Getty AJ Allmendinger races at Circuit of the Americas.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers take on Circuit of the Americas for only the second time when they compete in the Pit Boss 250. A spot in the playoffs will be on the line, but the drivers will also battle for the chance to win some bonus money.
The March 26 race will officially kick off the Dash 4 Cash program, which returns for the 2022 season. This race will serve as the qualifying round, which will determine the first drivers that will battle for the $100,000 bonus. The top four Xfinity Series drivers will secure a spot in the opening round, which will then take place at Richmond Raceway on April 2.
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Once the four drivers secure their spots in the first race of the Dash 4 Cash race. They will battle for the $100,000 bonus. The driver with the highest finishing position will win the money and an automatic berth in the second round at Martinsville Speedway on April 8. The next three highest-finishing drivers will secure spots in the second round.
The Dash 4 Cash program will continue for a total of four races. The third round will take place at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23. The fourth and final round will take place at Dover International Speedway on April 30.
A Cup Series Driver Won the First COTA Race
GettyKyle Busch (rear) won the 2021 race at Circuit of the Americas.
A spot in the Dash 4 Cash will not be the only thing on the line for the NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers. They will also battle to become the first winner at the Texas road course after a Cup Series driver won the inaugural race.
Kyle Busch made his 2021 Xfinity Series debut at Circuit of the Americas on May 22. He took over the No. 54 for the first of five starts and captured the top spot on the starting grid. Busch then turned in a dominant performance in which he led 35 of the 46 laps and held off a road course ace in AJ Allmendinger to capture his first of five wins in 2021.
With Busch retiring from Xfinity Series competition, there will be an opportunity for another driver to secure the trophy for the special road course race. Allmendinger will enter as the favorite based on his second-place finish at COTA in 2021, as well as his three-straight wins at the Charlotte Roval.
JR Motorsports Dominated the 2021 Dash 4 Cash
GettyNoah Gragson won three Dash 4 Cash bonuses during the 2021 season.
There have been multiple drivers that have captured the $100,000 checks in recent years. Daniel Suarez, Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Cole Custer, and Daniel Hemric are only some of the examples. However, the 2021 iteration primarily featured one driver.
Noah Gragson, the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, won the first three Dash 4 Cash races at Martinsville, Talladega, and Darlington. He had an opportunity to sweep the season, but another member of JR Motorsports captured the final check. Josh Berry, the driver of the No. 8, finished second overall at Dover on May 15 to secure the bonus money.
JR Motorsports drivers will have the opportunity to battle for the bonus money once again during the 2022 season, but they will first have to qualify for the opening round at a track where Justin Allgaier finished third overall while Gragson headed to the garage early with mechanical issues. Berry and Sam Mayer, the other two members of the team, did not previously compete at COTA.
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