NASCAR championship prize money: How much does the Cup Series winner make in 2022?

David Suggs

NASCAR championship prize money: How much does the Cup Series winner make in 2022? image

It's time to break the bank.

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season has been one of the most unpredictable one in recent memory. With 19 different racers nabbing the checkered flag, there has been as much parity in stock car racing's top division as one could hope for.

Now, the series is down to the final four. Chase Elliott and Joey Logano are past winners, having hoisted the trophy in 2020 and 2018, respectively.

Christopher Bell and Ross Chastain are unexpected finalists. Neither driver had finished a 36-race season in the top 10 prior to this season. Now, they have the opportunity to etch their names in NASCAR history.

To the victor go the spoils. And the spoils from a win Sunday at Phoenix Raceway can be life-changing.

MORE: Meet the final four racing for 2022 Cup Series title after Martinsville cutoff

Here's what you need to know about the Cup Series Championship purse ahead of Sunday's season finale.

What is the Cup Series Championship purse for 2022?

Cup Series Championship purse: $10,542,284

The Cup Series Championship purse is $10,542,284, per NASCAR. The payouts consist of prize money for finishing positions, plus per-race payouts from charters and contingency awards, among other factors.

What is the Cup Series Championship payout breakdown 2022?

The prize money to be awarded to each Cup Series Championship driver is shrouded in mystery. NASCAR distributes purse money to teams, and the figures are not made public. 

Cup Series champions

Year Car Winner Owner Model
1948 22 Red Byron Raymond Parks Oldsmobile
1950 8, 29, 59, 60, 62, 80 Bill Rexford Julian Buesnik Oldsmobile
1951 92, 6, 99, 2 Herb Thomas Herb Thomas, Marshall Teague, Leonard Tippett, Hubert Westmoreland. Plymouth, Hudson, Oldsmobile
1952 91 Tim Flock Ted Chester Hudson
1953 92 Herb Thomas (2) Herb Thomas Hudson
1954 42, 100 Lee Petty Petty Enterprises, Gary Drake Chrysler, Dodge, Oldsmobile
1955 300, 301, 2 Tim Flock (2) Carl Kiekhaefer, Hubert Westmoreland Chrysler, Dodge
1956 00, 87, 300, 300C, 301, 500B, 502 Buck Baker Carl Kiekhaefer Chrysler, Dodge
1957 87 Buck Baker (2) Buck Baker/Hugh Babb Chevrolet
1958 42 Lee Petty (2) Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile
1959 42, 43 Lee Petty (3) Petty Enterprises Oldsmobile, Plymouth
1960 4, 74, 15, 41 Rex White Rex White, L.D. Austin, Beau Morgan, Scotty Cain Ford
1961 11 Ned Jarrett Ned Jarrett, B.G. Holloway Ford, Chevrolet
1962 8, 17 Joe Weatherly Bud Moore, Fred Harb Pontiac, Ford
1963 8, 17, 57, 2, 05, 83, 88, 41, 36, 361 Joe Weatherly (2) Bud Moore, Floyd Powell, Cliff Stewart, Possum Jones, Worth McMillion, Major Melton, Petty Enterprises, Wade Younts Pontiac, Chrysler, Plymouth, Dodge
1964 41, 42, 43 Richard Petty Petty Enterprises Plymouth
1965 11, 25 Ned Jarrett (2) Bondy Long, Jabe Thomas Ford
1966 6 David Pearson Cotton Owens Dodge
1967 43 Richard Petty (2) Petty Enterprises Plymouth
1968 17, 84 David Pearson (2) Holman-Moody, Roy Trantham Ford
1969 17 David Pearson (3) Holman-Moody Ford
1970 71 Bobby Isaac Nord Krauskopf Dodge
1971 43 Richard Petty (3) Petty Enterprises Plymouth
1972 43 Richard Petty (4) Petty Enterprises Dodge/Plymouth
1973 72 Benny Parsons L.G. DeWitt Chevrolet/Mercury
1974 43 Richard Petty (5) Petty Enterprises Dodge
1975 43 Richard Petty (6) Petty Enterprises Dodge
1976 11 Cale Yarborough Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet
1977 11 Cale Yarborough (2) Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet
1978 11 Cale Yarborough (3) Junior Johnson & Associates Oldsmobile
1979 43 Richard Petty (7) Petty Enterprises Chevrolet/Oldsmobile
1980 2 Dale Earnhardt Osterlund Racing Chevrolet/Oldsmobile
1981 11 Darrell Waltrip Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet/Buick
1982 11 Darrell Waltrip (2) Junior Johnson & Associates Buick
1983 22 Bobby Allison DiGard Motorsports

Chevrolet/Buick

1984 44 Terry Labonte Hagan Racing Chevrolet
1985 11 Darrell Waltrip (3) Junior Johnson & Associates Chevrolet
1986 3 Dale Earnhardt (2) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1987 3 Dale Earnhardt (3) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1988 9 Bill Elliott Melling Racing Ford
1989 27 Rusty Wallace Blue Max Racing Pontiac
1990 3 Dale Earnhardt (4) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1991 3 Dale Earnhardt (5) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1992 7 Alan Kulwicki AK Racing Ford
1993 3 Dale Earnhardt (6) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1994 3 Dale Earnhardt (7) Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
1995 24 Jeff Gordon (1) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
1996 5 Terry Labonte (2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
1997 24 Jeff Gordon (2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
1998 24 Jeff Gordon (3)

Hendrick Motorsports

Chevrolet
1999 88 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford
2000 18 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac
2001 24 Jeff Gordon (4) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2002 20 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac
2003 17 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford
2004 97 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford
2005 20 Tony Stewart (2) Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet
2006 48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2007 48 Jimmie Johnson (2) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2008 48 Jimmie Johnson (3) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2009 48 Jimmie Johnson (4) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2010 48 Jimmie Johnson (5) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2011 14 Tony Stewart (3) Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
2012 2 Brad Keselowski Penske Racing Dodge
2013 48 Jimmie Johnson (6) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2014 4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
2015 18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2016 48 Jimmie Johnson (7) Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2017 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row Racing Toyota
2018 22 Joey Logano Team Penske Ford
2019 18 Kyle Busch (2) Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
2020 9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
2021 5 Kyle Larson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.