Pro Driver population

[Greg Wright]

Just throwing this out for discussion.

I don't know the answer and doubt that anyone can pin it down completely but the question is;

How many full time professional race drivers do you think there are in North America.
(Full time professional meaning that they make their living from driving a race car.)

I'm willing to bet the number is shockingly small.
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Greg Wright
Rapid Racing Inc.
NKN Columnist & Host "Karting News Live"

I AM INDY!!

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[Jim White]

Good question there

Gotta figure Nascraps got to have around 100 (thats generous) in all three major series. Add in some ARCA guys and some who've found a way to make a living doing it at the small tracks. Lets say 100 more there. Indy car and American lemans/ Imsa guys lets be generous and add 100 amongst them. Thats 300 in the more upper level series. I think the ones that are hard to figure is the dirt oval boys. Lots of them outlaw/ midget drivers make a living doing it. How else could they travel and race 150+ days a year and still have a regular job?

Even with that I would bet that only around 500 people in our great country actually survive by driving a race car for a living. I wish I had been one of them at some point in my younger days!

[Dave Stevens]

A couple maybe a few thousand.
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[Chad Stapleton]

You have to deduct those drivers who are "self funded" from independent wealth/income..... as opposed to those whose sole income is "earned" from driving.
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Chad
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[Greg Wright]

[Bob Baldwin jr]

I would have to agree with Greg and Chad . I believe that the total amount of drivers " WHOSE SOLE SOURCE OF INCOME IS FROM DRIVING" is less than 50. Particularly if you eliminate the SELF FUNDED drivers . Outside of RACE DRIVING there are many sources of income that put a driver in a POSITION to be able to race competitively. . Look at karting as an example their are many that become dealers parts suppliers, tuners etc; just to support their karting habits.. From other business practices we have the Gentleman drivers ,mostly SCCA ,Grand-Am , IMSA who fund their PLEASURES.
I am from the old school I ENVY those that have INHERITED thei rFORTUNES
As far as the Drivers having boat loads of CASH look at what the NASCAR drivers are doing with their INVESTMENTS
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[Chris Brunnemer]

[Bob Baldwin jr]

Chris B: Please Reread " Whose sole Source of Income is from Racing"
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Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways totally worn out, shouting, "Holy **** what a ride!!!".

[Chris Brunnemer]

[Tim Pappas]

Definitely more than 50, but way less than 500. If you take the 30 or so guys in Cup, none in Nationwide, less than 5 in trucks, Nascar has less than 40. Add a sprinkle of drag racers, IRL guys, Grand Am, Dirt stuff, if you really really stretch it you could say 100. Any other discipline other than Cup is lucky to have 5 guys driving professionally.

If you want to include the sponsor hustlers you could maybe add another 50. The guys that are paid to drive, but they get paid out of the sponsorship that they procur.

You have to look past the fancy driving suit. Would you say that Paul Menard is a professional driver? Sure, technically he gets paid to drive race cars. But if Daddy decides to pull the yellow off the car Paul will be working in the lumber aisle.

tp

[Eric Franzen]

I think there are probably a hundred or more in ALMS/Grand Am endurance racing alone.

There is a big difference between getting paid to do something and having something being your sole source of income. If you are paid to race, then you are technically a professional driver, even if it might only be for a single race and you're only paid a few thousand dollars.

I hope this question doesn't move your thread off topic, but a couple of weeks ago I was contemplating just how many people race. If you were to add up all the people in the United States alone who race karts, drag race, dirt track, circle track, SCCA, NASA, HPDE's, Auto-X, Vintage, Drift, Rally, Motocross, and on and on. I bet the number is shockingly large.

[Bob Baldwin jr]

[Kevin Callahan]

Vintage racing has the hired guns that come out to drive their old race cars. John Morton, Brian Redman, etc. It's not their total living, I'm sure, but they get tossed a few bucks.

[Eric Franzen]

[Tim Doll]