How much does it cost to run an IndyCar team? All you need to know

AUTO: JUN 23 NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty
AUTO: JUN 23 NTT IndyCar Series Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

The IndyCar business is known for being a sport that costs a pretty penny. Whether it is the driver or the team owners, making their way into the big racing leagues/series is no joke. A driver needs sponsorships or a handsome amount of money to compete in the junior categories to make it up the ladder. Team owners on the other hand need to set up the infrastructure, and get the right people and the right machinery to get the job done.

But how much does it cost to run an IndyCar team? The cost of building and assembling a car isn't the only cost incurred by the teams. There's more to it than meets the eye. Let's get into the details.

The cost of assembling an IndyCar

Unlike F1, most IndyCar parts are outsourced from another manufacturer. The chassis and aerodynamic packages are built by Dallara, the engine by Chevy or Honda, and the tires by Firestone. With all these companies producing these parts in bulk for all the teams, the production cost is reduced to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Still, that's nowhere close to the cost of an F1 car.

AUTO: AUG 17 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty
AUTO: AUG 17 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

The Dallara DW-12 chassis costs $350,000 and the three different aerodynamic packages that come along with it cost between $70,000-$90,000. So the average cost of a chassis plus the aerodynamics packages comes out to be roughly $600,000. The engine is arguably the single most expensive part of the IndyCar. Unlike F1, the engines are bought and the service is leased from the manufacturer.

A single-race-use basis costs $125,000 and a program from the manufacturer costs around $225,000. That roughly comes out to $1.6 Million for about seven months of racing. Of Course, the price varies depending on the type of deal and the manufacturer chosen by the team.

Firestone provides 33 sets per month to each team with each set costing $2700. The total comes out to $90,000 for the month. Again the cost depends on whether all 33 sets were used in the months and the bulk purchase discounts. Even a safe estimate puts the tire costs for an entire season at $600,000.

The steering wheel and the brakes cost $50,000 each. Electronics and other miscellaneous parts account for another $100,000. The cost of the whole car for a season comes out at $3 Million (considering there will be no crashes as spares will cost extra).

Salary and Remuneration

This is the single most expensive fixed cost for any IndyCar team. The salaries of the crew, the engineers and the drivers are included in this. The average salary of an experienced IndyCar driver falls between $ 1M and $ 2M a year. However, Colton Herta is reportedly being paid as much as an F1 driver to get him ready for the Cadillac F1 project. Scott Dixon was the previous highest-paid driver with a salary of $3M-3.5M. Marshall Pruett suggested that Herta earn double Dixon's salary, i.e. $6M-$7M.

AUTO: MAY 27 NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Champion - Source: Getty
AUTO: MAY 27 NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Champion - Source: Getty

The salary of the other crew members including the chief mechanic, data engineer, race engineer, gearbox mechanic, lead mechanic, fabricator, and team manager amounts to $1M a year. However, this doesn't include the cost of salaries for the employees working in the background. For example, the Finance, legal, and marketing departments. This is a variable factor and will drastically change depending on the team and the wallet size.

Logistics and Other Miscellaneous Costs

According to Racer.com, the cost of lodging for a whole season comes out at $375,000. Costs for the test days are said to be $100,000. The wind tunnel testing times and their cost also need to be taken into consideration. The cost will vary depending on the wind tunnel’s age, technology, and duration of use. Other bits like fuel, tools at the track, and other infrastructure to support the team are also variable but will cost about $100,000 for the year in the most basic form.

How much does it cost to run an IndyCar team?

Totaling all the expenses mentioned in the above categories, the cost to run an IndyCar for a full season in the most basic form will cost at least $6M for one car.

For a team like Andretti, who fields three cars on the grid, pays drivers like Colton Herta a handsome salary, and has top infrastructure and huge administrative departments the cost can easily go as high as $40 Million.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer
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