NASCAR just saw the closest finish ever, but what’s next? While it might be tough to top that photo-finish excitement, NASCAR’s got its sights set on the Mother’s Day Throwback Weekend at Darlington. Sure, last week got us all by surprise, but the upcoming Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway is expected to be just as thrilling. Like Kansas, Darlington knows how to put on a show, mainly because both tracks are tough on tires. However, Darlington ups the ante with even more severe tire wear, making it more about the driver’s skill than the car’s setup.

And maybe that’s why NASCAR’s bumped up the prize money big time for Darlington, tossing in an extra $196,654 over what they dished out at Kansas. It looks like NASCAR is placing a bigger bet on Darlington, pulling in the crowds and the excitement.

What’s the Goodyear 400 prize money for 2024 looking like?

Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass just tweeted out the numbers. Last year, NASCAR dished out $8,260,258 for the Cup race at Darlington Speedway and $1,703,502 for the Xfinity series. But this year, they’ve tightened the purse strings a bit. The Cup race prize has dropped to $8,090,969, shaving off $169,289 from last year’s pot. The Xfinity race also saw a cut, with the prize money now at $1,371,756, down by $331,746. Meanwhile, the Truck race isn’t left out; it’s set at $770,233.

This whole prize pool covers everything from the payouts for all the spots, contingency awards, contributions to the year-end points funds, and charter payouts that depend on how teams performed in the past.

But how does NASCAR’s prize money system really work? Well, from the start in 1948 up until 2015, NASCAR would list “the purse” in the race summaries. Drivers had deals with team owners for a salary and maybe a slice of each week’s race purse, which varied. Bigger tracks meant fatter purses, while the smaller ones didn’t pay as much.

Then came the new charter system, shaking up how NASCAR drivers get paid. It introduced 36 ownership charters, each with its own value based on the team’s history and recent performances. Now, the way chartered teams are compensated is a mix of guaranteed revenue, performance over the last three seasons, a cash-paying points fund, and the usual race purse based on where a driver finishes.

Even though NASCAR hinted it would be open about its new financial setup, it’s kept pretty tight-lipped about how the prize money is actually split up, leaving some drivers in the dark. These days, the cash goes to the teams rather than directly to the drivers. While the flow of money has shifted, the overall amounts haven’t seen a big change. You’ve still got hefty race purses out there—if you can get the scoop on them, that is.

However, the fans need not worry about that. For now, what they can really get pumped about is guessing which drivers are the hot picks to take the checkered flag this weekend.

What’s cooking at the Darlington Raceway Cup race this time around?

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The ‘Lady in Black‘ is always a tough nut to crack in the Next Gen era, and the last seven races at this track, known as “Too Tough to Tame,” have crowned a new winner each time. It’s typical to see a driver start strong and look like the sure winner, only to get tripped up by changing track conditions or rack up too many ‘Darlington stripes‘ on the right side of their car. Fun fact: no Stage 2 winner has managed to finish better than 25th in any of the four Next Gen races there.

Remember last year’s Goodyear 400 spring race? William Byron took the win, with Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott snagging the next top spots. It was a nail-biter finish, especially after Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain crashed out, handing Byron the lead. Darlington never skimps on the action, so expect some fireworks. Wondering who might pull ahead this weekend?

• The trio with the most laps led at Darlington in the Next Gen car are Denny Hamlin with 234, Martin Truex Jr with 221, and Kyle Busch with 174. These seasoned pros have dominated 48% of the Next Gen laps here, but surprisingly, their stats are slim on victories. JGR, despite their usual prowess, hasn’t quite mastered Darlington, with only three top-10 finishes out of 16 tries since 2021. But with Toyota’s strong showing in 2024, the Goodyear 400 race might just set their pace for the season.
• Stewart-Haas Racing might also have big plans for the weekend. Noah Gragson, a regular threat at Darlington during his XFINITY days because of his knack for “running the wall,” has racked up impressive finishes here: P8, P5, P7, P4, P1, P2, and P1.
• Also, we cannot overlook Kyle Larson, who’s always a safe bet with one win, six top-five finishes, and eight top-10s from twelve starts, not to mention leading 770 laps at this track. He clinched last season’s playoff race here.
• Then there’s last year’s champ, William Byron. With thirteen starts, one win, four top-five finishes, five top-10s, and seven DNFs, he’s a solid contender. He tops all Cup drivers with 898 laps led and the most time spent in the top five in the Next Gen car at Darlington, plus he’s got 1,083 laps in the top 10.

So, who’s your pick for this weekend’s Goodyear 400?