NASCAR Drivers Suffering Because of the Economy?

Not these guys. While track attendance and revenue might be falling, drivers at the top level of NASCAR won’t have to worry about switching to pork and beans any time soon. Forbes has come out with a list of the 10 highest paid drivers in NASCAR last year. The income numbers include both race winnings and merchandise sales.

Without any commentary, here’s the list:

1.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.  $35 Million
2.  Jeff Gordon         $30 Million
3.  Jimmie Johnson      $23 Million
4.  Tony Stewart        $19 Million
5.  Kasey Kahne         $14 Million
5.  Kevin Harvick       $14 Million
7.  Kyle Busch          $13 Million
8.  Matt Kenseth        $12 Million
9.  Juan Pablo Montoya  $11 Million
9.  Denny Hamlin       $11 Million

Okay, just one comment. That’s a lot of money, but when you consider how much other entertainers are paid, it’s not all that much. It’s nothing for top movie stars to make 15 to 25 million for one movie. You can bet they aren’t risking their lives while they make them either.