The NASCAR Cup Series will make its second visit to the Bristol Motor Speedway this Sunday for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It will be the final race of the ongoing Round of 16, and decide who the 12 drivers will be to proceed to the next set of challenges. Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass relayed what the monetary benefits for the best of the weekend will be on his X handle.
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The purse for the Cup Series race, including all the payouts for finishing positions, contingency awards, year-end points fund, etc., will be $10,447,135. Last year, the payout was significantly less at $9,222,417. This increase of over $1 million can be attributed to the new TV deal and other commercial factors.
A step below, the Xfinity Series will share a pie of $1,651,939. During last year’s night race, they had a purse of $1,680,574. The trend of the Cup Series receiving a pay boost while the Xfinity Series remains ignored, as it is, continues in Bristol as well.
Finally, the Craftsman Truck Series drivers will share $782,900 among themselves. Last year, they shared $720,063. The big differences in the purse sizes are an issue that needs fixing, no doubt. But then, the viewership for each series is what decides these numbers ultimately.
Purses for Bristol weekend, including all payouts, all positions, contingency awards, contribution to year-end points fund, etc.; and for Cup, all charter payouts for racing and past couple years performance.
Cup: $10,447,135
Xfinity: $1,651,939
Trucks: $782,900
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 10, 2025
Coming back to the big upcoming race, it is a matter of do or die for many, including Shane van Gisbergen and Alex Bowman. Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe secured their Round of 12 spots with wins in Darlington and Gateway, respectively. It remains to be seen who will secure the checkered flag at Bristol.
The drivers who must perform well at Bristol
Josh Berry sits at the bottom end of the Round of 16 cut. He is 45 points below the elimination line and faces the toughest uphill challenge. Bowman is a step ahead of him and 35 points below the elimination line. Van Gisbergen is 15 points below the line, and Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon is 11 points below it.
These drivers must turn things around if they want to keep their hopes of a championship alive. Immediately above the line are Austin Cindric (+11) and Ross Chastain (+19). The defending champion, Joey Logano, is slightly ahead of them (+21). Notably, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson was the one who reached Victory Lane at the Bristol night race in 2024.
