Dash 4 Cash Heat Racing Debuts for NASCAR XFINITY Series at Bristol
Chase Berth and $1,000,000 on the Line in Four Dash 4 Cash Events
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 11, 2016) –The NASCAR XFINITY Series will take racing back to its roots with Heat races, beginning with the first of four Dash 4 Cash events Saturday, April 16, at Bristol Motor Speedway (12:30 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers will each compete in one of two 50-lap Heat races for the chance to be eligible to win $100,000 in the 200-lap Main event. As in years past, the potential for a $1,000,000 total payout stands. New for this year, a driver who wins multiple Dash 4 Cash bonuses will earn a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, provided he/she remains eligible per the NASCAR rule book.
“Excitement for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash has reached a new level since the format change was announced in January,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “With potential NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase implications involved, we will see the intensity around these events ratcheted up.”
All Dash 4 Cash events are comprised of two Heats and a Main, and will take place when the NASCAR XFINITY Series visits Bristol Motor Speedway (April 16), Richmond International Raceway (April 23), Dover International Speedway (May 14) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 23).
For these unique Dash 4 Cash events, traditional, single-car qualifying will determine the 40 eligible vehicles and starting positions for the two Heats, with the fastest qualifier receiving the Coors Light Pole Award. Odd-numbered qualifiers (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) will start in the first Heat in respective order, while even-numbered qualifiers (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.) will start the second Heat in respective order.
The two Heats will set the starting positions for the Main, with the top two NASCAR XFINITY Series championship points-earning drivers in each Heat becoming eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. Of the four eligible Dash 4 Cash drivers, the highest-finishing driver in the Main will be awarded a $100,000 bonus.
“The new Dash 4 Cash format changes well-represent XFINITY’s goal to bring the best in entertainment to NASCAR fans by heightening the competition,” said Matt Lederer, executive director of sports marketing at Comcast. “Names are Made Here in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, and the Dash 4 Cash program provides an opportunity for these drivers to prove themselves on a national stage. XFINITY is changing the way fans experience NASCAR, and the shakeup in the competition for these races will create plenty of drama for them to see.”
Multiple Dash 4 Cash bonus wins will earn a driver a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase, provided he/she remains eligible per the NASCAR rule book. In essence, multiple Dash 4 Cash bonus wins equal one race win for Chase eligibility. If a driver wins the first three Dash 4 Cash bonuses and wins the race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway outright, that driver will also receive an additional $600,000 to bring the total Dash 4 Cash award to $1,000,000.
In order to be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus, drivers must have declared to earn NASCAR XFINITY Series points.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
Sources: Tom Bryant/NASCAR PR