How much do pro atv racers make?

[esr250r86]

I am just wondering how an atv racer makes a living. Lets say Doug gust. Is he sponsored by factory suzuki and does he pay anything for his bike or do they provide it for him? Does he get to keep the money he wins from a race or does it go to his team? Does he get payed yearly? I am just curious as to how they make their living. thanks.

[CannondaleRider]

At the FULL on Factory level, everything is provided.

Free bikes, free parts, free gear, free entry, etc. etc.

Not only free everything basically, but the riders usually make a decent chunk of change.

Obviously they would not disclose how much, rightfully so.

[Mc. Muffin]

somewhere around 100k

[CannondaleRider]

You can't give that answer.

The amount of money made by top-level Pro atv racers has such drastic highs and lows.

I heard at one time, a certain high-level national pro, with a full on factory ride was given 6,000,000 a year. Not only his income, but to pay all the mechanics, truck drivers, etc etc. Among the racing costs for that year.

Also, we need to be more specific on the term "Pro" I could call up Pepper at WORCS and turn Pro right now, but would not be making a dime. I'm teammates with the #3, #7, and #11 National WORCS Pro Riders......None of them make a living in racing, because they are mainly privateers. Hell, Doug Eichner has been a Welder at Fox Shocks for a long time........Just some examples, the term "Pro" is way to broad.

[54warrior]

I think the majority of them have their own jobs. ATV pro's aren't even close to being at the level of the bike guys.

That may have changed within the past couple years, but only for a select few. It is well known that "Digger" Doug Gust has had his own excavating business for years, and Bill Ballance owns a farm somewhere in Kentucky. I'm sure alot of the other guys have their regular jobs still too. They might be making some money, but I doubt it's enough to justify quitting their job.

[54warrior]

Originally posted by CannondaleRider
I heard at one time, a certain high-level national pro, with a full on factory ride was given 6,000,000 a year. Not only his income, but to pay all the mechanics, truck drivers, etc etc. Among the racing costs for that year.




That seems a bit outrageous to me?!?! I'd tend to agree with the 100k figure that someone else posted.

[bradley300]

i think the 6,000,000 million figure is more what it cost for suzuki to feild a team of full factory riders. i think its probably a little high, but probably not as much as you would think.

pretty sure it was in dirt wheels that bill ballance makes around 80,000 from yamaha plus winning/championship bonuses. along with his other sponsors. from what i heard the going price to get your a-arms on bills quad for the season is 30,000 + his parts

[54warrior]

Originally posted by bradley300
i think the 6,000,000 million figure is more what it cost for suzuki to feild a team of full factory riders. i think its probably a little high, but probably not as much as you would think.

pretty sure it was in dirt wheels that bill ballance makes around 80,000 from yamaha plus winning/championship bonuses. along with his other sponsors. from what i heard the going price to get your a-arms on bills quad for the season is 30,000 + his parts

That statement makes sense. 80k sounds more reasonable.

[smr]

Different pros make different amounts.

Pro's don't make as much as people think they do, like someone said most work normal jobs and I can't think of any that don't have another income besides racing.

Bill and BJ own a store in Oakland Ky and they also make money selling ATV parts. They also do some farming.

Bradley300..I would say you are correct on that amount.

[400exrider707]

Dont forget that bill is the #1 rider in GNCC for how many years and he makes $80k. I believe in the great outdoors dirt bike movies, they mention about what they make. The 10th place finisher for the year... now this is only 10th place not last of like 40 guys... made something like $23K that year....

[54warrior]

Originally posted by 400exrider707
Dont forget that bill is the #1 rider in GNCC for how many years and he makes $80k. I believe in the great outdoors dirt bike movies, they mention about what they make. The 10th place finisher for the year... now this is only 10th place not last of like 40 guys... made something like $23K that year....

Exactly, when you factor in the equipment costs, travel, parts, etc... That guy was lucky to break even.


Moral of the story: Don't think your gonna be a gazillionaire by becoming a Pro Quad rider. Only if your the cream of the crop will you be able to quit your day job, and even then you'll still be making less than 6 figures. Who knows what kind of product/sponsorship endorsements might pay though???

[trick250r]

Originally posted by 54warrior
Exactly, when you factor in the equipment costs, travel, parts, etc... That guy was lucky to break even.


Moral of the story: Don't think your gonna be a gazillionaire by becoming a Pro Quad rider. Only if your the cream of the crop will you be able to quit your day job, and even then you'll still be making less than 6 figures. Who knows what kind of product/sponsorship endorsements might pay though???



personally, i think that if anyone is in it for the money or the fame, they need to get out. money and fame arent what riding/racing are about.

[troyleepred719]

dont forget, they get an amount of money everytime they put there name on a product, and then get a cut for how many they sell.,..... its not much, but think of it, they make 100k to race and do soemthing they love, they dont have to pay for anything on the road, and get "free" toys, so there set, theres money to be made in the race world, you just have to know where to find it, not to mention the expertise they will have on and around there machines, for when they retire, like soemone said about eichner welding at works.....something he knows how to do because of his career.....

[smr]

Originally posted by troyleepred719
dont forget, they get an amount of money everytime they put there name on a product, and then get a cut for how many they sell.,..... its not much, but think of it, they make 100k to race and do soemthing they love, they dont have to pay for anything on the road, and get "free" toys, so there set, theres money to be made in the race world, you just have to know where to find it, not to mention the expertise they will have on and around there machines, for when they retire, like soemone said about eichner welding at works.....something he knows how to do because of his career.....

I think your missing the point. Most of them have to pay for their own travel. I know Jerimiah Jones had to pay for his travel to all the races but a few. If you think 100k is their take home pay then your badly misstaken.

also..Eichner's career is welding and that supports his racing.

Yes they do get money everytime they put thier name on something but they also spend hours upon hours doing test for these companies.

[troyleepred719]

Originally posted by smr
I think your missing the point. Most of them have to pay for their own travel. I know Jerimiah Jones had to pay for his travel to all the races but a few. If you think 100k is their take home pay then your badly misstaken.

also..Eichner's career is welding and that supports his racing.

Yes they do get money everytime they put thier name on something but they also spend hours upon hours doing test for these companies.



i know it supports his racing, what im saying is that when he retires, he will have learned a new trade, and soemthing he can use to continue bei.ng around racing, whille making money, and although they put alot of hours into testing for companies, they are still making money. i find it hard to believe that they only make less than 100k a year, Have you ever seen their houses?

[54warrior]

Now I certainly don't know the facts, but I would be willing to speculate that Doug Eichner probably knew how to weld and got his job long before he became a top name in the ATV biz.

[smr]

Originally posted by troyleepred719
i know it supports his racing, what im saying is that when he retires, he will have learned a new trade, and soemthing he can use to continue bei.ng around racing, whille making money, and although they put alot of hours into testing for companies, they are still making money. i find it hard to believe that they only make less than 100k a year, Have you ever seen their houses?

I have seen some, most of them had good jobs before they turned pro. They didn't get that money racing quads.

This has been talked about many times on this forum and the money you think these guys are making just ain't there.

[54warrior]

I think the only pro racers that can actually make a living off of it are the following:

Nascar/Busch
Indycar type series'
AMA Motocross/Supercross
WoO Sprint Car top 5 or 6 drivers
WoO Late Model top 5 or 6
Rally Car
NHRA

The majority of these guys driving cars got to where they are because they had money already.

[honda4life72]

william yokley's house is very small...i'd say his shop is bigger then his house is and it isn't big either...theres a video somewhere i will try to find it

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by 54warrior
I think the only pro racers that can actually make a living off of it are the following:

Nascar/Busch
Indycar type series'
AMA Motocross/Supercross
WoO Sprint Car top 5 or 6 drivers
WoO Late Model top 5 or 6
Rally Car
NHRA

The majority of these guys driving cars got to where they are because they had money already.

and many of the owners of these cars don't make a dime...write it off to advertising or are independently wealthy and it is a hobby to them...same in the horse racing business.

[SRH]

id say b allance and gust are the highest, prob $350k a year high dollar, low dollar 200k

id say out of all 20 the gnc guys look like this


80k 65k 110k 20k 50k 50 k right around there, rest of the guys are paying for there stuff, the future looks healthy

when u think about what rc, reed, stewart , windham are making thats just chump change, bike riders were making what quad guys are now almost 20 years ago and when you consider the top 20 in bikes make a healthy living 25 k isnt bad when your hobby is paid and your doing what you love

[mephyst]

Not even in Supercross do they make any great money unless you are the top factory riders. And even then, winning the title for the season is only 1million I believe. That's pennies considered to other types of racing. But there are far more people on bikes and people who watch bikes, so sponsors pay much more.

[Dan_Guetter]

Mx pros make most of there there money off endorsements...quads are now starting to go down that path.

[my88r]

Originally posted by SRH
id say b allance and gust are the highest, prob $350k a year high dollar, low dollar 200k

id say out of all 20 the gnc guys look like this


80k 65k 110k 20k 50k 50 k right around there, rest of the guys are paying for there stuff, the future looks healthy

when u think about what rc, reed, stewart , windham are making thats just chump change, bike riders were making what quad guys are now almost 20 years ago and when you consider the top 20 in bikes make a healthy living 25 k isnt bad when your hobby is paid and your doing what you love
id dout ballance and gust make that much

[SRH]

Originally posted by my88r
id dout ballance and gust make that much

so you dont think its a good possibility, there contracts with the factory, winnings, endorsements and what not add up to that much?

[my88r]

cloes but not 350 though but your in the right area;)

[BlasterEaten250]

I could be completely wrong, but I think I remember a magazine saying Tim Farr made 2 million to race for Honda when he was first picked up by them racing a 450. Could be wrong though, I really have no clue how much they make.

[STEVENJANNA]

I can tell you this, last season Suzuki was giving a $50k bonus for a championship and Yamaha was offering $25k. If memory serves Suzuki was paying $10k for a win and Yamaha was paying $5k. These numbers are on top of salary and endorsements. I believe that Gust sold his excavation company, Spader was able to hire full time personel to run his physical therapy practice, Natalie was able to leave his family scrap business. I don't know what the total dollar amount is, but I do know that these guys are able to "quit" there jobs and make a living at what there passionate about. It was stated before and just like the rest of us, up until recently atv racing has been a hobby for everybody. The careers of all these guys came 1st because that's what payed the bills.

[smr]

guys I know it sounds great but I know a couple of the pros and they don't make that much. If they did then Bill Ballance wouldn't be wasting his time selling parts out of his shop. It's alot of hard work and they enjoy what they do, but they don't make anywhere near what to SX bike riders or any nascar drivers make.

Like I said, most of them have good jobs or come from family businesses. They have other imcomes besides racing.

This would be a good question to ask guys like Brad Paige or Jeff Stoess. Both have had success in racing but wasn't able to suport themselves with racing alone.

[honduh440]

i know that natalie got a nice offer from a specific a-arm company to run their stuff and it was plenty to make a year for the rest of anyones life..... and he turned it down .... sorry not going to say any numbers or names