Racing driver salaries (non F1)
Discussion
EDLT said:
Most pay to race in all of those series, with only the top drivers being paid either by the team or sponsors.
Wow I didn't expect that. I thought rallying karting 205/Clio etc racing was pay/hobby. Sadly what it says to me is it's a sport which is strictly for the wealthy rich parents.
It also says that unlike say football or rugby which only needs a £5 ball you cannot participate. As such there are going to be a huge number of highly potential drivers.
Welshbeef said:
Wow I didn't expect that. I thought rallying karting 205/Clio etc racing was pay/hobby.
Sadly what it says to me is it's a sport which is strictly for the wealthy rich parents.
It also says that unlike say football or rugby which only needs a £5 ball you cannot participate. As such there are going to be a huge number of highly potential drivers.
It's always been a rich mans sport, it always will be. Sadly what it says to me is it's a sport which is strictly for the wealthy rich parents.
It also says that unlike say football or rugby which only needs a £5 ball you cannot participate. As such there are going to be a huge number of highly potential drivers.
As they say, the only way to make a small fortune in racing, is to start with a large one.
Strangely enough I was just thinking about this, having come from Le Mans last week where Brits Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook were racing for Corvette. They are quite successfull in their own right within racing but dont have the fame (and fortune?) of F1 drivers, I reckon they could walk down any high street in this country and not get a single person recognise them. They must earn something decent though? Six figures?
Gibbyo said:
Strangely enough I was just thinking about this, having come from Le Mans last week where Brits Oliver Gavin and Richard Westbrook were racing for Corvette. They are quite successfull in their own right within racing but dont have the fame (and fortune?) of F1 drivers, I reckon they could walk down any high street in this country and not get a single person recognise them. They must earn something decent though? Six figures?
They make a fair wedge in win bonuses, I think I read that simon pagenaut got a 500k cheque from patron for winning a round in the alms series. Some of the winners cash prizes are hugeWelshbeef said:
So if you ever have kids - get then into golf. Vastly cheaper to get into and much easier to get a return than the tiny number who make it in racing.
One of my good mates is a pro golfer on the tour. Only a young guy, but flippin' eck he's coining it in big time.Naturally I'm encouraging K Junior to play more golf
Gibbyo said:
I reckon they could walk down any high street in this country and not get a single person recognise them.
Top Gear ran a feature in last months mag with Dario Franchitti, he was home in scottland and they did a day with him and his F40. apparently no one recognises him at home, when he arrived at a pub to meet them a biker asked if the driver was someone famous, TG said it was Franchitti, and the biker was all 
. yet in America he's a huge Celeb.I reckon a lot of current f1 drivers could walk down many British high streets and not be recognised. Obviously not the 'top' guys, but certainly the ones further down the rankings.
Its a shame that so many who may be as good if not better than current drivers in all race series will never get spotted - a high proportion who wouldnt even care about earning anything for it.
Its a shame that so many who may be as good if not better than current drivers in all race series will never get spotted - a high proportion who wouldnt even care about earning anything for it.
vescaegg said:
I reckon a lot of current f1 drivers could walk down many British high streets and not be recognised. Obviously not the 'top' guys, but certainly the ones further down the rankings.
Its a shame that so many who may be as good if not better than current drivers in all race series will never get spotted - a high proportion who wouldnt even care about earning anything for it.
The guy who was the manger (current or former, I have no idea) of Stoke City walked into the garage I used to work at and only the guy who has a Stoke City FC tattoo recognised him. And this was in Stoke.Its a shame that so many who may be as good if not better than current drivers in all race series will never get spotted - a high proportion who wouldnt even care about earning anything for it.
Welshbeef said:
V8 Ozzie
A few years ago, one of the top V8SC drivers at the time (might have been Whincup?) was said to be on AU$250,000 p/a, not including sponsorship contracts and bonuses.The vast majority of V8 drivers bring their own money. I think only the very cream of the crop (Whincup, Courtney, Lowndes, Murphy, etc) are on salaries.
Something related:
http://www.v8central.com/snitz3403/topic.asp?TOPIC...
Edited by Jungles on Saturday 18th June 03:30
It's only factory/manufacturer drivers that will be paid. Although, some of the professional drivers in private sportscar teams will be being paid, usually by the wealthy guy who is also racing to help their driving improve and mean that the car is faster at least 50% of the time.
The only guaranteed way to get paid to drive a racing car is if you're signed to a manufacturer really.
The only guaranteed way to get paid to drive a racing car is if you're signed to a manufacturer really.
The only thing to add is that I believe that there is a fair amount of cash to be had in the front half of a NASCAR grid when endorsements are taken into account, though I don't know the scale of earnings there. Anyone?
I also believe that the DTM pays (largely on the basis that most of the teams are factory or semi-factory backed)??
I also believe that the DTM pays (largely on the basis that most of the teams are factory or semi-factory backed)??
Your much more likely to find someone you've never heard of making a living in GT racing than in any of the big uk championships.
Still not that many though. I bump into the same "pro" drivers working with different teams and car owners. They make a reasonable living but spend half their time traveling.
Quite a few others try to make a living out of driver coaching, maufacturer test days etc and fund their driving through that and sponsorship. Others tend to move into team ownership
If I'd had a pound everytime I was asked if I had a "real" job as well as racing I probably wouldnt need a real job <LOL>
Club racing is really at the same level as sunday legue 5-a-side football just at 10,000x the cost. and I doubt many of those guys make a living playing footy
Still not that many though. I bump into the same "pro" drivers working with different teams and car owners. They make a reasonable living but spend half their time traveling.
Quite a few others try to make a living out of driver coaching, maufacturer test days etc and fund their driving through that and sponsorship. Others tend to move into team ownership
If I'd had a pound everytime I was asked if I had a "real" job as well as racing I probably wouldnt need a real job <LOL>
Club racing is really at the same level as sunday legue 5-a-side football just at 10,000x the cost. and I doubt many of those guys make a living playing footy
I believe only plato is getting a wage from being in the btcc. Most other drivers either have they on business which pay for the racing like techspeed being sponsored by gomobile which is john george company. Or like matt neal and tom chilton teams owned by the father and the rest pay or bring sponsorship to a team.
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