Nascar Drivers Pay Scale
There is no average salary for a NASCAR crew chief. Factors such as experience, performance history and the car for which the crew chief has been hired can increase or decrease a crew chief's salary; so can the scope of the crew chief's responsibilities. These default salaries are ideally suited for Nascar pools of 7 or 8 drivers per entry. More drivers per entry will make it tougher to add the top salaries, while less drivers should make it easier. These defaults are just one option, and we still allow people to set the salary scale for their own Nascar pool.
In recent years, NASCAR reduced the number of members allowed in its pit crews from six people to five. This means crews will have to work even faster and more collaboratively than they ever have before, swapping out tires and adding fuel at lightning speed. Reducing the number of people in the pit crews improves team safety and highlights the athletic nature of the job. Being a crew member in a NASCAR race is somewhat like an athletic performance, with every move choreographed to perfection.
Job Description
Pit crews are important members of the racing team because they take care of a race car's mechanical needs during pit stops. During pit stops, the car is refueled, tires are changed and any necessary repairs are made. Pit stops need to be quick, because they happen during a race, and the longer it takes the crew to fix up the car, the more time the driver is losing. Fifteen seconds is the average length of a pit stop.
The jobs of the five-person pit crew include carrying and changing tires. Four members are responsible for this part of the job. A fifth person serves as the fueler and is prohibited from any other pit-stop duties.
Education Requirements
In order to become a member of a pit crew, you must know your way around a car. Take mechanics classes at your local community college. Apprentice for a mechanic or enroll in an auto repair school and earn a certificate. There are several schools in the U.S. that train students who want to work on a professional pit crew. A school in North Carolina called the Hedgecock Racing Academy offers a nine-week course. Another North Carolina school near Charlotte called Pit Crew U offers an eight-week course, and a 15-week NASCAR Technician Training program is available at the Universal Technical Institute, which has 12 locations across the U.S.
Pit crew members, especially those who work for NASCAR, must be physically fit because the work can be strenuous and athletic.
Salary
In May of 2016, the median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics was $38,470, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The highest 10 percent earned more than $64,070, and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,470.
However, this doesn't come close to what you can make working on a NASCAR pit crew. One tire carrier in 2015 reportedly made $100,000 annually.
Industry
Being a member of a NASCAR pit crew is an intensive job. There are typically 36 weeks of travel annually and 49 weeks of aerobic and strength training. It's a fast-paced, adrenaline-packed environment and many pit crew members are former athletes.
Job Growth Trend
Between 2016 and 2026, employment for automotive service technicians and mechanics is projected to grow 6 percent. That's about the average rate for all occupations.
NASCAR pit crews are in a different league. Because this job requires such physical strength and endurance, compared to a typical auto mechanic's job, careers are often short-lived and the jobs themselves are more competitive. With the new NASCAR rule that reduced the number of pit crew members from six to five, there are even fewer jobs today.
Nascar Drivers Pay Per Race
Chase year after year, garnering valuable TV time for sponsors. These drivers can still attract big sponsorship dollars and will command top salaries. The big drop off in income comes after the first dozen or so drivers.Leading the way for the sixth straight year is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who earned $25.6 million in 2013 by Forbes’ count. Earnhardt’s licensing income is down significantly from five years ago when he was making $30 million a year, but he is still the sport’s biggest star with the biggest salary, as well as the top licensing and endorsement income, according to sources.
Earnhardt’s No. 88 car carries the most expensive real estate in the sport. The Army National Guard spent $30 million in 2013 on sponsoring 20 races on the No. 88 car and activating around the sponsorship. Hendrick Motorsports entered the past two seasons with 13 races to sell on Earnhardt’s car, but even if owner Rick Hendrick has to pick up the tab on a couple of races, the sponsorship revenue for Earnhardt’s car is still the envy of the sport.
Earnhardt has made the Chase three straight years and last year had his best season since 2005 with a fifth place finish in the year-end standings. He would have won the Sprint Cup title in 2013 if the new Chase rules were in place at the time. In October, Earnhardt became the 34th driver to make 500 career Sprint Cup starts, and he was voted Nascar's most popular driver by fans a record 11th straight year.
Earnhardt’s teammate, Jimmie Johnson, ranks No. 2 with estimated earnings of $24.8 million last year. Johnson won his sixth Sprint Cup title, which carried bonuses and special awards of $5.8 million. Johnson’s total prize money haul of $14.7 is twice as much as Earnhardt, but Johnson’s endorsements and licensing income lag behind.
Nascar Drivers Pay Scale
Johnson was America's most influential athlete in 2011 and 2012 based on data from Nielsen and E-Poll. It is that impact that personal sponsors like
It is a clean sweep for Hendrick Motorsports’ drivers at the top with Jeff Gordon in third earning $18.2 million in 2013 (the fourth HMS driver, Kasey Kahne, ranks No. 10 at $12.6 million). Gordon's 88 career victories are the most in Nascar's modern era. It has been a dozen years since Gordon won his fourth Cup title, but he remains one of Nascar’s most popular drivers. His merchandise was the sport’s second best seller, behind Earnhardt, in 2013, according to multiple sources. Gordon also benefits from his ownership stake in the No. 48 car. Gordon's longtime sponsor, DuPont, sold its Performance Coatings business to the Carlyle Group last year and it was renamed Axalta Coating Systems. Axalta will sponsor 14 of Gordon's races in 2014.
Nascar's golden girl, Danica Patrick, ranks No. 9 with earnings of $13.5 million. She struggled on the track in her first full season racing Cup last year. She finished 27th in the season long standings and logged only one top 10 finish. But she remains one of the sport's biggest draws and has more than 10 personal endorsement partners, including Coca-Cola, Tissot and Peak. Patrick has appeared in a record 13 Super Bowl commercials for her car sponsor, GoDaddy and her merchandise was Nascar’s sixth best seller on Fanatics.com, the largest online retailer of officially licensed sports merchandise.
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