossible, I think it would be interesting to see the contingency amounts as well.

 

[Jake]

I wish NHRA & NASCAR were like Pro Football, Baseball, etc. where you can find out what 90% of them overpaid athletes make. In the NHRA it is just what they win, instead show what they actually are paid per contract from their employer. It would be interesting.

 

[TJ]

In my experience on the tour most drivers are paid a salary between 80k and 240k w/ most of the winnings paid back to the crew and a small % to the crew chief(s). Some drivers are paying themselves rather than support their own program. Can you guess the pilots who pay to play??
And there are bonuses for top 5, top2 finish, etc.

Teams receive their payments (most teams) in quarterly installments and the only promise on paper that the owners make to the sponsors is that the transporters w/ be parked in the pit area. No promises that the car will even start....or go to the starting line.
Most profits after crew % and the tuners % is returned to support the car.
Owners usually take a cut off the top for their salary if needed.

And I have seen alot of expired contracts......
Very few are staying out of the red...but bless their hearts that they are freaks and LOVE NITRO RACING....

 

[jackass]

i know most average Cup drivers only got around 30% of what was won in a race.. some of the higher profile drivers get more.. but who knows how much... thats one of the biggest secrets in NASCAR...

i saw the other day where it takes a BUSCH team from 7 mill to 10 mil now to be at the top in the BUSCH series....in 95 i was part of a deal for a top BUSCH team sponsorship.. and it was 2.5 million a year... in a little over 10 years it has tripled in cost....

now at the same time we were talking to a couple Pro Stock teams... NHRA and IHRA.. the NHRA team was around $750,000... and they won a couple championships during the 90's.. the IHRA team deal was around $500,000.... and they were in the top 5... so i can imagine what the cost today would be for a top level PS drag team would be....(primary sponsorships now)

the company ended up an associate on the Sox & Martin reunion deal....


Billy

 

[Rajunz]

....................And I have seen alot of expired contracts......
Very few are staying out of the red...but bless their hearts that they are freaks and LOVE NITRO RACING....

Well I know one that has stayed out of the red.......................John Force!

 

[jackass]

Terry.... i have seen some contracts that are SMALL amounts for teams to go to the races.. and then they get money "if" they quailify... and then money per round advanced... with some of the smaller teams breaking even is REAL hard too...i would imagine...

you've got to realy love what you do to go in the hole and still continue like some teams do....

How do you become a millionare in motorsports... start with 5 million..lol. i would say that still holds true.. but it might need to go up to 10 million to start with now...lol


Billy

 

[TJ]

I think the people that made money in drag racing were @ the right place @ the right time and had a true love and were/are passionate about their vocation and gave it their all and were rewarded in the long run.....

The saying "your return is equal to your risk" was a saying I learned long ago in the motion picture industry..

I suppose you will be successful and rich (not money) if you are dong what you really love....

In the late 80's I had a chance to work w/ Dale Armstrong when they made the switch to Top Fuel due to my answer during an interview in which he asked how much I expected to be paid and my answer was "If you pay for my transportation and a place to sleep I would work for free" but I had a girlfriend (wife now) and did not want to leave her....

 

[None]

I wish NHRA & NASCAR were like Pro Football, Baseball, etc. where you can find out what 90% of them overpaid athletes make. In the NHRA it is just what they win, instead show what they actually are paid per contract from their employer. It would be interesting.

Might be a little embarrassing if their contracts were published. I'll bet many are way down on the dollar deal.

 

[ProStockJunkie]

If a driver on a top team had a contract to keep even just 50% of their winnings, they could make a real nice living and have a grand time doing it!

Really? Now this is making a nice living . Couldn't find the 2006 list, but I think folks will get the picture from this 2005 list.

Nascar Driver Earnings: 2005 Yearly and Weekly Earnings

Drag racers sure ain't doin' it for the money, so they must be having a grand time doing it!