The first round of the 2024 Cup Series playoffs packed quite a surprise in it. Veterans such as Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. were knocked out of contention while underdogs like Chase Briscoe and Daniel Suarez secured their seats for the next round. With 12 drivers locked in for the championship race, the field now travels to the Kansas Speedway.
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The first race of the Round of 12 will go down in the Sunflower State this Sunday. Veteran reporter Bob Pockrass revealed on his X handle that the prize money of $9,222,964 will be shared amongst the teams at the end of the race based on performance, historical results, contingency awards, and other such variables. But what’s rather interesting is the increase in prize value from 2023.
Last year, the Hollywood Casino 400 was a part of the first round of the playoffs and carried a purse of $8,806,315. The roughly half-million-dollar increase in weightage could be attributed to the event’s current stature as a Round of 12 race. The Xfinity Series sees a similar financial development as well. The purse for the upcoming race has been affixed at $1,777,248.
Purses for Kansas weekend, incl all payouts, all positions, plus contingency awards, contribution to year-end points bonuses, all charter payouts for racing and historical performance:
Cup: $9,222,964
Xifnity: $1,777,248
Truck: $670,619
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) September 25, 2024
Last year, the figure was $1,551,969. Furthermore, this is the first playoff race for the second tier after the regular season came to an end in Bristol last weekend. The Craftsman Truck Series will be accompanying its counterparts to Kansas as well and will reward its field with an overall prize money of $670,619. Contrastingly, this is a roughly $30,000 drop from last year’s number.
What can be expected from the Cup Series race in Kansas?
It is hard not to be reminded of what transpired in Kansas earlier this year during the spring visit. Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher created the closest finish in NASCAR history with the former grabbing winning honors. The dominance that Larson holds over his contenders became clear that day and continues to become so still. Which is why it wouldn’t be foolish to bet on him to win this weekend.
The 1.5-mile Midwestern intermediate has become a favorite among both fans and drivers in recent times. Who doesn’t love watching close-cut finishes and last-lap drama every single time? This is also a good moment to note that the Kansas race in May 2023 had a shattering 37 lead changes.
This, once again, brings the ball to the Hendrick Motorsports superstar. Larson has finished inside the top 10 in his last six visits to Kansas and has an average finish of 5.29 there (for Hendrick Motorsports). In all likelihood, he could be the first driver to secure a seat in the Round of 8.
