---
title: "Indy 500 Racing Drivers All Took Home a Sizeable Purse on Sunday"
description: "Will Power claimed the biggest chunk of the awards, but even the last place finisher got a decent check."
date: "2018-05-29"
modified: "2018-05-29"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21146/indy-500-racing-drivers-all-took-home-a-sizeable-purse-on-sunday"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "ed carpenter"
  - "Indy 500"
  - "Indycar Series"
  - "Marco Andretti"
  - "racing"
  - "Racing News"
  - "Scott Dixon"
  - "team penske"
  - "will power"
---

# Indy 500 Racing Drivers All Took Home a Sizeable Purse on Sunday

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/05/ripshaub_2018_indycar_indy500-25.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

The [102nd running of the Indy 500](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21106/this-is-what-its-like-to-live-in-indianapolis-during-the-indy-500>) is officially in the books, and now it's time for all 33 drivers to get their share of the massive cash purse—whether they won the race, or they crashed out on the first lap. But, exactly how much does a driver get paid for taking part in the iconic race?

Team Penske's Will Power, the [honorable winner](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21131/will-power-and-team-penske-win-the-scorching-hot-2018-indy-500>) of the 500-mile vehicular marathon, got the biggest portion of the purse, of course, which this year totaled a massive $13,078,065. The Indy 500 purse consists of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Verizon IndyCar Series awards, plus other special awards from sponsors, organizers and such.

![message-editor%2F1527599117379-ripshaub\_2018\_indycar\_indy500-10.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1527599117379-ripshaub_2018_indycar_indy500-10.jpg>)
**Rip Shaub**

Power, the charismatic racer from Toowoomba, Australia, took home a grand total of $2,525,454, while home-town hero Ed Carpenter got a check for $911,504 for his second-place finish. Chip Ganassi racer Scott Dixon brought home a worthwhile $587,129 for landing the highest-scoring Honda of the field in third place.

As you'll see in the amounts below, the dollar amount isn't always related to the [drivers' final positions](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/21091/five-little-known-facts-about-the-indy-500s-borgwarner-trophy>). The purse is calculated with several variables in mind, such as fastest laps, the number of laps led, and how many laps were completed by each driver. As a result, [Tony Kanaan](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20929/indycar-rolls-out-new-concussion-evaluation-procedures-ahead-of-indy-500>), who led several dozen laps and crashed out of the race with only 11 laps to go, received a higher amount for his 25th place than Gabby Chaves did for his 14th-place finish.

![message-editor%2F1527599058647-ripshaub\_2018\_indycar\_indy500-1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1527599058647-ripshaub_2018_indycar_indy500-1.jpg>)
**Rip Shaub**

1. Will Power - $2,525,454
2. Ed Carpenter - $911,504
3. Scott Dixon - $587,129
4. Alexander Rossi - $454,804
5. Ryan Hunter-Reay - $419,804
6. Simon Pagenaud - $419,804
7. Carlos Munoz - $254,005
8. Josef Newgarden - $400,654
9. Robert Wckens - $424,979
10. Graham Rahal - $401,229
11. JR Hildebrand - $225,305
12. Marco Andretti - $364,129
13. Matheus leist - $357,129
14. Gabby Chaves - $315,305
15. Stefan Wilson - $212,330
16. Jack Harvey - $200,305
17. Oriol Servia - $211,105
18. Charlie Kimball - $300,305
19. Zachary Claman De Melo - $339,354
20. Spencer Pigot - $346,154
21. Conor Daly - $200,305
22. Max Chilton - $300,305
23. Zach Veach - $334,129
24. Jay Howard - $200,305
25. Tony Kanaan - $346,954
26. Sage Karam - $203,305
27. Helio Castroneves - $205,305
28. Sebastien Bourdais - $348,829
29. Kyle Kaiser - $205,805
30. Danica Patrick - $208,305
31. Ed Jones - $338,129
32. Takuma Sato - $300,305
33. James Davidson - $200,305

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)