NASCAR XFINITY Series Adds Heat Races To Select Events

In an effort to ignite and energize the growth of the NASCAR XFINTY Series, NASCAR announced today (Jan. 19, 2016) the addition of heat races to select NXS events on the 2016 schedule.

To kick off NASCAR Media Day, NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell introduced several racing-related innovations to the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, where "Names Are Made," each event in the popular Dash 4 Cash program now will be comprised of Two Heats and a Main. Drivers who win two of the four Dash 4 Cash bonuses available also are all but guaranteed a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase.

The NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash will be comprised of Two Heats and a Main at four tracks:

Bristol Motor Speedway (April 16),
Richmond International Raceway (April 23),
Dover International Speedway (May 14)
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 23).

Qualifying for each Dash 4 Cash event will set the 40-car field and the starting positions for the Two Heats with the fastest qualifier awarded 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 regulars in each Heat becoming eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. The highest finishing driver among the four Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers will be awarded a $100,000 bonus. If any driver wins two of the four Dash 4 Cash bonuses available, he/she is all but guaranteed a spot in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. In short, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses are equivalent to one race win in the new NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase format.

Drivers must have declared to earn NASCAR XFINITY Series points in order to be eligible for the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash bonus.