NASCAR returns to New Hampshire this weekend for a doubleheader weekend with the Cup Series and the Xfinity Series. The winner in the premier tier race will walk home with a gargantuan lobster as a trophy. If the Leviathan isn’t a prize enough to try and win the event, there’s always the multi-million dollar paycheck. So, how much is at stake this time around?
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Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass dutifully unveiled the numbers on his X handle. They read that the Cup Series field will split $7,876,911 among them. This amount includes the payouts for past performances, contingency awards, year-end points contributions, and so on. A step down in the Xfinity Series, the purse weighs considerably lighter at $1,270,055.
Purses for New Hampshire weekend includes payouts for all finishing positions, payouts to charter teams for participating and historical performance, contingency awards, etc.:
Cup: $7,876,911
Xfinity: $1,270,055
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 19, 2024
The reason behind this large difference is the breakdown of the TV deal for 2024. 90% of the revenue allocated goes to the Cup Series, 9% goes to the Xfinity Series, and 1% goes to the Craftsman Truck Series. So, networks end up paying nearly 10 times more for Cup Series races than they do for Xfinity Series races. The wizardry of the “Magic Mile” certainly does not carry into bank accounts.
Of those currently active in the field, Denny Hamlin has the most number of wins at the track (3). Kyle Busch ties with him and Joey Logano follows with Brad Keselowski, with two wins each. Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook place Hamlin and his teammate Martin Truex Jr. both as the favorites to win with opening numbers of 9-2.
Key facts to know about the New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The extensive land on which the New Hampshire Motor Speedway sits today was originally the home of a 1.6-mile road course that was inaugurated in 1964. It was only decades later in 1989 that groundbreaking for the current short track began. Today, the 1.058-mile oval sits on 1,200 acres of land and is the largest sports facility in New England.
The maiden Cup Series race at the track was held in 1993 and won by Rusty Wallace. The two things that set this venue apart are its length and its trophy, Loudon the Lobster. By now, the 20-26 pound creature will be at the tanks in the Makris Lobster and Steakhouse awaiting to be taken to the stage on Sunday.
