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RELATED: Dash 4 Cash 101

RELATED: Results 


RICHMOND, Va. — Being handed an oversized check that ticks the six-figure mark stands as a heck of a consolation prize, but there was still a bittersweet feeling Saturday afternoon for Justin Allgaier, who stood oh-so-close to Victory Lane.

Allgaier finished second in Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 for the NASCAR XFINITY Series at Richmond International Raceway, snagging the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus offered by the series sponsor. His finish was tops among the three other eligible drivers — pole-starter Daniel Hemric (third place), points leader Elliott Sadler (seventh) and rookie Kyle Benjamin (32nd in his series debut).

But it was Allgaier who seemed to absorb the most disappointment, leading three times for 157 of the 254 laps but coming up just shy of his second victory of the season behind eventual winner Kyle Larson.

MORE: 2017 NXS winners

Allgaier led with Sadler closing in second for a lengthy green-flag run in the final stage, but when BJ McLeod’s engine expired to unfurl the caution flag with 10 laps before the scheduled end, strategies and the running order were thrown into disarray. Allgaier’s JR Motorsports No. 7 Chevrolet restarted second, but a pair of chaotic restarts that included leader Ty Dillon’s jump (later penalized) shuffled both him and Sadler back behind Larson.

"For what these guys did to bring a great race car, I mean we had a lights-out race car today," said Allgaier, who won the Dash 4 Cash prize for the second time this season. He also moved up one position to second place in the XFINITY standings. "In hindsight, maybe we would’ve been better off if it would’ve gone green to the end, but at the end of the day, this happens. We’re dejected, but I can promise you that next week, we’ll be ready to go — fire in our bellies and ready to go win one that we should’ve gotten this weekend."

Sadler held on for his seventh top-10 finish in eight races, leaving Richmond with a sizable 41-point edge in the standings. Hemric led the opening 26 laps after posting the first Coors Light Pole Award of his XFINITY career. Benjamin didn’t get the result he aimed for in his series debut, but made a strong showing before a crucial miscue during the final round of pit stops.

Benjamin, a 19-year-old product of the NASCAR Next youth initiative, started an impressive second, then logged stage finishes of fifth and sixth — the last of which clinched his spot in the Dash 4 Cash field. But during the final pit-stop exchange, his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Toyota rolled off the jack — the result of what he said was a clutch not fully engaged — and Benjamin exited his pit stall with loose lugs.

The extra pit stop to remedy the issue mired him back in the pack, and he was sidelined by a six-car stack-up on the traffic-packed restart that forced the final caution period. Still, Benjamin said his first start in the series was productive, leaving him eager for his next XFINITY appearance, scheduled for June 10 at Pocono Raceway.

"It was definitely educational," said Benjamin, the 2016 runner-up in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. "I learned a lot today. Just wish I hadn’t made that mistake there at the end, but other than that, we had a really consistent day. A lot of positive things happened. Got to race around some really good guys and learned from them."


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The NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash has an updated format for 2017 with the implementation of stages in each race of the series’ 33-event circuit. Stage 1 and Stage 2 will determine which four drivers are eligible in the main race for the Dash 4 Cash prize, and a $100,000 check for each event.

Plus, $600,000 would be awarded to a driver who wins all four Dash 4 Cash bonuses, making the total possible winnings $1 million this year.

MORE: Fast facts: How the stages work

Here is a quick rundown of how the format works.



THE RACES 


Phoenix Raceway (March 18) | Race recap
 | Photos
Bristol Motor Speedway (April 22)
 | Race recap | Photos
Richmond International Raceway (April 29) | Race recap | Photos
Dover International Speedway (June 3)

RACE FORMATS


Coors Light Pole Qualifying will determine the starting positions for the race. 


The field will then begin the race with Stage 1, followed by Stage 2 and the Final Stage.

Phoenix Raceway is new to the four-race Dash 4 Cash schedule this year, replacing Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a designated event.

Based on the participation guidelines announced last year, drivers with more than five years of full-time experience are restricted from the four races in the Dash 4 Cash program.

DASH 4 CASH ELIGIBILITY

The top-two finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series points-earning drivers in each of the two stages will make up the four-driver Dash 4 Cash field for the Final Stage. Once Stage 1 is complete, the two drivers who lock into the main field won’t have their position counted following Stage 2 to ensure a four-driver field.

The highest finisher in the final stage among the four eligible drivers wins the Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 prize.

PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY

If a driver earns two Dash 4 Cash wins (not race wins) over the four Dash 4 Cash races, that is equivalent to a regular-season race win for XFINITY Series postseason eligibility.

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — In search of a director to oversee filming for its latest NASCAR Acceleration Nation television creative, NASCARu00ae turned to a 14-year-old rising star in advertising.


Amelia Conway of Temecula, Calif., developed the treatment and directed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122 driver Austin Dillon in the new spot promoting the sport’s national youth platform.


The 30-second ad, titled "Tutelage," debuted today online and will air beginning this weekend during the Richmond races on FOX and FS1.


"As a filmmaker, Amelia is a special talent and we loved her vision for this project," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "She represents the youth audience that is important to our sport, so having that unique perspective guide the creative process for us was invaluable."


Born in California and raised in rural Texas, Conway began acting and performing at an early age and in 2014 was signed to Adolescent Content, a youth-focused production agency. She’s directed several music videos and short films, and recently shot commercials for Target, Toms Shoes and Beats Music.

Conway was introduced to NASCAR through 77 Ventures, its agency partner on the 2017 season launch campaign and, more recently, the NASCAR Acceleration Nation work.


"Tutelage" is set in a school classroom, where child teachers explain the aerodynamics principles of drag and drafting to a seated audience of students including Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS.


"I really appreciate how NASCAR is including kids like me in the sport," said Conway. "I’ve always liked working with kid actors, but working with Austin Dillion was an awesome experience. Being on the set and learning about how race teams use STEM technologies to help their drivers was fascinating, and I think NASCAR Acceleration Nation will inspire other young people like me to do what they love."


Launched in 2015, NASCAR Acceleration Nation engages the next generation of NASCAR fans by creating fun, entertaining and educational ways for kids to interact with the sport. Through a partnership with Scholastic, NASCAR-themed learning materials are taught in more than 10,000 schools across the country.


The learning materials are grounded in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) and include lessons and activities on energy and the NASCAR 3 D’s of Speed — Drag, Downforce and Drafting.


The NASCAR Acceleration Nation app is the sport’s first app experience created just for kids featuring racing-themed games, activities and fun ways to learn about NASCAR. Parents can download the app for their children at the App Store and Google Play.



AccelerationNation.com features games and activities inspired by various elements of the sport. Kids can test their math skills with Flash Cars and play RaceFlex, an interactive racing game.


NASCAR Acceleration Nation is one part of the industry’s ongoing commitment to young fans, and every race weekend there are fun and interactive activities for children including kids’ clubs, kids’ zones, driver autograph sessions and more. 


Beginning this year, kids ages 12 and under are admitted free for all NASCAR XFINITY Seriesu2122 and NASCAR Camping World Truck Seriesu2122 races.


Discounted youth tickets are also available for many Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events. Kids ticket information is available at NASCAR.com/kidstix.


Earlier this season, NASCAR and Disney announced that rising star drivers Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suárez and Darrell Wallace Jr. have joined legends Jeff Gordon and Richard Petty as character voices in Disney-Pixar’s "Cars 3" movie, opening in theaters nationwide on June 16.  


NASCAR Acceleration Nation is being featured as part of the "Cars 3" Road to the Races tour, currently traveling the country to celebrate the film.


The Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond International Raceway will begin at 2 p.m. ET on April 30. The race will be broadcast live on FOX, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (channel 90) and MRN, with additional coverage on NASCAR.com.

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Actor and star of FOX’s police crime drama "Rosewood" Morris Chestnut noticed that the cast seemed nervous while filming a portion of the Season 2 finale in March.

For good reason, too.

"There was a huge explosion and the explosion was so big that everyone on the set was nervous because it was on the second level of this parking structure," Chestnut recalled Monday to NASCAR.com via telephone. "And it was such a big explosion that everyone thought the second level was going to drop down to the first."

But one guest star — Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon — seemed quite unnerved by the exploding car behind him, Chestnut noticed.

It seemed his day job lent a hand to dealing with crashes, fires and loud noises on the set of a television show.

"He was actually in the scene when this happened," Chestnut said of Dillon. "And to see his reaction — he was just like a pro, didn’t flinch. It was great, he did a great job."

In the "Rosewood" season finale, Dillon portrays Wayne Cirito, a character that is associated with a crime gang that the show’s protagonist Dr. Beaumont Rosewood (played by Chestnut) is trying to interrogate.

As for Dillon’s acting skills? Chestnut was impressed by the 27-year-old driver’s versatility on-screen.

"That’s one thing that’s great about Austin," Chestnut said. "It was a very tough scene because he goes from this hard, tough-as-nails guy, to relating to (character Captain Ira) Hornstock and talking about things he may not have been comfortable (talking about)."

But as Chestnut learned after talking with Dillon off-screen, race car drivers have to be tough in a variety of facets in their own jobs — as well as focused, sharp and able-bodied. It’s a familiar area for the 48-year-old actor, as he just released a health and fitness book this month entitled "The Cut: Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 10 Days and Sculpt Your Best Body."

"It was great to talk to him about some of the insight toward NASCAR," Chestnut said. "I didn’t know some of the things that he goes through as (a driver), that they go through in the cars and everything, so it was great to talk to him about that.

"…One thing when I was talking to Austin is the endurance factor. Not only do you have to have a healthy body, but you have to have a healthy and sharp mind because a one-second lapse can not only cost you the race, but you can get into some very bad, brutal accidents. So, health and fitness is a huge part of being sharp and being ready when you’re on the track.

"These guys are athletes, these drivers are athletes," Chestnut continued. "I didn’t realize that. They’re not just sitting in the car Sunday driving like I do on the freeway. (They’re hitting) 200 mph, going around these tracks and turns … you have to be in tip-top shape and (have) a razor-sharp mind."

His conversations with Dillon on set gave Chestnut, who has never attended a NASCAR race, a greater appreciation for the sport of racing.

"To be honest, I didn’t get (NASCAR)," said Chestnut, who also plans to attend Dillon’s 3-on-3 charity basketball tournament this year. "I didn’t really get it. But he was breaking everything down to me about the whole entire experience. It’s not just about the race — it’s even before the race, everyone coming, meeting the drivers, being right on the track. He was breaking so many little intricate things down to me just about the sport in general to where it really, really piqued my interest. So I’m looking forward to getting out to (a race) … (There were) so many interesting things that he was talking to me about, I was like, ‘Man, I have to see one of these.’ "

The connections between NASCAR and Hollywood have grown deeper in recent years, as more drivers have briefly traded their fire suits and race cars for Hollywood scripts and bright lights for cameo appearances in movies and television shows. Kyle Busch, Ryan Blaney and Carl Edwards notably nabbed cameo roles in the upcoming Steven Soderbergh-directed, racing-themed film "Logan Lucky;" which stars Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig and Riley Keough among others. Likewise, several movie and television stars have flocked to the often-unfamiliar race tracks, particularly the Southern California-based Auto Club Speedway and Wine Country’s Sonoma Raceway.

RELATED: NASCAR meets Hollywood in ‘Logan Lucky’ movie

While he is just starting to learn more about NASCAR, Chestnut already sees parallels between NASCAR and Hollywood, primarily the storytelling aspect of both.

"I think they’re both very entertaining," Chestnut said. "Like I said, I didn’t understand the sport … but once he told me the intricacies of the storylines that are involved and how intimate the fans can be with the drivers, it’s a whole other level of entertainment. Even the story within the story, the story within the races with some of the drivers and what happens before they even come to the race.

"There’s just so many interesting things, I think it’s just a natural relationship the two can have. Hollywood has stories — we tell stories with our show every week. The more you know about our show, the more interested you may be. The more I know about NASCAR drivers, the more interested I am in the sport. It’s very similar. They’re both very strong forms of entertainment."

Catch Dillon and Chestnut on the season finale of "Rosewood" on Friday, April 28 at  8 p.m. ET on FOX.

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond



Operations Director Sammy Johns will replace Slugger Labbe as the crew chief on the No. 3 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, Richard Childress Racing announced Friday.



Labbe will remain at the Lexington, North Carolina, race shop to work on cars for next weekend’s GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.


Dillon will also have to start from the rear in Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio) for failing pre-race inspection five times at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. He will also have a hold of 30 minutes for opening practice and the No. 3 team will lose its pit stall selection at Richmond. 


Dillon has an average finish of 22.3 in six career starts at Richmond, while the fourth-year veteran notched a pair of top-10 finishes at Talladega in 2016. He placed third in last year’s May race at NASCAR’s biggest track.


The team has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, with an average finish of 19.5 and one top-10 finish through eight races.

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: Practice 1 results | Top 10-lap times

Furniture Row Racing came to play at Richmond International Raceway, as Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota topped the leaderboard at 124.178 mph in Friday’s opening Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. He was followed by teammate and rookie Erik Jones, whose No. 77 Toyota notched a top speed of 123.035 mph.

Wood Brothers Racing’s Ryan Blaney was third-fastest, his No. 21 Ford clocking in at 122.772 mph. Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne (122.084 mph) and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin (121.726 mph) rounded out the top five, respectively. Hamlin won the most recent race at Richmond (September 2016) in his No. 11 Toyota.

Despite notching the second-fastest speed, Jones spun with 74 minutes left in the opening session, his No. 77 Furniture Row Racing Toyota making slight contact with the wall.

With rain impacting on-track activity last weekend at Bristol, NASCAR deferred several holds and penalties coming out of Texas Motor Speedway to this weekend. The following teams sat out the first 15 minutes of practice, as they failed race inspection at Texas: No. 11 of Hamlin, No. 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 37 of Chris Buescher, No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson and No. 88 of Dale Earnhardt Jr.

There were several holds and penalties out of Bristol as well that were enforced in this session: Ty Dillon’s No. 13 team, AJ Allmendinger’s No. 47 team and Austin Dillon’s No. 3 team also abided by 15 minute-holds for failing LIS race inspection, as well as Aric Almirola’s No. 43 group (failing race inspection, templates x 2, T1-T2 and T1). Dillon also will start Sunday’s race from the rear.

Joey Logano (No. 22 team) and Matt Kenseth (No. 20 team) were held for 30 minutes for swerving at Bristol.

The Nos. 6 and 23 XFINITY Series teams of Darrell Wallace Jr. and Spencer Gallagher, respectively, will also have 15 minute holds.

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is back on track at 4:45 p.m. ET for Coors Light Pole Qualifying (FS1).


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RELATED: Dale Jr. announces retirement | Reactions | Relive every Dale Jr. win


RICHMOND, Va. — Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he had some concerns about how the bombshell news he dropped on the NASCAR world this week would be received, worried that it would be upsetting, met with a mix of emotions. He seemed relieved by the generally positive feedback and strong outpouring of support after making his decision to retire from full-time driving at season’s end.

With that part behind him, Earnhardt turns his attention to getting "back to my routine" this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, site of Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 (2 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Radio) for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. But his at-track habits might take on a more freewheeling approach, with little to lose in the 28 points-paying races left in his career.

"The team, the guys, they all and myself we would love to win some races," Earnhardt said Friday after opening practice at the .75-mile track, where he is a three-time premier-series winner. "I’m going to say ‘a race,’ but ‘some races’ would be great going out in your last season to get some victories. We just want to go to Victory Lane one more time, just to get that experience one more time would be awesome for me and I think the guys would love it, for sure.

"But, I certainly did feel a lot more relaxed now. I don’t know whether it’s because I finally got to tell everybody and let everybody know what we are doing, get that over with, but I certainly felt real relaxed today in the garage during practice. I felt like there was less pressure from somewhere and a large amount, a lot different."

Earnhardt, 42, announced Tuesday that 2017 would be his final year driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Sunday’s race will mark the unofficial start of his farewell tour, which is sure to come with a heaping helping of tributes and parting gifts.

Earnhardt sits 24th in the series standings with just one top-five finish in the eight races so far this year, leaving him in need of a victory or momentous rally in the points to assure a playoff berth. Reaching the postseason by either method might require some risk-taking, something Earnhardt said is a ripe possibility.

Earnhardt related the tale of his former crew chief Steve Letarte, now an analyst with NBC Sports’ broadcast team. Letarte had announced before the 2014 season that he would mount one final campaign with the No. 88 group before making the transition to the television booth the following year.

With his plans in place and a firm sense of direction, Letarte and Earnhardt picked their spots for well-calculated gambles and combined for their most successful year together — four victories, including the driver’s second Daytona 500 win, his first grandfather clock trophy from Martinsville Speedway and a season sweep of both Pocono Raceway events.

"He called that whole season completely different," Earnhardt said. "He was more aggressive and I think it was because he had the freedom to be that way. He was like, ‘What if it doesn’t work?’ And a lot of times it ended up working out. We won both of those Pocono races on pit calls that he made. We didn’t just outrun everybody. There are things he did in the middle of the race that we might not have done had he not had his mind made up what he was doing and ‘Hey, this is my last hurrah, we are going to go for it’ kind of attitude.

"I noticed that whole year he was a much easier going, approachable. I mean he’s pretty damn likable, but he was much more likable and easier to be around. Everything rolled off his back, we didn’t get frustrated as easily and I am anticipating that being similar for me."

Also in the no-pressure department: The search for Earnhardt’s replacement in the No. 88 Chevrolet. Tuesday’s announcement included a note that Hendrick Motorsports would reach that decision at a later date. XFINITY Series rookie William Byron, a top Hendrick prospect, demurred earlier Friday when asked about the organization’s soon-approaching driver vacancy, saying only that he was eager to get his chance to race in NASCAR’s top division.

For Earnhardt, he remains an interested party invested in the team’s success, now and after his departure. He said he wouldn’t demand to be included in the discussions to find his successor, but said he’d value the opportunity to offer his input.

"I can’t read their minds, but I’m sure they all have a direction that they want to go and they have ideas," Earnhardt said of Hendrick Motorsports’ management team. "There are just things about the company that I’m not quite as in touch with that they are that will help them make that decision. They probably have everybody in the world telling them what they ought to do and they don’t need me, but if they ask for it I’m certainly wanting to be involved in that.

"I want the team to have more success. I want it to be … I said this every offseason: Every offseason is a chance to be better than you were the year before. It’s an opportunity to make those personnel changes and those hard decisions. It’s a chance to do it, the things you can’t do in the middle of the river, in the middle of the season."


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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — The cyclical churn of talent in the NASCAR garage took another turn this week with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s announcement that 2017 will be his final year in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His impending departure follows those of household names Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards — all in short order since the end of the 2015 season.



In outlining his decision to leave the cockpit, Earnhardt was asked about NASCAR’s ability to reload with a new generational thrust in driver star power. He named Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott among the sport’s several young aces in waiting, offering assurance that the NASCAR roster remained vibrant and strong.



As for those young stars? Asked upon their Friday arrival at Richmond International Raceway about their readiness to assume the mantle, the newest and brightest of those newer drivers might not be waiting much longer.



"Although it’s sad that we have all our veterans and heroes retiring, I think NASCAR is in a great position with all the young talent that they have in the (Monster Energy) Series currently, and really in every feeder series below them, there’s a lot of young guys with great equipment and good backing," said 24-year-old Kyle Larson, the series’ current points leader. "So, I think the competition will be good. And, there’s a lot of personalities, too, with people getting themselves out there on social media and stuff like that, showing their personalities. So, I feel like we’re in a good spot to have some new stars step up."



Larson and Elliott — both 20-somethings — have already begun to make that push on the track, sitting 1-2 in the series standings. They’ve been joined by 23-year-old Ryan Blaney, plus rookies Erik Jones, 20, and Daniel Suarez, 25, as just some of the newest faces in the garage.



The current transition of the sport’s paradigm isn’t a new phenomenon. If the genealogy of NASCAR stardom read like the Book of Chronicles, it would include a traditional biblical list of "begats."



The career of Lee Petty begat Richard Petty’s, Fireball Roberts’ and Ned Jarrett’s careers begat David Pearson’s, which begat Cale Yarborough’s, Bobby Allison’s and Darrell Waltrip’s. Then came Earnhardt and Elliott and Wallace, then Gordon, then Stewart and then Jimmie Johnson — all with a host of other dynamic personalities in between.



Mere mention as a part of that incoming next wave, with the potential to join a list of stars with Hall of Fame clout ranks as heady territory. Being singled out by the series’ 14-time Most Popular Driver as one of those candidates is too, something that Blaney — Earnhardt’s neighbor and friend — accepts with a degree of pride and reverence.



"He has a very big impact of what people think, whether it is fans or in the garage area," Blaney said. "Him talking up younger drivers or the sport in general is going to get his fans excited about the future of going forward even though he won’t be driving next year. What he says will be very important. I know he has always said great things about the sport and drivers in it and been very positive, which makes him a great person and great ambassador for the sport. It means a lot to hear him say those things.



"Like I said, I know he says that about a lot of young drivers and try to set everything up for the future, but it is nice to be a part of that conversation when he speaks."



Gracefully making the transition to stardom is a multi-pronged challenge, requiring both on-track performance and a proficiency in engaging with fans new and old. The former requires both raw talent and a full team effort. As for the latter, Suarez said there’s no secret code to making that connection.



"I think it’s very simple — it’s just being yourself," said Suarez, in his first year of replacing Edwards at Joe Gibbs Racing. "I think every single driver out there in the garage has different personalities: Dale has his personality; Kyle has his personality; Jimmie Johnson has his personality; I have my personality; and everyone is different. When every single driver can go out there to be himself, I think that’s very cool, and the fans like that.



"You know, so far it’s what I’ve been doing and I think it’s the right thing to do. But like I said, overall, Dale has been more than a role model for the sport and it’s great what he has done."


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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Chicagoland

 

Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello are back! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nickelodeon return to Chicagoland Speedway this September as entitlement sponsor for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener. This marks Nickelodeon’s second consecutive year wearing the sponsor hat at the Illinois track. 

 

The pair made the Nickelodeon Tales of the Turtles 400 announcement Friday, coming off a wildly successful 2016 partnership and campaign. The news coincided nicely with National Superhero Day.

 

"We’re thrilled that Nickelodeon is coming back with their Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise as the entitlement partner of our playoff kickoff on Sunday, Sept. 17," Chicagoland track president Scott Paddock told NASCAR.com.

 

Nickelodeon also joined NASCAR in 2015’s SpongeBob SquarePants 400, which saw Jimmie Johnson collect his third win at Kansas Speedway.

 

Last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 — which Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. won — sparked cross-generational pizazz thanks to Nickelodeon’s revamp and ownership of the franchise.

 

"Brands like Nickelodeon attract a younger audience," Paddock furthered. "We saw impact last year with about a 12 percent increase on kids that came to the race. And what’s really fascinating about the ‘Turtles’ franchise is it’s got cross-generational appeal so it was hot back in the ’90s and (now) you’ve got this whole generation that grew up with it and now their kids are following Nickelodeon."

 

It appears that this is a two-way relationship built on a foundation of deep admiration and appreciation.

 

"This is Year 2 of our partnership with Chicagoland. We’re thrilled to be coming back," Anthony Di Cosmo, senior vice president of sports marketing and content development for Nickelodeon, told NASCAR.com. "I think when we carried out this partnership it was really to kind of build a platform of something long term that we can really engage kids and family in the sport in a way that felt very authentic to Nickelodeon." 

 

Building off 2016’s successful weekend, Nickelodeon plans to have its characters prominently displayed at the speedway as well as driver and team involvement with special paint schemes paying tribute to the network’s cartoon.

 

Last year, Monster Energy Series drivers such as Danica Patrick, Michael McDowell and David Ragan rocked Turtle-related schemes for the 400-miler. 

 

Although it is, as of yet, uncertain who will partake in the themed paint jobs this year, some of the characters — as well as Nickelodeon stars — are scheduled to be prominent during the September weekend with many activities for the entire family.

 

Cowabunga, indeed.

 

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BUY TICKETS: See the races at Richmond
RELATED: How the Dash 4 Cash works



To hear NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Elliott Sadler tell it, the addition of stages and the modification of the Dash 4 Cash format have had a profound effect on race strategy, because drivers and crews have to take both parts of the equation into account.

The top 10 drivers in each stage earn points, with the winner of the stage getting an additional playoff point that will carry through to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In addition, the top two XFINITY regulars in each stage earn eligibility for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus, with the highest finisher among them at the checkered flag winning the money.


RELATED: Stage lengths at Richmond

"We’ve actually changed our strategy a lot this year, based on the stage racing," Sadler said. "We didn’t really know how much we’d change it until we actually got to Daytona and saw how different everybody races, getting close to the ends of the stages.

"That’s what’s neat about this Dash 4 cash race (Saturday’s ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond). We’ve actually got a couple things going on. Yes, we’re trying to get qualified for the Dash 4 Cash, but we’re also trying to get bonus points for the stages, too."

All that adds a layer of complexity to the decision-making process.

"We’re just kind of playing it by ear—what decision can we make to best benefit us? It’s definitely changed the way we’re looking at the races, not just from the Dash 4 Cash side, but also the stage racing side. There’s a lot of points to be made, and now that you know you’re going to be saved by a caution, you can be more aggressive.

"We can be more aggressive on pit road. We can take more chances, because we know there’s a caution coming out to save us."