Leaders Circle

The Leaders Circle is a financial reward program in IndyCar racing that pays the top 22 teams from the previous season's championship standings, with each receiving roughly $1 million to help cover their racing costs.

Think of the Leaders Circle as a bonus system that helps racing teams afford to compete. In IndyCar, running a competitive race team costs millions of dollars each year. To help teams manage these expenses, IndyCar created this program to share money with the teams that performed best in the previous season.

To qualify for the Leaders Circle, a team needs to finish in the top 22 positions in the championship point standings. Points are earned throughout the racing season based on where drivers finish in each race. The better a team performs consistently across the entire season, the more likely they are to earn a spot in this exclusive group.

What makes this program interesting is that all 22 teams receive the same amount of money, whether they finished first or twenty-second. The championship winner gets the same Leaders Circle payment as the team that barely made the cut. This approach helps ensure that even mid-pack teams have financial support to continue racing.

The money from the Leaders Circle typically arrives at the end of the racing season. While the exact amount can vary, reports suggest each team receives just under $1 million. For smaller racing operations, this payment can mean the difference between competing the following year or shutting down.

IndyCar has some flexibility in deciding which teams make the Leaders Circle. While the top 22 in points usually get automatic inclusion, the series can make exceptions in certain circumstances. This discretion allows IndyCar to support teams that might deserve consideration beyond just their point standings.

In 2025, IndyCar introduced a charter system that works alongside the Leaders Circle. Teams with charters are guaranteed the opportunity to compete for those 22 Leaders Circle contracts. These chartered teams also get guaranteed starting positions at races, except for the Indianapolis 500, which has its own qualification system.

The charter system limits starting fields to 27 cars at most races. This means that having a charter not only helps teams financially through the Leaders Circle but also ensures they can actually compete in races without worrying about failing to qualify.

For racing fans, understanding the Leaders Circle helps explain why teams fight so hard for every point, even when they're not competing for the championship. A team running in 21st or 22nd place late in the season might be battling desperately to secure that final Leaders Circle spot and the financial security it provides.