The winner of the 2010 Budweiser Shootout will win a handsome check totaling $200,000 same as last year.There are 28 racers eligible for the event same as the number of contestants from last year.In addition to the format, the greatest change in this year's Shootout will be the distribution of the purse. While the victor is guaranteed six figures, thats not the case for any of the other competitors.The payout for the field has dropped significantly. Jamie McMurray took home $100,000 for finishing second in 2010. This years runner up will earn $95,000. AJ Allmendinger, who finished in fifth place last February, was awarded $50,000 for his effort. Whoever rounds out the top five next Saturday night will pocket $45,000. Tenth-place finisher Kyle Busch earned $37,000 in 2009. If the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota finishes 10th in this years Bud Shootout, his portion of the purse will be $4,500 lighter.Go to the back of the Shootout field where Joey Logano was scored after the No. 20 Toyota ended up on a wrecker and the $17,154 paid out for 28th place last year seems like a windfall compared to the $12,600 that last place will receive.The difference may not sound like much from year to year, but the question becomes how can a team justify the profit compared to the expense of the season-opening exhibition event? Sure, teams can learn a lot about car set up and fuel mileage in the Shootout they can adapt to other races at the track. The bumps on the track wont change before the Daytona 500, but the grip of the track will.For the teams finishing outside of the top five, the purse wont cover the cost of an engine, which can range from $60,000 to $100,000. Throw in travel costs and manpower and, as one owner bluntly put it, Its a losing proposition unless you win the event.So it looks like there may be a need for Nascar to call for a bailout loan too,Imagine that
updated by @johnny-mallonee: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
