Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage's surprisingly frank and inflammatory comments that Cup start-and-park teams are "simply stealing" purse money each weekend got me wondering if there's anything different about NASCAR's payout structure, rather than the current economic climate, that has led to this recent strategy.

Looking at purse money for the last 50 years at Richmond International Raceway, the site of this weekend's Crown Royal 400, some interesting observations can be made. Even though the percentage of the lowest payout to the total purse has remained relatively unchanged for five decades, teams near the bottom today make significantly more compared to the winner's share.

The maxim "a rising tide lifts all boats" is more than appropriate, as the increase in popularity of the sport, coupled with two windfall television contracts, have not only fueled the sport's mega-teams, but made it advantageous for owners who watch their wallets to eke out a living at the bottom end of the Sprint Cup food chain.

Now, remember that NASCAR's convoluted purse payouts are based on a complicated formula that take into consideration a percentage of money contributed from the track, the TV contract and sponsor contingencies. In addition, NASCAR has multiple purse money distribution programs. But even though the total purses have skyrocketed, particularly in the last decade, when it comes to ratios, the losers are gaining ever so slowly on the winners.

Consider that in 1960, John Dodd Jr. took home just $50 for finishing last in a 19-car field -- barely enough for today's fan to fill the gas tank for the trip from North Carolina to Richmond and back. But the total purse was $3,935 -- with winner Lee Petty getting a whopping $900 -- which meant Dodd's share of the total purse was 1.27 percent. (Continued)