Lilly Diabetes 250 to Showcase NASCAR XFINITY Series' New Format

The NASCAR XFINITY Series is making format changes in a handful of races this season, and the Lilly Diabetes 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 23 is a beneficiary.

The four-race “Dash 4 Cash” program will now feature two heats and a main in each of four events, offering more racing action and spurring memories.

“Many of our fans in Indiana and throughout the Midwest are big supporters of short-track racing, where Saturday night programs always feature heats leading up to the main event,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles said. “Now we’ll get some of that flat-out, all-or-nothing flavor for our Saturday afternoon Lilly Diabetes 250, one of the spotlight races on the NASCAR XFINITY schedule.”

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 (first, third, fifth, etc.) will start in the first heat in respective order, while even-numbered qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, 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.

The other Dash 4 Cash races will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 16), Richmond International Raceway (April 23) and Dover International Speedway (May 14), where the format should prove equally popular. 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, similar to the Chase for the Sprint Cup used in NASCAR’s top series.

“These innovations contain the elements of racing that our fans want the most,” said NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell. “The enhancements put a premium on in-race strategy, and will create an unprecedented level of excitement as teams make tactical decisions that could impact their spot in the Chase.”

The 23rd annual Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard will take place on Sunday, July 24. Indiana legend Tony Stewart, a two-time winner, will race for the final time against defending champion Kyle Busch, former champions Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick, fellow Hoosier Ryan Newman and the rest of the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.