Daytona Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Officials from Daytona International
Speedway announced Wednesday a record purse of more than $19 million for the
February 26 season-opening Daytona 500.
The purse for NASCAR's most prestigious race of the season will include a
payout of at least $1.43 million to the winner as well as a new contingency
award of $200,000 to the driver leading at the completion of lap 100 -- the
halfway point in the 500-mile race.
If the race is under caution at lap 100, the leader of the race at the
completion of the fifth consecutive green-flag lap following the caution will
receive the $200,000 "Daytona 500 Mid-Race Leader Award."
The second-place finisher in this year's Daytona 500 will receive at least
$1.05 million and the third-place driver will collect $759,600.
Twenty-year-old Trevor Bayne won $1,463,813 for his victory in the 2011
Daytona 500.
The Sports Network