Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on NASCAR’s Cost: ‘You Want to Be a Millionaire in Racing and You Better Start With a Billion’

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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said a NASCAR Cup Series team needs $250,000 to $300,000 in sponsorship for every race, and $8 million to $10 million over a season, just to break even.

Stenhouse broke down the money on the Bring The Juice podcast.

Stenhouse: ‘Start with a billion’

Stenhouse summed up the business of racing in one line. “You want to be a millionaire in racing and you better start with a billion,” he said.

He said sponsorship is not extra money for a Cup team. It is the money that has to come in before the car can go to the track at all.

How drivers get paid

Stenhouse said race winnings come from NASCAR, and charter teams get another stream of money through the charter agreement. He said his contract pools those earnings, and his share depends on where he finishes.

“If we win I get 50%,” Stenhouse said, adding that “here on back is 20,” as his share drops for finishes further back. He said bonuses can be added for wins and other results.

Thin margins

The cost is a challenge even for the sport’s top teams. JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley Earnhardt Miller has said on the Business of Motorsports podcast that the team runs on a profit margin of about 1.5%, and that it is happy to break even or make a modest profit.

The money questions come as Cup teams look for new revenue. Charters became permanent after NASCAR settled the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, and several teams have brought in outside investors. Dale Earnhardt Jr. warned this week that teams taking investors will give up some control, as Pit This Time reported.

Sponsors follow drivers

More and more, sponsors sign with drivers instead of teams. That is part of why driver changes this late in the year are hard to pull off, The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi said this week while discussing Brad Keselowski’s options, as Pit This Time reported.

Stenhouse’s season

Stenhouse, the 2023 Daytona 500 winner, finished third at Talladega last month. The Cup Series finale is Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on NBC from Homestead-Miami Speedway.