The regular season curtains will soon be closed on the NASCAR Cup Series stage. 25 races of the highest order are now finished and the ‘Lady in Black’ will host the one final act this Sunday. The upcoming Southern 500 will not only celebrate the fixture’s 75th anniversary but also determine the top 16 drivers who will make the playoffs. And it has a monetary prize worthy of its stature.
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Bob Pockrass reported on his X handle that the Cup Series field will share $8,644,143 amongst itself for its efforts. This amount includes the payouts for performance, historical results, year-end points-fund contribution, contingency awards, and so on. Last year, the purse was $8,260,258. The step up would be welcomed by every team and driver.
Down below in the Xfinity Series, the purse has been fixed at $1,303,907. Interestingly, this is around $400,000 shorter than the $1,703,502 purse that was awarded in 2023. Navigating the egg-shaped Darlington Raceway is hard enough as it is. But with the added challenges of the 500-miler, winning a share in these pies is a daunting task for even the best of drivers.
The length of the race demands multiple pit stops and tire changes. The time taken to do this makes maintaining track position a hard job to do. But the allure of winning such extraordinary cash rewards and the Johnny Mantz trophy should provide drivers that extra push to reach the checkered flag a fractional second earlier.
Who are the favorites to win the 2024 Southern 500?
Being named as the 75th winner of the Southern 500 would cement a driver in history forever. Heading into the weekend, there are a lot of changes in the outlook of fans as to who the favorites to win are.
23XI Racing Tyler Reddick is the most favored with odds of 11-2, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. He is currently the points leader and in a prime position to be the regular-season champion.
Kyle Larson stands on his heels with the same opening odds. He will be hopeful of securing the 15 playoff points ahead of Reddick. Joe Gibbs Racing veteran Denny Hamlin is no longer in the regular season championship discussion but he is one of the top favorites to win the Southern 500. He has the same odds as Reddick and Larson.
William Byron, Ty Gibbs, and Brad Keselowski each have odds of 9-1 to emerge as the victors on Sunday. Gibbs is notably yet to fix his spot in the playoffs and whether he does so will come down to his performance in the Southern 500.
