Indy 500 scholarship, payout breakdown: How much money will the winner get in 2022?

The influence of COVID-19 still hangs over the racing world, and the 2022 Indy 500 is no exception.

The 2020 edition was supposed to be the biggest overall purse in racing history before it was cut in half without fans being able to attend the event. In 2021, the purse was moderately higher, announced at around $8.85 million. This year, it should increase again, but not as substantially as some might wish.

The Indy 500, for all its glamour, is not the most lucrative race in the world. Getting fans back in the stands will help, but it still looks like the purse will gradually increase to around $10 million this year.

The scholarship isn’t actually announced until after the race, so there’s no way to be sure, but these are estimates based on past growth and expectations.

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How much money will the Indy 500 winner get in 2022?

Prize money: $2 million (estimated)

Calculating the Indy 500 purse payout is complicated. A number of factors go into the distribution of the prize money, including pole winner, laps led and certain sponsorships. Helio Castroneves earned $1.8 million last year, and the number is higher, but not as drastically as the $500,000 difference from Takuma Sato’s 2020 win.

The number likely won’t reach the magic number of $2.4 million it’s been at for 12 years, but the increase in ticket sales this year is a positive sign for the eventual winner.

What is the Indy 500 scholarship for 2022?

Indy 500 scholarship: $10 million (estimated)

The purse for the 2022 Indy 500 has yet to be released, but it likely ranges between the $8.85 million pot in 2021 and the $13 million purse in 2019.

The stands are nearly sold out and ticket sales are said to be the best since 2016. Unless there is an increase in sales, however, an outage on local networks is expected, which would also affect the stock market.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske had expressed interest in making the 2020 pot the biggest in racing history before the pandemic forced it to be cut back. People paying again to be seated, he should have the opportunity to continue to increase the stock market. It’s still struggling, but it’s expected to be more than last year’s $8.85 million.

2021 Indy 500 Payout Breakdown

The payout of Indy 500 winners takes into account several factors beyond just driver placement, but each will come home with at least six figures, if recent history is any indication. Scott Dixon, who took pole position, will also receive a nice reward.

The payout structure takes into account sponsors of certain drivers as well as race day variables such as laps led and fastest laps. Two years ago, for example, Marco Andretti, who finished 13th, won more than all but the top four in the race.

Below are results from last year’s Indy 500, which was still hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed 40% capacity at IMS.

Indy 500 Payout History

Although Helio Castroneves’ victory netted him just under $2 million, it pales in comparison to recent grand prix events.

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Castroneves has earned nearly $500,000 more than Takuma Sato in 2020, but the sport is clearly coming back. Each winning driver took home more than $2 million between 2008 and 2019, including Castroneves’ record $3 million loot in 2009.

Here are all the purses and previous earnings from the last 105 years of the Indy 500.