IndyCar has increased Leaders Circle (LC) contracts by $100,000 for the 2025 season, bringing the total value to $1.2 million per contract. Penske Entertainment has added $2.2 million to the overall program, benefiting 22 teams who finished in the top positions of last season's entrants' championship.

The Leaders Circle program, established in the mid-2000s, ensures fair prize money distribution by pooling season-long funds and dividing them equally among qualifying teams who commit to full-season participation.

This increase comes at a crucial time as teams face rising operational costs:

• Current annual operating budgets: $8-10 million per entry
• Previous budgets (2023): $6-8 million per entry
• Engine lease costs: Increased by $150,000 to $1.6 million annually
• Energy Recovery System (ERS) costs: Expected to rise to $225,000-$250,000 per car for the 17-race season

The program now covers 22 of the 27 full-time entries, helping teams offset increasing costs, particularly with the new hybrid system implementation. Teams are still awaiting final ERS lease agreements, which could represent an additional increase of $135,000-$160,000 per entry compared to the previous season's partial implementation.

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