How much will fan win in Vegas from $5 million

Dan Wheldon and a yet-to-be-announced fan will split $5 million if Wheldon wins Sunday's season-ending Izod IndyCar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Or will they?

Under the terms of the GoDaddy Challenge's insurance policy, the $2.5 million that each party receives will be awarded in the form of a 40-year annuity, with 40 annual payments of approximately $62,500.

Depending on the tax bracket, that's about $45,000 a year.

Wheldon would get less, in part because his Indianapolis 500 earnings put him in the 35 percent bracket used for 2011. That makes his Las Vegas share $40,625 per year.

The sweepstakes allows for either party to receive a $1.3 million lump sum. After taxes, that's $845,000.

Wheldon won't get that much because his contract calls for him to share the winnings with his team, Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which is tied to Bryan Herta Autosport. Split three ways, that's $281,666.

Then there's this fine print: The Izod World Championship cannot be postponed past Oct. 31. If that happens, no one collects. Indy Star