Dale Earnhardt is at the top of the system. Robert Hagstrom reports that Dale Earnhardt's combined salary and prize winnings in 1996 totaled $2.5 million. His endorsements totaled more than triple that figure at $8 million. Throw in Earnhardts souvenir liscencing revenues and the figures become even more astounding. NASCAR drivers, unlike other atheletes, recieve money independently for their own souvenir sales, as opposed to other professional sports leagues that pool all the money and distribute it equally among the players. As Hagstrom notes, "Michael Jordan's...paycheck from souvenir sales is the same as all the other players in the NBA" (Hagstrom 142). Earnhardt's check is by no means equal to the other drivers'. "It is estimated that Dale Earnhardt accounts for 40% of the total NASCAR souvenir market" (Hagstrom 143). Although the exact figures are private, most estimates put Earnhardt's yearly souvenir revenue at $30 million. Earnhardt represents the daring of Barney Oldfield and the outlaw attitude of Junior Johnson, but also has tremendously lucrative ties to the corporate establishment. He is all of that rolled into one, and hardly anyone ever accuses Earnhardt of selling out like people did Junior Johnson when he started driving a Ford. The corporate influence has become perfectly acceptable in racing, even welcomed, due to the fact that the big money makes for a bigger sport, and race fans love it.

Most everything you read about NASCAR begins with the legitimizing statistic that NASCAR is the largest and fastest growing spectator sport in America. What has its origins as a white, outlaw, blue-collar, rural Southern sport has now become the nation's most popular professional spectator sport! NASCAR is expanding at blinding speed, now with tracks and fans all over the country, in rural and urban areas, and last year they even held a very successful exhibition race in Japan. With the coming of so much corporate interest in NASCAR, it has also become less of a classed sport. New racetracks have plenty of luxurious corporate boxes for the new upper class fans to watch from. Sadly, however, with NASCAR spanning the nation and the globe, the sport remains almost completely white. That too, however, seems on the brink of change. NASCAR president Bill France, Jr. says that NASCAR welcomes other races into the competition and is hoping that opening NASCAR markets in urban areas like Los Angeles will attract minority participants and fans. NASCAR is breaking down barriers in other areas, and hopefully will be able to overcome the race barrier in its expansion as well.