How much money do Champ Car drivers make?

[Bluewolf]

We all hear about F1 salaries and you can go to the NASCAR and IRL to see what drivers have made but I can't find any information of what Champ Car drivers are earning - Does anyone know???

[DSM]

Originally Posted by Bluewolf

We all hear about F1 salaries and you can go to the NASCAR and IRL to see what drivers have made but I can't find any information of what Champ Car drivers are earning - Does anyone know???

Don't the majority pay for their drives?

[Rime]

I heard or read somewhere that Doornbos received a 140.000 dollar bonus/price money for his last win (which he shared with his mechanics).

Most of the drivers are bringing sponsors but are paid by the teams.

[icemachine]

PT was supposedly making being paid 3 million in 2005, before he signed the 5 year deal.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by Rime

Most of the drivers are bringing sponsors but are paid by the teams.

So, in effect, they are pay-drivers.

With the series being the way it is atm, it makes sense that all but the top names would be paying.

[mountainstar]

There was an article on the champcar website about this earlier this year. Every driver is getting paid except for 1.

[OpenWheel4ever]

Originally Posted by Bluewolf

We all hear about F1 salaries and you can go to the NASCAR and IRL to see what drivers have made but I can't find any information of what Champ Car drivers are earning - Does anyone know???

the "season earnings" you find on the websites (IRL, NASCAR...) in not their salary, it's the drivers' race prize money...their salary is never said...

[OpenWheel4ever]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

There was an article on the champcar website about this earlier this year. Every driver is getting paid except for 1.

I think the one is Bruno Junqueira

[watermelon]

i heard Power was on about 200-300k in his first year but i guess it has gone up since then.... not 100% certain source tho

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by DSM

Don't the majority pay for their drives?

Most are pay drivers, yes, but pretty much everyone still makes a net gain because they get a salary from their sponsors.

[indycool]

I'm sure all the deals are different. In the old days, the standard was 40 percent of the purse and 50 percent if you won.

Starting back in the early '80s, this started changing rapidly. Mario Andretti and Al Unser Jr., got the first $1 million "retainers" for either '85 or '86 -- don't remember which one. And the deals got more complicated with personal services contracts with sponsors, etc.

Openwheel4ever has it right. The purse winnings announced by sanctioning bodies don't reflect "driver earnings" as we know them or want to refer to them, but the winnings of the car the driver drove to what position.

How these deals go today for drivers -- in any series -- is something we just can't tell. I remember a car owner approached by a driver's agent who asked for, among other things, a motorcoach at every track and credentials and food expenses for a personal chef for the driver alone as part of the deal.

[Tony Clifton]

Originally Posted by Dutton

So, in effect, they are pay-drivers.

With the series being the way it is atm, it makes sense that all but the top names would be paying.

Look racing is a BUSINESS.

There are a couple of ways to be a racecar driver.

Either you, as the driver go out and find sponsors that will send checks to a race team who then turns around and cuts you a check for driving with them.

You as the driver negotiate with the sponsor about how much money they will give to the race team and also negotiate with the race team about how much of the sponsor money you bring to the team will be paid to you as a salary.

OR

You as a driver show impressive speed and ability to put a race car to the front of the field. Then either race team owners OR their sponsors go out and hire you to drive for their owned/sponsored team.

Pretty simple concepts.

Race cars are moving billboards, race cars present ways for business to reach a specific target market for sponsors. Race teams charge money to put sponsors names on the sides of their cars and be associated with their race team.

Even the mighty Michael Schumacher had to pay 100k plus for his first ride with Jordan in 1991.
That is the way the sport works.
It requires large amounts of money to field a car, it takes HUGE amounts of money to put together the driver/car/team package necessary to win championships.

Like it or not there is not a race series out there that pays enough in winnings purse to keep a race team working, even if they win the championship.
EVERY race team needs outside money to operate.
Either the team owner goes out and finds the cash or the driver does.

Andre Ribeiro when he drove for Team Penske was quite talented when it came to bringing sponsorship to Team Penske. He was amazing with sponsors and his ability to generate positive press for those companies he was sponsored by.
Even Roger Penske was quoted as saying when he hired Ribeiro that "we are not sure whether we hired a race driver or a marketing director" when asked about Ribeiros sponsor talent.

It should be noted that once Ribeiro's driving career was over he went into business with Penske in Brazil distributing diesel engines.

Talent alone many times is not enough to get a ride with a better race team, bring sponsors to a team AND being a talented race driver WILL get you a better ride.
Winning will give you the opportunity to make more money or get a better ride.

Pretty simple.

[Bluewolf]

Originally Posted by Tony Clifton

Look racing is a BUSINESS.

There are a couple of ways to be a racecar driver.

Either you, as the driver go out and find sponsors that will send checks to a race team who then turns around and cuts you a check for driving with them.

You as the driver negotiate with the sponsor about how much money they will give to the race team and also negotiate with the race team about how much of the sponsor money you bring to the team will be paid to you as a salary.

OR

You as a driver show impressive speed and ability to put a race car to the front of the field. Then either race team owners OR their sponsors go out and hire you to drive for their owned/sponsored team.

Pretty simple concepts.

Race cars are moving billboards, race cars present ways for business to reach a specific target market for sponsors. Race teams charge money to put sponsors names on the sides of their cars and be associated with their race team.

Even the mighty Michael Schumacher had to pay 100k plus for his first ride with Jordan in 1991.
That is the way the sport works.
It requires large amounts of money to field a car, it takes HUGE amounts of money to put together the driver/car/team package necessary to win championships.

Like it or not there is not a race series out there that pays enough in winnings purse to keep a race team working, even if they win the championship.
EVERY race team needs outside money to operate.
Either the team owner goes out and finds the cash or the driver does.

Andre Ribeiro when he drove for Team Penske was quite talented when it came to bringing sponsorship to Team Penske. He was amazing with sponsors and his ability to generate positive press for those companies he was sponsored by.
Even Roger Penske was quoted as saying when he hired Ribeiro that "we are not sure whether we hired a race driver or a marketing director" when asked about Ribeiros sponsor talent.

It should be noted that once Ribeiro's driving career was over he went into business with Penske in Brazil distributing diesel engines.

Talent alone many times is not enough to get a ride with a better race team, bring sponsors to a team AND being a talented race driver WILL get you a better ride.
Winning will give you the opportunity to make more money or get a better ride.

Pretty simple.

Nice post Tony!

[Dutton]

Of course, you are right, Tony.

At no point did I say anything to suggest otherwise. You might have assumed things from my comment, but that is a totally different thing to me saying them.

It is the very fact it is a business that dictates the teams would have a pretty strong need for revenue given the current climate.