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There is no standard salary for IMSA drivers. The clearest published estimates, reported by AutoWeek in January 2025, put the median for top-line hybrid prototype drivers at $650,000 for a full nine-race season and GT salaries in the $350,000 range. Those are reported figures for leading professionals—not an official IMSA pay scale or an average for everyone on the grid.
What do IMSA drivers earn?
The available estimates cover two leading professional segments, and they are not directly comparable statistics: one is a median for top-line hybrid prototype drivers over a specified season, while the other is a broad range for GT salaries.
| Driver group | Reported compensation | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| Top-line hybrid prototype drivers | $650,000 | Median salary for a full season of nine races, as reported by AutoWeek in January 2025, attributing the figure to a former driver representative. |
| GT drivers | In the $350,000 range | AutoWeek’s January 2025 report said GT salaries had risen to this range; it did not define a full driver population or provide a class-by-class breakdown. |
| Other IMSA participants, including amateurs, owner-drivers, and event-only drivers | Not stated (no reliable public pay scale identified in the cited sources) | The reported figures do not establish what these drivers earn or whether they receive a salary. |
AutoWeek’s figures are media-reported estimates attributed to a former driver who represents drivers, not figures published by IMSA. They offer a benchmark for certain leading professionals, but they cannot establish a typical salary across all IMSA classes or participants.
Why the amount depends on the seat and contract
IMSA participation includes factory-backed professional roles as well as seats whose financing and compensation may work differently. Factory participation can create employment opportunities, but it does not mean every driver is salaried. IMSA driver Felipe Albuquerque described the broader manufacturer activity in a January 2025 AutoWeek report: “Once done, all the manufacturers have joined. They’re employing a lot of drivers, mechanics and teams. It’s a beautiful time.”
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- Factory or top-line professional seats: These are the roles most relevant to the published prototype and GT estimates.
- Other professional GT seats: The reported GT figure is broad; the source does not provide a distribution by team, role, or contract.
- Part-time or event contracts: The cited sources do not establish a reliable per-event rate or pay scale.
- Amateur, owner-driver, or funded seats: A driver may contribute funding or rely on team or personal resources rather than receive a salary. The sources do not quantify how common these arrangements are or their costs.
Contract length, manufacturer support, schedule, results, and the driver’s role may affect compensation, but the available reporting does not isolate their dollar effects. In particular, the prototype median and GT range do not support a precise or universal comparison between categories.
Scholarship support is not a driver’s salary
IMSA’s 2026–27 Diverse Driver Development Scholarship illustrates why a headline award value should not be confused with income. The January 9, 2025 program announcement described up to $300,000 in benefits. The award includes a full-season premium prepaid entry fee for year one, 50 percent of an entry fee for year two, and benefits provided by partners. The official benefit list includes equipment and program support, including a conditional $50,000 Skip Barber racing-program credit.
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The scholarship’s terms and conditions say recipients are not entitled to payments or benefits beyond the listed components, and accepting the award does not create an employment relationship. Recipients and teams remain responsible for expenses the award does not cover, such as licenses, travel, vehicle, fuel, parts, and maintenance. The stated value is support toward racing, not guaranteed take-home pay.
Announcement values can also vary by recipient and award context. In October 2025, IMSA said Nicky Hays’s 2026–27 scholarship benefits were valued at up to $380,000 in its recipient announcement. That is the stated value of his scholarship package, not an annual salary.
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Is there an average IMSA driver salary?
The cited official IMSA materials describe participation and scholarship benefits, but do not publish a representative salary survey. Without a grid-wide dataset, there is no substantiated average or median salary for all IMSA drivers. The AutoWeek estimates should therefore be read only within their stated scope: leading hybrid prototype professionals and a broad GT salary range.
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