IndyCar

IRL: IndyCar TEAM program announced

NEW INDYCAR TEAM PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL FOUNDATION Indianapolis 500 purse, 500 winner's payout to increase INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007 -- The IndyCar® Series announced a restructuring of its earnings distribution designed to provide ...

Edited: Mar 27, 2008, 5:47 AM

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

NEW INDYCAR TEAM PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL FOUNDATION
Indianapolis 500 purse, 500 winner's payout to increase

INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007 -- The IndyCar® Series announced a restructuring of its earnings distribution designed to provide a financial foundation for new and existing teams committed to running the entire IndyCar Series schedule.

Beginning in 2008, the program, called IndyCar TEAM: Team Enhancement and Allocation Matrix, will award a minimum of $1.2 million to each car entered to compete the entire season, including the Indianapolis 500. By implementing IndyCar TEAM, the Indy Racing League will dissolve its existing event purse formula.

"Today's introduction of IndyCar TEAM is an expansion of the Series' Leader's Circle Program and further enhances the value of racing in the IndyCar Series for all of our team entrants," said Brian Barnhart, president of the competition and operations division of the Indy Racing League, sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series. "This is a baseline program designed to increase as the series grows and as we are successful in attracting sponsors and enhancing league revenues." In conjunction with the announcement of the IndyCar TEAM program, officials with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that the purse for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 will increase to at least $13.4 million, a 25 percent increase over the record $10.67 million purse for the 2007 race.

"As the Indianapolis 500 and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway approach some historic milestones in 2009 and 2011, it's only appropriate we strengthen the incentive to compete in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,'" said Joie Chitwood, president and COO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "The new purse structure for the Indy 500 will help all entries earn more money than ever during the Month of May." The winner of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 could receive at least $2.5 million, a 42 percent increase over the record winner's payout of $1.76 million awarded to Buddy Rice in 2004. The runner-up could earn at least $1.25 million, with the third-place finisher earning at least $750,000. Fourth- and fifth-place finishing cars will be guaranteed bonuses of $475,000 and $375,000, respectively.

The IndyCar Series champion will continue to receive a $1 million bonus, as in past seasons, with second through fifth place in the final point standings getting end-of-season bonuses of $250,000, $175,000, $125,000 and $75,000.

In addition to the guaranteed $1.2 million for participation in the series, teams will compete for bonuses of $35,000 for first place, $25,000 for second, $20,000 for third, $15,000 for fourth and $10,000 for fifth place at each IndyCar Series race outside of Indianapolis. There also will be a record number of entries earning at least $1 million in an IndyCar Series season, creating greater depth and financial stability for series' teams.

"IndyCar TEAM really provides some tremendous stability and predictability for our existing teams with respect to their operating budgets, which will make them healthier while positioning us favorably for attracting more teams," said Terry Angstadt, president of the Indy Racing League's commercial division.

All contingency prizes, which totaled more than $1.2 million in 2007, will continue to be awarded to entrants/drivers for individual IndyCar Series events.

The Leader's Circle Program was established in 2002 to provide incentives to teams which participate in the series full time. The program leverages relationships built by the Indy Racing League with its partners, sponsors and suppliers to provide benefits directly to the teams.

-credit: irl

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Read also :

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Share on Linkedin

Share on Pinterest

Share on Viber

Previous article IRL: Indy Racing League News and Notes 2007-09-28

Next article CHAMPCAR/CART: Philippe - Conquest Racing teleconference

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

More from

Buddy Rice



Daytona 24 Hours: Cadillacs dominate qualifying, Jani stars

IMSA

IMSA

Daytona 24

Daytona 24 Hours: Cadillacs dominate qualifying, Jani stars



Spirit of Daytona ready for Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen

IMSA

IMSA

Spirit of Daytona ready for Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen



Davison returns to IndyCar for 2014 Indy 500 bid - Interview

IndyCar

IndyCar

Davison returns to IndyCar for 2014 Indy 500 bid - Interview

Latest news



Marc Marquez: Track conditions were “acceptable” despite Australian GP cancellation

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

6 min

Marc Marquez: Track conditions were “acceptable” despite Australian GP cancellation



Aprilia unsure whether Australian GP cancellation good or bad for the team

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

43 min

Aprilia unsure whether Australian GP cancellation good or bad for the team



How the seven NASCAR Cup title contenders perform at Talladega

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Talladega II

1 h

How the seven NASCAR Cup title contenders perform at Talladega



MotoGP's final Australian GP at Phillip Island cancelled due to poor weather

MotoGP

MGP MotoGP

Australian GP

3 h

MotoGP's final Australian GP at Phillip Island cancelled due to poor weather

Feature

Discover prime content



Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game

Feature

IndyCar

Feature

IndyCar

By Joey Barnes

Inside AJ Foyt Racing’s transition: Hauger’s arrival, Ferrucci’s future, and the Pierson waiting game



You Ask The Questions: David Malukas

IndyCar

By Joey Barnes

You Ask The Questions: David Malukas



Top 10 Ganassi IndyCar drivers of all time

IndyCar

By John Oreovicz

Top 10 Ganassi IndyCar drivers of all time



Alex Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

IndyCar

Nashville

By John Oreovicz

Alex Palou still unstoppable as Nashville win edges him closer to fifth IndyCar title

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts

Subscribe