Bubba Wallace’s victory at the Brickyard 400 was pretty significant. The 23XI Racing driver broke his 100-race winless streak in the Cup Series, putting on a dominant display at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It also came at a tricky time for the Michael Jordan co-owned team, as they had lost their charters going into the Dover race last weekend. And with just a handful of races before the playoffs begin, the triumph guarantees the No. 23 team a spot in the postseason.
But with 23XI running ‘open’ entries, how would that affect the overall payout? A prominent Insider has revealed that the team will earn less money, now that NASCAR has revoked their charters after the court rejected the plaintiffs’ restraining order until the preliminary injunction is addressed.
Insider reveals NASCAR purse distribution
Being a chartered team comes with plenty of benefits. There are fixed payouts regardless of the finishing position, and according to Bob Pockrass, they make up to 65-70% of the total purse. They include a base amount for simply showing up, as well as bonuses based on performances over the last two years. In comparison, open teams don’t receive any base amount or history-based payouts. They only earn based on the finishing position of that specific race. They are also ineligible for year-end point fund money.
Let’s take a look at Bubba Wallace’s win at the 2025 Brickyard 400 as an example. The NASCAR purse for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race was $11,055,250, and the race winner typically gets 8-10% of that amount, which means somewhere in the range of $884,000 and $1.1 million. As things stand, the No. 23 team will receive the performance-related portion of the purse, just like any other team. But that’s where it ends.
Since 23XI Racing isn’t a chartered team, they won’t receive any of the fixed, charter-based payments. This includes both the race-by-race payouts and the additional bonus money because of their performances in the last two years. This is a major blow, as not only are they not guaranteed a place in the Cup Series going forward, but they’ll also be missing out on millions from the NASCAR purse simply because they’re competing as open teams.
So whether an open team finishes first or 40th, the amount they don’t get compared to being chartered is somewhat the same — except a win would mean more year-end points money (open teams don’t get any) plus impact on weekly payout for previous two year performance. https://t.co/LIQ3fbROZ9
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) July 28, 2025
But if 23XI Racing can continue winning races, like they did at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the payout from the race wins might ease the financial burden on Michael Jordan and Co. Tyler Reddick hasn’t entered Victory Lane this year, and with just four races remaining before the playoffs begin, the No. 45 Toyota driver will look to make his mark ahead of the first postseason race in Darlington. Meanwhile, Bubba Wallace, who is high in confidence at the moment, will hope to keep the momentum going at Iowa Speedway.
NASCAR makes abrupt rule changes after charter reshuffle
As things stand, there are 30 chartered teams in the NASCAR Cup Series instead of 36, after 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports had their restraining order denied by the court. This means that, technically speaking, both teams can be denied a chance of competing in a race if there are more than 40 total cars in the entry list. The loss in revenue was also being used as an argument in court to cite the ‘irreparable harm’ for the plaintiffs, who are seeking a new preliminary injunction with the court setting a date of August 28th for the same.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, NASCAR has changed the rules that all but guarantee 23XI and Front Row’s participation in every race of the 2025 campaign. The sanctioning body updated Rule 5.1.F., which states that NASCAR, at its sole discretion, limits the entries of the races to 40, which means Open Teams will be decided by Team Owner Points standings, giving Michael Jordan and Co. the preference. Meanwhile, as per Rule 7.9.1.1.B., four open teams will be eligible for starting grid positions based on the fastest single lap speed.
But make no mistake, this isn’t NASCAR being generous or extending an olive branch towards the plaintiffs. Only in one non-Daytona 500 race has there been a DNQ, which means 23XI Racing and Front Row were never really at a risk of not qualifying for the races to begin with. But by making it ‘official’ through the rule changes, the sanctioning body can prove in court that ‘irreparable harm’ will not be caused by revoking both the teams’ charters, which could tilt the preliminary injunction in their favor. NASCAR is playing the long game, and with every move, it’s looking more likely they have the winning hand.
The post NASCAR Purse: Will Michael Jordan & Co. Make Less Money Despite Winning? Here Is Everything to Know appeared first on EssentiallySports.
