How much does it cost to enter a car in NASCAR’s Daytona 500?

NASCAR racing is very expensive for team owners

NASCAR opens every season with their biggest race of the year. It’s a dream for any race team owner to enter the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

But, it’s pricey to get there.

The NASCAR Next Gen car is a spec car, identical from team to team. The idea was to reduce costs on the teams by cutting research and development of the cars themselves.

Yet, these cars cost $350,000. In the NASCAR Cup Series, they’re racing Lamborghini’s, in a pack.

What is the cost of the NASCAR Next Gen racecar?

Denny Hamlin is the co-owner of 23XI Racing. He’s stated that the cost to run a car for the entire season in $18M.

But what about just running the Daytona 500?

Dale Earnhardt Jr raced in the NASCAR Cup Series for 19 seasons. He’s a two-time Daytona 500 winner, claiming the win in 2004 and 2014.

He retired from the Cup Series following the 2017 season. However, he remains the owner of JR Motorsports, who fields full-time cars in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Until this year at Daytona, JR Motorsports never attempted to start the Daytona 500 or any NASCAR Cup Series race. However, Justin Allgaier joined the entry list as an Open team and raced his way into the big show.

Dale Earnhardt Jr was up at the crack of dawn to look at his car in the garage area at Daytona. But, it was costly to put it there…

Dale Earnhardt Jr isn’t missing a moment as new NASCAR Cup Series owner (Video)

Dale Earnhardt Jr explains the cost to enter a car in the Daytona 500

“To race in the Daytona 500, you’re going to need $750,000,” Dale Earnhardt Jr stated via the Bussin’ with the Boys podcast.

“That was the moment where if you talked, you were going to have a hard time not crying. I’ve lived this sport my whole life. This was a dream of mine.”

“We pushed it out there for the race on Sunday. Getting on the pit box and watching your car pull off pit road and you’re like, ‘We’re doing it!’ “

“And, it comes down to the last lap and there’s a big wreck on the back straightway. And he missed the big wreck.”

“We’re standing there like, ‘All right! He’s coming around. We’re are we going to be?’ “

“He crossed the finish line and you look at the scoring line. His name goes bloop, 9th place!”

“You’re like, ‘(Expletive)! Top 10! That’s awesome!”

“That paid good. Like, that matters. We only had plans to run that one race, that was it.”

Dale Jr concluded, “Travelers came in with the check that it was going to take. It was going to take a lot of money to go to Daytona.”

JR Motorsports is making their NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2025

Denny Hamlin says it costs $18M to run a NASCAR team per season

Links

Dale Earnhardt Jr | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Daytona 500 | NASCAR