Originally posted by tim60 You mean they are getting paid at 'time and a half' now?
Professional racing drivers don't get paid by the hour. They usually have a contract. Contracts generally pay an annual and/or per race salary. Usually there are provisions for the purse money, who gets it, or if it gets divided somehow. Then there are the sponsor endorsements and sales of licensed stuff like diecast models of the cars, t-shirts, hats, etc.
If there are any amateurs in the field they have to be independently wealthy. It takes millions of dollars to field a car. The cars themselves are quite costly. An amateur can buy their way into a ride, but it doesn't come cheap. And the learning curve is very steep.
There is more to racing than getting in, firing it up and riding around.