NASCAR returns to the racing capital of the world, Indianapolis, this weekend. The Cup Series and the Xfinity Series return to race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval layout amidst much fanfare and expectation. In line with the hype surrounding the events are the monetary rewards that have been announced for high performers.
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Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass disclosed on his X handle that the Brickyard 400 will carry a purse of $9,596,601. The Verizon 200 road course race which was held last year in Indianapolis carried a purse of $9,158,803 in comparison.
It is also an interesting fact that the inaugural Brickyard 400, held back in 1994, had a cash award of $613,000 given to the winner, Jeff Gordon, according to a report from motorsport.com.
Purses for IMS and IRP, including all payouts, all positions, contribution to year-end pt funds, contingency awards, and for Cup, payouts to charter teams for competing and historical performance:
Cup: $9,596,601
Xfinity: $1,873,623
Truck: $672,492
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 17, 2024
The Xfinity Series race on Saturday will carry a purse of $1,873,623. Last year, the purse was valued at $1,619,312. The Craftsman Truck Series will be racing at the Indianapolis Raceway Park on Friday. The field will share a $672,492 purse amongst itself. It had a slightly heavier prize last time at $699,222. The premier tier’s return to race on the oval track will be the weekend’s pinnacle.
The winner of the Brickyard 400 is also set to receive the Brick trophy which was in use before the road course came into play in 2021. Now-retired Kevin Harvick won the trophy in 2019 and 2020, the last two times the field raced on the track. Brad Keselowski is the active driver to be the latest winner (2018). The winner will also have his name engraved on the prestigious PPG trophy.
Favorites to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Just five more races remain in the 2024 Cup Series regular season. New winners from below the elimination line could shake things up in a major way for the playoffs but that appears unlikely.
Denny Hamlin finds his natural spot at the top of the DraftKings Sportsbook as the favorite to win with opening odds of 4-1. He is followed by Kyle Larson who holds odds of 6-1.
Defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney won at Pocono last Sunday. He is expected to reach the victory lane again with opening odds of 15-2. Keselowski holds the same odds and is the fourth favorite to win. Larson’s teammate, Chase Elliott, 9-1 favorite to reach the victory lane and keep his spot at the top of the points table.
