Kyle Busch does what a lot of us do when we land in Las Vegas. No, don’t go to the slots. He gets an In-N-Out burger from Kyle. It’s astonishing to learn, though, that the average NASCAR driver makes less money than an In-N-Out shop manager.
An average In-N-Out manager makes approximately $180,000 annually. In comparison, Fan Arch calculates that the average salary of a NASCAR driver is approximately $112,000 annually. In what way is this achievable?
UPS Driver vs. NASCAR Driver
Kyle Busch, a native of Las Vegas, will most likely score a double-double at In-N-Out before this Sunday’s Pennzoil 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He stated, “That’s the secret,” to the Las Vegas Review Journal. After stepping off the aircraft, you head over to In-N-Out.
Based in California, In-N-Out is a hugely popular fast-food franchise with hundreds of restaurants west of the Mississippi. There is a cult-like following for the chain. In light of this, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the typical In-N-Out manager makes roughly $180,000 annually. In fact, the business places a high priority on paying its employees well. “Offering the highest wages in the industry is one way we attract the best people to care for our customers,” as owner Lynsi Snyder puts it.
Does NASCAR share these beliefs?
Take into account that a UPS driver can earn up to $170,000 annually—nearly $60,000 more—with their new contract.
Naturally, Kyle Busch, 38, who is presently leading the points, has the financial means to purchase the In-N-Out squad. Salary Sport estimates that Busch makes roughly $16.9 million annually. Most of the racers you watch during a Sunday NASCAR Cup Series race, including Busch, Hamlin, and Logano, are making millions of dollars. However, according to a few reports, the typical wage of a NASCAR driver is only $112,000. Keep in mind that developmental drivers are included in this, as they might only earn $50,000 year.
Think about the fact that Corey LaJoie, a driver in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023, was making $200,000 before he signed his new contract.
The NASCAR Is A Lucrative Sport
The estimated net worth of Kyle Busch is $80 million. The true value of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is around $400 million. They made money via endorsement deals, media appearances, sponsorship arrangements, and commercial endeavors in addition to racing and winning. For the most part, especially the contenders, this is not the case for NASCAR drivers.
Yes, there are plenty of chances to get into the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, or NASCAR Cup, the three NASCAR series. And a lot of people would definitely be happy to race for $112,000 a year in either series. Regretfully, low pay isn’t the main problem. Instead, it’s the price paid by the youthful (or somewhat youthful) driver hoping to secure a spot. It involves more than simply skill. Despite his current extreme affluence, Kyle Busch is all too aware of this.
Busch said that winning in NASCAR these days isn’t a “success game anymore,” as Heavy reported last year. It’s a financial game. According to Busch, a driver seeking a position with a NASCAR Cup team needs to have “millions” of funds supporting him. According to Busch, owners just do not make enough money on their own to invest in talent. This implies that a talented driver, such as one who excels in both the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, must either have the millions of dollars on hand or find a backer who does.
This affects more than just the aspiring motorist. As Busch points out, the fact that skilled drivers must find the millions to succeed indicates that NASCAR’s competitiveness level isn’t as high as it ought to be. Fans will mourn that. Busch stated, “The skill isn’t always as spectacular as it could be when you’re here in Cup or Xfinity or whatever. It would be much more difficult if you had all of those folks here—talented but unsupported.”
