Indy 500: All-Time Prize Money

Through 2009

YearSpeedway PrizesDesignated Prizes
Contingency Awards
Other Prizes
Lap PrizesTotal PrizesWinner's Prizes
1911$25,100$2,450None$27,550$14,250
1912$50,000$5,225None$55,225$20,000
1913$50,000$5,875None$55,876$20,000
1914$50,000$1,675None$51,675$20,000
1915$50,000$1,200None$51,200$20,000
1916$30,000$1,350None$31,350$12,000
1919$50,000$5,275None$55,275$20,000
1920$50,000$23,550$20,000$93,550$36,300
1921$50,000$19,300$17,350$86,650$36,000
1922$50,000$12,550$8,025$70,575$33,700
1923$50,000$21,325$12,100$83,425$28,500
1924$60,000$20,600$6,250$86,850$20,500
1925$60,000$12,750$15,000$87,750$27,800
1926$60,000$12,100$16,000$88,100$29,500
1927$60,000$9,850$20,000$89,850$25,100
1928$60,000$15,750$15,000$90,750$28,500
1929$60,000$15,150$20,000$95,150$24,600
1930$60,000$27,600$17,000$97,600$36,900
1931$60,000$10,650$11,150$81,800$29,500
1932$70,000$13,200$10,700$93,900$32,050
1933$40,200$11,100$3,150$54,450$18,000
1934$60,000$19,550$4,225$83,775$29,075
1935$60,000$14,450$4,150$78,575$30,600
1936$60,000$17,025$5,500$82,525$31,300
1937$60,000$23,635$8,500$92,135$35,075
1938$63,100$21,875$6,100$91,075$31,950
1939$63,100$17,550$6,400$87,050$27,375
1940$63,100$14,825$7,600$85,525$31,875
1941$63,100$18,425$9,400$90,925$29,735
1946$75,350$20,100($100 per lap) $20,000$115,450$42,550
1947$98,350$19,075$20,000$137,425$31,450
1948$123,900$27,175$20,000$171,075$42,800
1949$136,300$22,750$20,000$179,050$51,575
1950$154,900$26,125$20,000$210,135$57,458
1951$154,700$32,950$20,000$207,650$63,612
1952$169,300$40,800$20,000$230,100$61,743
1953$176,900$39,400($150 per lap) $30,000$246,300$89,496
1954$199,200$40,175$30,000$269,375$74,934
1955$199,900$40,500$30,000$270,400$76,138
1956$205,002$47,050$30,000$282,052$93,819
1957$218,052$52,200$30,000$300,252$103,844
1958$221,667$53,550$30,000$305,217$111,327
1959$250,500$57,500$30,000$338,100$106,850
1960$274,850$64,300$30,000$369,150$110,000
1961$301,675$68,325$30,000$400,000$117,975
1962$320,428$75,724$30,000$426,152$125,015
1963$382,300$81,731$30,000$494,031$148,513
1964$397,150$79,475$30,000$506,625$153,650
1965$500,493$97,906$30,000$628,399$166,621
1966$545,293$116,516$30,000$691,809$156,297
1967$566,016$128,818(1st place: $150 per lap) $40,000
(2nd place: $50 per lap)
$734,834$171,527
1968$562,059$110,210($200 per lap) $40,000$712,269$175,140
1969$614,147$150,980$40,000$805,127$206,727
1970$754,407$205,595$40,000$1,000,002$271,698
1971$787,700$173,904$40,000$1,001,604$238,454
1972$831,000$140,845$40,000$1,011,845$218,768
1973$829,200$136,905$40,000$1,006,105$236,023
1974$817,500$158,186$40,000$1,015,886$245,031
1975$839,500$121,821$40,000$1,001,321$214,032
1976$851,500$147,276$40,000$1,038,776$255,321
1977$864,800$212,007$40,000$1,116,807$259,791
1978$873,250$231,975$40,000$1,145,225$290,364
1979$1,009,154$212,800($250 per lap) $50,000$1,271,954$270,401
1980$1,186,700$266,525$50,000$1,503,225$318,820
1981$1,280,200$279,175$50,000$1,609,275$299,124
1982$1,643,000$374,475$50,000$2,067,475$290,609
1983$1,810,500$550,950$50,000$2,411,450$385,886
1984$2,109,499$636,400$50,000$2,795,899$434,061
1985$2,436,500$744,525($450 per lap) $90,000$3,271,025$517,663
1986$3,058,550$852,900$90,000$4,001,450$581,062
1987$3,510,000$890,375$90,000$4,490,375$526,763
1988$4,009,000$917,900$90,000$5,016,900$804,853
1989$4,510,000$1,113,725$90,000$5,713,725$1,001,604
1990$5,000,003$1,235,800$90,000$6,325,803$1,090,940
1991$5,515,500$1,403,650$90,000$7,009,150$1,219,704
1992$6,075,200$1,362,250$90,000$7,527,450$1,244,184

Year Speedway Prizes Designated Prizes
Contingency Awards
Other Prizes
Citizens Speedway Committee Total Prizes Winner's Prizes
Lap Prizes Parade
1993 $6,150,200$1,431,100$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000
(33 at $303 each)
$7,681,300$1,155,304
1994 $6,255,000$1,509,800$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000
(16 at $313 each)
(16 at $312 each)
$7,864,820$1,373,813
1995 $6,395,000$1,568,550$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000 (est.) $8,063,550$1,321,019
1996 $6,500,100$1,514,500$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000 (est.) $8,114,600$1,367,854
1997 $6,750,000$1,792,250$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,200
(34 at $300 each)
$8,642,450$1,568,150
1998 $7,100,000$1,522,250$90,000
($450 per lap)
$9,900
(33 at $300 each)
$8,722,150$1,433,000
1999 $7,400,000$1,557,150$90,000
($450 per lap)
$9,900
(33 at $300 each)
$9,047,150$1,465,190
2000 $7,700,000$1,676,500$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,005
(29 at $345 each)
$9,476,505$1,235,690
2001 $8,300,000$1,310,325$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,075
(31 at $325 each)
$9,610,325$1,210,250
2002 $8,650,000$1,278,500$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,080
(32 at $315 each)
$10,028,580$1,606,215
2003 $9,000,000$1,151,830$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,080
(32 at $315 each)
$10,151,830$1,353,265
2004 $9,250,000$1,000,580$90,000
(180 laps; $500 per lap) $90,000
$10,000 (est.) $10,250,580$1,761,740
2005 $9,400,000 $904,815$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,065
(33 at $305 each)
$10,304,815$1,537,805
2006 $9,500,000$1,018,565$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000 (est.) $10,518,565$1,744,855
2007 $9,750,000 $918,815$90,000
(166 laps; $542 per lap)
$10,065
(33 at $305 each)
$10,668,815$1,645,233
2008$13,540,000 $866,580$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,080
(33 at $315 each)
$14,406,580$2,988,065
2009$13,360,000 $955,315$90,000
($450 per lap)
$10,000 (est.) $14,315,315$3,048,005

Lap Prize Money Notes
As of 2009, the lap prize fund totals $100,000. The driver who leads each individual lap is awarded a cash prize funded by a donation/sponsorship program. Each donor contributes $500 per lap they sponsor. Donors receive race tickets, pit passes, and their name or company name is published in the official race program. As of 2009, the cash prize awarded to the leading drivers is $450 per lap; the lap-leading prizes therefore total $90,000. The remaining money is divided equally among the drivers in the starting field who willingly participate in the 500 Festival Parade held in downtown Indianapolis the day before the race.

Indy 500: Top 50 Single Race Driver Payoffs

Through 2009

#FinDriverPurseYear
11stHelio Castroneves$3,048,0052009
21stScott Dixon$2,988,0652008
31stBuddy Rice$1,761,7402004
41stSam Hornish, Jr.$1,744,8552006
51stDario Franchitti$1,645,2332007
61stHelio Castroneves$1,606,2152002
71stArie Luyendyk$1,553,6501997
81stDan Wheldon$1,537,8052005
91stKenny Brack$1,465,1901999
101stEddie Cheever, Jr.$1,433,0001998
111stAl Unser, Jr.$1,373,8131994
121stBuddy Lazier$1,367,8541996
131stGil de Ferran$1,353,2652003
141stJacques Villeneuve$1,321,0191995
152ndVitor Meira$1,273,2152008
161stHelio Castroneves$1,270,4752001
172ndDan Wheldon$1,258,8052009
181stAl Unser, Jr.$1,244,1841992
191stJuan Montoya$1,235,6902000
201stRick Mears$1,219,7041991
211stEmerson Fittipaldi$1,155,3041993
211stArie Luyendyk$1,090,9401990
221stEmerson Fittipaldi$1,001,6041989
231stRick Mears$804,8531988
243rdMarco Andretti$782,0652008
253rdDanica Patrick$763,3052009
262ndHelio Castroneves$739,6652003
272ndScott Dixon$719,0672007
282ndMarco Andretti$698,5052006
292ndArie Luyendyk$681,3031993
302ndTony Kanaan$659,2402004
312ndVitor Meira$656,9552005
323rdHelio Castroneves$646,3032007
332ndDavy Jones$632,5031996
342ndJacques Villeneuve$622,7131994
352ndScott Goodyear$609,3331992
362ndMichael Andretti$607,7531991
372ndChristian Fittipaldi$594,6681995
383rdEmerson Fittipaldi$592,8741990
392ndJeff Ward$583,1501999
401stBobby Rahal$581,0621986
412ndBuddy Lazier$567,1002000
424thDan Wheldon$566,4052006
432ndScott Goodyear$547,1501997
442ndDan Wheldon$533,0402004
451stAl Unser, Sr.$526,7631987
461stDanny Sullivan$517,6631985
472ndPaul Tracy$489,3152002
482ndBobby Rahal$488,5661990
493rdTony Kanaan$486,4852003
502ndBuddy Lazier$483,2001998