The world of motorsports is vastly different from stick-and-ball leagues such as football or baseball, and nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to either the monetary aspect of racing or the perils of going around in circles at breakneck speeds. Racing has proven itself to be a dangerous activity over the years, along with making teams and drivers realize the cost of victory in the sport, especially NASCAR.
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Former Xfinity Series driver Kenny Wallace recently opined on the same after he posted a payout sheet on social media that included his name from an unnamed grassroots event. Looking at the prize money being handed out to the winner and the subsequent finishers in the race, many fans were shocked to realize the dismal amounts of cash they received.
I like to post interesting things. Here was our payout tonight 😁 pic.twitter.com/1nOcIgnRGJ
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) November 17, 2024
“That doesn’t even pay for one tire,” exclaimed one fan, rounding out the sentiment in the fraternity. The discussion eventually urged Wallace to comment on the reality of grassroots racing and touch on one of racing’s most important aspects. He wrote, “I am shocked that people think we make money in racing. That’s why we all have sponsors.”
Sponsorship in motorsports is the backbone of the sport and why teams big or small, in the grassroots scene or in the highest echelon of NASCAR have been able to survive and find success. Rick Hendrick, a businessman worth approximately $1 Billion also requires sponsors to field his four entries in the Cup Series. That in itself is telling of the reality of racing.
Further driving his point home, Wallace replied to another fan who seemingly jumped into the conversation while backing the 9-time Xfinity Series winner. While the fan recalled Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s take on the topic from his podcast, the 61-year-old Wallace added, “There’s only one way anybody makes money in Racing. SPONSORSHIP”
How much does a NASCAR Cup Series race pay?
While the numbers in the highest echelon of stock car racing are far inflated from what Kenny Wallace shared, the expenses of going racing are equally as high in the Cup Series. The total prize money for this year’s championship title decider at Phoenix Raceway was $11,700,064.
Despite the same being a handsome amount, it has to be divided into several parts and has to pay numerous employees in teams consisting of numbers in the range of 300 to 600 along with the driver.
NASCAR also demands their share of the pie while the same is distributed, with the same being regarded as egregious in the current day and age given the expense of being competitive with the Next Gen car.
Sponsors are also seemingly pulling back from the sport with the most recent example being Denny Hamlin‘s long-time partner FedEx, and we all know how the same can end with the Joe Gibbs Racing-Kyle Busch split.
A whole lawsuit involving 23XI Racing, FRM, and NASCAR has also stemmed from the same, indicating the gravity of the situation. What it eventually all boils down to is cold hard cash, and in racing, no amount is ever enough.
