Indy 500 Purse, Prize Money Payout History Over The Years Since 1911

Each May, the Indy 500 captivates racing audiences around the U.S. Almost one million people watched last year's race at the Brickyard, and this year should be no different, if not more.

Since the Indy 500's inception in 1911, the race purse has grown for almost every race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway due to higher sponsorship amounts and more available financial resources.

Ramon Laureano hits the go-ahead homer in Padres' 7-3

While the Indy 500's first purse tallied at just $27,550 (around $965,000 in today's dollar amount, according to a CPI Inflation Calculator), last year's number sat at a record $20,283,000. This year, that number is expected to grow yet again.

Here's what to know about the purse and winner's prize money for the winner of the 110th Indy 500. 

Here are the payouts from the previous 109 Indy 500 races.



Year Purse Winner Winner's earnings



1911 $27,550 Ray Harroun $14,250

1912 $52,225 Joe Dawson $20,000

1913 $55,875 Jules Goux $20,000

1914 $51,675 Rene Thomas $20,000

1915 $51,200 Ralph DePalma $20,000

1916 $31,350 Dario Resta $12,000

1919 $55,275 Howdy Wilcox $20,000

1920 $93,550 Gaston Chevrolet $21,400

1921 $86,850 Tommy Milton $26,400

1922 $70,575 Jimmy Murphy $26,200

1923 $83,425 Tommy Milton $28,500

1924 $86,850 L.L. Corum/Joe Boyer $20,050

1925 $87,750 Peter DePaolo $28,800

1926 $88,100 Frank Lockhart $35,600

1927 $89,850 George Souders $30,625

1928 $90,750 Louis Meyer $28,250

1929 $95,150 Ray Keech $31,950

1930 $96,250 Billy Arnold $36,900

1931 $81,800 Louis Schneider $29,500

1932 $93,900 Fred Frame $31,050

1933 $54,450 Louis Meyer $18,000

1934 $83,775 Bill Cummings $29,725

1935 $78,575 Kelly Petillo $30,600

1936 $82,525 Louis Meyer $31,300

1937 $92,135 Wilbur Shaw $35,075

1938 $91,075 Floyd Roberts $32,075

1939 $87,050 Wilbur Shaw $27,375

1940 $85,525 Wilbur Shaw $30,725

1941 $90,925 Floyd Davis/Mauri Rose $29,200

1946 $115,450 George Robson $42,350

1947 $137,425 Mauri Rose $33,425

1948 $171,075 Mauri Rose $42,800

1949 $179,050 Bill Holland $51,575

1950 $201,035 Johnnie Parsons $57,458

1951 $207,650 Lee Wallard $63,612

1952 $230,100 Troy Ruttman $61,743

1953 $246,300 Bill Vukovich $89,496

1954 $269,375 Bill Vukovich $74,934

1955 $270,400 Bob Sweikert $76,138

1956 $282,052 Pat Flaherty $93,819

1957 $300,252 Sam Hanks $103,844

1958 $305,217 Jimmy Bryan $105,574

1959 $338,100 Rodger Ward $106,850

1960 $369,150 Jim Rathmann $110,000

1961 $400,000 A.J. Foyt $117,975

1962 $426,152 Rodger Ward $125,015

1963 $494,030 Parnelli Jones $148,513

1964 $506,575 A.J. Foyt $153,650

1965 $628,399 Jim Clark $166,621

1966 $691,808 Graham Hill $156,297

1967 $734,834 A.J. Foyt $171,527

1968 $712,269 Bobby Unser $175,139

1969 $805,127 Mario Andretti $206,727

1970 $1,000,002 Al Unser $271,697

1971 $1,001,604 Al Unser $238,454

1972 $1,011,845 Mark Donohue $218,767

1973 $1,006,105 Gordon Johncock $236,022

1974 $1,015,686 Johnny Rutherford $245,031

1975 $1,001,321 Bobby Unser $214,031

1976 $1,037,776 Johnny Rutherford $255,321

1977 $1,116,807 A.J. Foyt $259,791

1978 $1,145,225 Al Unser $290,363

1979 $1,271,954 Rick Mears $270,401

1980 $1,503,225 Johnny Rutherford $318,819

1981 $1,605,375 Bobby Unser $299,124

1982 $2,067,475 Gordon Johncock $290,609

1983 $2,411,450 Tom Sneva $385,886

1984 $2,795,899 Rick Mears $434,060

1985 $3,271,025 Danny Sullivan $517,662

1986 $4,001,450 Bobby Rahal $581,062

1987 $4,490,375 Al Unser $526,762

1988 $5,025,400 Rick Mears $809,853

1989 $5,723,725 Emerson Fittipaldi $1,001,604

1990 $6,325,803 Arie Luyendyk $1,090,940

1991 $7,009,150 Rick Mears $1,219,704

1992 $7,527,450 Al Unser Jr. $1,244,184

1993 $7,681,300 Emerson Fittipaldi $1,155,304

1994 $7,864,800 Al Unser Jr. $1,373,813

1995 $8,063,550 Jacques Villeneuve $1,312,019

1996 $8,114,600 Buddy Lazier $1,367,854

1997 $8,612,450 Arie Luyendyk $1,568,150

1998 $8,722,150 Eddie Cheever Jr. $1,433,000

1999 $9,047,150 Kenny Brack $1,465,190

2000 $9,476,505 Juan Pablo Montoya $1,235,690

2001 $9,610,325 Helio Castroneves $1,270,475

2002 $10,028,580 Helio Castroneves $1,606,215

2003 $10,151,830 Gil de Ferran $1,353,265

2004 $10,250,580 Buddy Rice $1,761,740

2005 $10,304,815 Dan Wheldon $1,537,805

2006 $10,518,565 Sam Hornish Jr. $1,744,855

2007 $10,668,815 Dario Franchitti $1,645,233

2008 $14,406,580 Scott Dixon $2,988,065

2009 $14,315,315 Helio Castroneves $3,048,005

2010 $13,592,815 Dario Franchitti $2,752,055

2011 $13,509,485 Dan Wheldon $2,592,255

2012 $13,285,815 Dario Franchitti $2,474,280

2013 $12,020,065 Tony Kanaan $2,353,355

2014 $14,231,760 Ryan Hunter-Reay $2,491,194

2015 $13,397,315 Juan Pablo Montoya $2,449,055

2016 $13,273,253 Alexander Rossi $2,548,743

2017 $13,178,359 Takuma Sato $2,458,129

2018 $13,078,065 Will Power $2,525,454

2019 $13,090,536 Simon Pagenaud $2,669,529

2020 $7,502,500 Takuma Sato $1,370,500

2021 $8,854,565 Helio Castroneves $1,828,305

2022 $16,000,200 Marcus Ericsson $3,100,000

2023 $17,021,500 Josef Newgarden $3,666,000

2024 $18,456,000 Josef Newgarden $4,288,000

2025 $20,283,000 Alex Palou $3,833,500



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