Takuma Sato of Japan won the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, with a prize package of $2.4 million. How does that prize compare to previous races and other major sporting events?
The Indy 500 cash prize is one of the largest in sports. It varies year to year depending on a number of factors. Ticket sales, television deals and sponsorships are the three biggest determinants of the cash prize, with a certain percentage going to the winning driver.
Second-place driver Helio Castroneves took home $770,629.
The cash prize for the Indy 500 has grown steadily since the race began in 1911, peaking at $3,048,055 million in 2009. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $3,886,802 million today.