NASCAR Update: The Monster Mile Receives a $420,000 Boost for Wurth 400 and the Purse Crosses $9 Million

After a blockbuster finish to the race at Talladega, the NASCAR bandwagon moves back to traditional oval racing at Dover Motor Speedway for this weekend’s races. While the big one and the late chaos gave the fans something to cheer about, returning to short-track racing is expected to deliver rip-roaring racing action.

All eyes will be on the dominant Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing Toyotas that have been strong on the short tracks. Also, the onus will be on the likes of Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell to pull their socks up after drawing blanks at Talladega last weekend. It’s not just the points and wins at stake for the Wurth 400 event, the prospect of bagging a big payout will be an added incentive for the drivers to compete at Dover.

Here’s the purse for the Dover race weekend

The 2024 Cup Series event has seen a good bump in prize payouts in comparison to last year’s races. Moreover, a good TV audience and the positive effect of the Netflix docuseries have further contributed positively to the sport. Following the trend, the Dover Motor Speedway race week will see NASCAR shell out $9 million in winnings combined for the Cup and Xfinity Series races.

Taking to X, prominent NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass shared details regarding the payouts for the Dover race weekend. “Purses for Dover includes all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, contributions to year-end points fund and for Cup, payouts to charter teams on per-race basis and for historical performance (past three years, championships, etc): Cup: $7,992,801; Xfinity: $1,420,381.”

Last season’s spring race at the Monster Mile saw drivers competing for a prize purse of $7,629,649 and $1,361,382 respectively. Comparing the number to this Sunday’s race, it’s a bump of more than $400,000 in total, thus bringing the Cup Series event close to the $8 million mark. The Xfinity Series event has also seen a gradual increase in the payout for their event.

There are plenty of race car drivers who are hungry to make their big breakthrough. Whereas, some are looking to get back to winning ways and further assert their dominance with their performance.

Front runners to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway

Trending

“I Didn’t Have Any Money”: Brad Keselowski Indebted to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Favor for Building His NASCAR Legacy

“No Way in Hell”: Tony Stewart Discloses a Major Roadblock After His Baby Boy’s Birth

Richard Childress’ Grandson in Hot Water After Worst Season of His Career Puts Family Cup Ride in Jeopardy

Sprint Car World Loses Toyota Driver Till Next Season as Grueling Injury Forces Pause on 18-Year-Old Sensation’s Career

NASCAR Rumor: Backed by Billionaire Family, Fans Speculate Former Formula 1 Driver to Soon Make NASCAR Debut

Starting off, we have Martin Truex Jr from JGR. He has 4 wins at the racetrack in the 33 starts he has made, and coincidentally, he snapped his long winless run last season at Dover. The No. 19 car has shown constant speed throughout the season but is yet to be in the victory lane. Will Truex Jr be in contention for the win this Sunday? For sure, but as far as winning is concerned, there are other prime contenders he will have to look out for.

Kyle Larson from Hendrick Motorsports has hit a slump in his last two races at Texas and Talladega. Larson has won at the venue in his career and has also managed a consistent run with seven top-ten finishes. Moreover, in 2024, he has consistently finished inside the top five places on the short tracks. So this sets him up perfectly to bag his second win of the season.

Short track specialist Denny Hamlin, who has been on an impressive run this season, can’t be counted out of contention just because of his two sub-par results, like Larson. The veteran driver arguably has the best running short-track car in the Cup garage, and his two wins have come at similar settings in Richmond and Martinsville. So watch out for him. Your favorite driver just might not be good enough to go up against his racing antics.

It’s a given that the Chevys from HMS and Toyotas from JGR Camp are going to be in contention for the win. But the Series could do with a Ford win, it’s about time to ante up their efforts and ignite their title charge.