Regan Smith didn't win Saturday at Dover International Speedway, but he took home a cool $100,000 for winning the first installment of NASCAR's "Dash 4 Cash" program.
NASCAR Xfinity drivers Ty Dillon, Regan Smith, Darrell Wallace Jr., and Daniel Suarez competed for $100,000 on Saturday in the program's first leg. After qualifying last weekend's XFinity race in Charlotte, these drivers competed Saturday in the Buckle Up 200 at Dover International Speedway for one of four $100,000 payouts throughout the season.
Smith's $100,000 check didn't come easy. He never led the race but was able to stay on the lead lap as green-flag pit stops occurred with fewer than 20 laps to go. He finished third.
"That certainly takes the sting away from finishing third, Smith told Fox after the race. "We were not very good yesterday (in practice). We will take some of Xfinity's money as a consolation prize, but I just want to win so bad."
Here's how the Dash 4 Cash works:
— Smith is qualified for the next event at Indianapolis. The remaining three highest-finishing, points-eligible drivers at Dover — race winner Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott and Brendan Gaughan — are qualified for the Indianapolis race for another chance at $100,000.
— Those rules will apply for the remaining three events — Indianapolis (July 25), Bristol (Aug. 21) and Darlington (Sept. 5). If one driver wins the first three "Dash 4 Cash" awards and then wins the Darlington race outright, Xfinity will award the driver an additional $600,000 bonus, bringing the total payout to $1 million.