Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be the 22nd race of the NASCAR Cup Series season, leaving only five races before the playoffs get underway. The race also represents the final round of the In-Season Challenge, which features a head-to-head showdown between the underdog Ty Dillon and Joe Gibbs Racing's Ty Gibbs. The highest finishing driver of the two will be the first champion of the tournament and will receive $1 million.
A big race with a big check.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 22, 2025
The inaugural In-Season Challenge Champion will be crowned at the Brickyard. pic.twitter.com/fdXOkMp9o0
Fresh off his third career win at Dover, Denny Hamlin enters the weekend with the most wins in the series (four) and is in search of his first win at the Brickyard. He has led laps in three of the last four races on the oval and has five career top-five finishes there, so he could be the one kissing the bricks on Sunday. In NASCAR's return to the Indianapolis oval last season after a three-year stint on the road course, it was Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson who was celebrating two months after his Indianapolis 500 disappointment.
What is the total purse for the 2025 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis?
The purse for the Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is $11,055,250, according to Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports.
Purses for Indy weekend (Cup/Xfinity at IMS; Trucks at IRP), includes all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, etc., and charter payouts for Cup.
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 23, 2025
Cup: $11,055,250
Xfinity: $1,651,939
Truck: $782,900
While some don't view Indianapolis as a crown-jewel race in NASCAR, it is still one of the most famed tracks that the sport visits. The purse for the Brickyard 400 is less than other marquee races this season at Daytona ($30,331,250) and Charlotte ($13,651,450), but this is still considerably higher than last season's $9,596,601 payout.
The Truck Series and Xfinity Series join the Cup Series this weekend for a tripleheader. The Xfinity race on Saturday will feature a purse of $1,651,939, which is a drop from the $1,873,623 purse one season ago. The tailgaters return from a three-week break, but will race on the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park short track instead of the big track on Friday night. Their purse remains steady at $782,900, which is an increase from the $672,492 that was awarded last season.
How much does the Brickyard 400 winning driver earn?
The exact take-home for the winner of the Brickyard 400 is not verified. According to Pockrass, the total purse includes all payouts, all positions, contingency awards and, for Cup, charter payouts.
With this only being the second race on the Indianapolis oval since 2021, most drivers in the field have limited experienced at the famed speedway. Larson is one of only three active drivers (Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch) to win on the oval, leaving plenty of hungry drivers chasing their first win at the Brickyard this weekend.
The theme at Dover was the dominance from JGR and HMS drivers, who swept the top six finishing positions. Whether that continues at Indianapolis remains to be seen, but a nice monetary incentive awaits at the famed 2.5-mile track.
How to watch NASCAR at Indianapolis Motor Speedway/IRP
Brickyard 400 (NASCAR Cup Series)
Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m. ET (TNT Sports/truTV, HBO Max, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Pennzoil 250 (NASCAR Xfinity Series)
Saturday, July 26, at 4:30 p.m. ET (The CW, IMS Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
TSport 200 (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series)
Friday, July 25, at 8 p.m. ET (FS1, NRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)