How Money is Distributed - NASCAR.com
Who wins what amount of money from competing in a Cup Series race can seem like a complicated process -- with the most compelling question being how a driver that finishes far back can win more money than a driver that finishes in the top 10?
An example would be the 2002 Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville, where Jimmie Johnson won $49,550 for his sixth-place finish, while Jeff Gordon won $90,753 -- the fifth-highest payout in the race -- for his 36th-place result.
The biggest reason for the money disparity is in the bonus programs that Gordon, as the defending champion and driving for one of the leading winners in the series, Hendrick Motorsports, is eligible for more special award plans than a newer team, such as Johnson's first-year operation, is.
As convoluted as it seems, the process is actually fairly simple and is regulated by the entry blanks that the NASCAR Competition Department issues in advance of each event.
Each race carries a purse figure, or its "posted awards."
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