Do Nascar drivers get paid too much or not to put their life on the line every time they get behind the wheel?
545851
No, they don't get paid too much, NASCAR drivers EARN THEIR MONEY by playing(racing)hard just as much as other sports stars do. Driving a NASCAR stocker, or ANY race car for that matter, is PHYSICALLY DEMANDING, a lot more than some people think. Why do you think certain drivers pay attention to exercise(Carl Edwards and Mark Martin both exercise daily)...to give them an edge when racing! Look at a Nextel Cup driver right after a race...they look really exhausted and sweaty..because they ARE. A Nextel Cup or Busch Series car gets pretty d*mn hot, add to that the length of the race(usually at least 4 hours)...And yes, they put their lives on the line...but it's not only for the money. They do it because they love what they do, and they do it for us fans who support them week after week. Could any of you who say stupid things about NASCAR do that? I don't think so.
910750
Good question... I drive in the Busch and Truck Series, so I'll use my pitcrew as the example.  First, if they were just average, they wouldn't be on the pitcrew, but I understand where you're coming from.  Most of my pitcrew guys are also fulltime in the shop when we're not at the track.  My tire changers are also mechanics and fabricators, my fuelman is also my hauler driver... As far as what they make, they are on salary and make anywhere from $45,000 a year to $65,000 a year, depending on their longevity and responsibilities.  There are a few crewmen who are strictly there on race day and we pay them about $400 for that day.  We also provide their travel and uniforms.  I hope this helps.
544405
Yes, they definitely get paid too much.  There are other professions that deserve more, while sports deserve less.  The military definitely warrants better pay, because they fight for our freedom to enjoy those spectator sports.  Teachers deserve more because without them, society would lack the knowledge necessary to thrive.  Professional athletes are able to demand those high salaries because people allow them to.  If they weren't supported, they wouldn't make the money.
1111493
Probably because they have never got to truly "experience" Nascar!  It isn't some peoples cup of tea.  Me personally, I love Nascar, and don't think it's a hillbilly sport!  I would like to see any of the haters go through the strain those drivers go through every week, it's a lot tougher than it looks.  Let's send them for a Richard Petty driving experience, I hope Yahoo! is paying!
981085
If you feel that its necassary yes...but are you still going to be able to work and bring in your own income? These semi truck drivers carry insurance and yes some of them carry million dollar insurance but not all of them go after the company he is driving for dont go after him..he probably feels guilty about it every day of his life. I am very sorry for your pain.\n\nGood Luck to you
335209
This truly is a good question, in the spirit of getting paid to play a game, yes they are overpaid as compared to someone who is actually doing something important, Teachers, Police officers, doctors. However, when you think about the obscene amounts of money being made by professional sports leagues, without the players none of this would be possible, so they do deserve the money that they actually are bringing into the games they play. You should see a great movie called "Eight Men Out" and you'll see how greedy the owner's used to be. Mickey Mantle one year won the triple crown in baseball, that is a rare award, it is for the player who had the most home runs, most runs batted in and highest batting average. He was rewarded by a cut in his salary, even though his numbers were the best, they were lower than the year before, hence the pay cut. It's all relative.
771905
NASCAR is not consistant with their penalties.The major teams(Hendricks,Roush,Yates,Childress) get their wrist slapped on told their bad boys,but the monor teams does the same thing the lose points and get fined and don't get their chance to redeam.\n If there is an infraction for any team treat them the same.
1000683
People tend to drive very badly every day. They seem to think that a car is meant for eating, putting on make-up, talking on a cellphone, or even reading a book, and not for paying attention to the road and driving. They also think it is ok to go super slow (65 or slower) on the highway, when it actually is really dangerous to everyone around them.
146226
Some make some extra money, but some get caught. It's not really worth it in the end though.
564845
I will turn 50 in November.  I grew up with stock car racing, even spending many Saturday nights the at old dirt track at Rockingham.  I grew up about 15 miles from there.  I went to the first and last race at the Rock and was fortunate enough that my girlfriend came with me from Alaska to see that last one.  I am sickened, horrified, perplexed, mad as hell and disgusted with the way Brian France and Bill Helton and crew have changed NASCAR.  It is only about the money, and they don't give a tinkers damn about the fan.  They have done permanent damage, and hopefully the money will somehow make up for the fact that they have alienated the people that got them to where they are today.  I am a Ford man, but I sure miss Dale Earnhardt.  He would stand up I think to this onslaught.  There are a few good new drivers, but many are just whiney kids!!
141750
Its not just Nascar. It is society in general. Parents grew lazy and uncaring. They wanted others to teach protocols to their children without teaching them morals. It is just too much effort to spend quality time with children when giving them a $20 is much easier.\n \nThis also falls under the statutes of Liberalism. That mentality, as I have explained several times, is, "Whats in it for me?" Liberals seem to think that "EVERYTHING" is owed to them and they have to pay for nothing. Liberals seem to think they can go into a restuarant and do as they please, offend anyone they please, and be allowed to get away with it. And this is fine with them provided no one is allowed to offend them.\n \nDerekledoux, it appears to me that you are the one that needs to get friends, learn some manners and protocol. The guy asked a question and explained his reason for asking it. He singled out Nascar (obviously your passion) get over it. They are often called ball caps, would that have offended you as well? You appear to need some lessons in dealing with issues that are of a sensitive nature at least to you.
327566
F1 drivers have to be really fit to do what they do. NASCAR is a joke though.
356253
It will be hard, but possible - not all top drivers come from rich families. You should really have talent and some luck would do too.
1143076
i dont think so imagine going to a dirt track and them saying you cant race here cause you win to much besides i think the nascar drivers bring more money in therefore payouts are larger so the busch guys may or may not win but they are going to get a bigger check and more publicity than if nascar drivers were not there. also i remember watching busch say 5 yrs ago noone hardly came now look at it    LET THE BIG BOYS PLAY
1036436
Ok, since the IRL was created in 1996, there have been 3 drivers killed, Scott Brayton in 1996 and Tony Renna in 2003 at Indianapolis, and Paul Dana this year in practice at Homestead-Miami.  In the same amount of time, in Nextel Cup racing, there have been 2 drivers killed, Kenny Irwin in 2000 and Dale Earnhardt in 2001. If you add in the Busch series, with the death of Adam Petty in 2000, there have been the same amount of deaths.  In Champ Car (formerly CART), there have also been 3 deaths in the same time span: Gonzalo Rodriguez and Greg Moore in 1999, and Jeff Krosnoff in 1996.\n\nSo seeing that, one could conclude that one form isn't necessarily safer than the other.  Drivers take their chances when they get out onto the track and they know that.  And it's not as if the IRL and Champ Car don't take precautions to prevent bad accidents.  In fact, the IRL limited their engines to 650hp and 10,300 rpm after a series of accidents in 2003.\n\nI hope this helps set the record straight.
597054
Some have, too many haven't. I don't believe that it's necessarily a matter of driving, it's a matter of driving while doing other things. Cell phone use is a HUGE culprit. In fact, there was an instance the other day where I was at a 4-way stop and a lady just blew the stop sign as I was starting out (after waiting my turn following 2 vehicles)...and she had a little girl in the care with her! Sure enough, she had a cell phone stuck to the side of her face....and a CHILD with her. I don't have any children of my own, but that doesn't mean I don't care for them. It is a sad situation when you have to wait two turns through a light opposed to one just because some egotistical chick in the car ahead of you is fluffing her hair or applying makeup (and not paying attention, of course). I, like many other women, wear makeup - but I apply and touch up in the appropriate places, while not moving in a vehicle. It doesn't matter what your makeup looks like if your brains are splattered all over the road due to a wreck. I can't say I have never seen someone read paperwork or a magazine while driving because I have, more than once - what the heck?!? Then some people don't even need an in-car distraction to inhibit their driving skills - they just naturally suck. There's the slow drivers in the passing lane, the swervers, the non-signalers...ugh! I could go on and on, but we just don't have that kind of time. I do feel a little better for ranting a bit, though. What it all boils down to is a blatant disregard for human life...stop multitasking (or attempting to) and pay attention to the road and what's happening around you. If my father (when teaching me to drive) hadn't instilled in me that you always have to watch out for the other guy, I would sure as hell be dead at the moment. ;)
629616
The primary reason would be the same as you and I going to work every day:  the paycheck.  Those teams do not expect to finish well, but with the combination of any sponsorships and purse money, they have to be making some money.