NASCAR XFINITY Series will have heat races at Bristol, and here's how they'll work

While the Food City 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the big attraction this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, there will be a new twist for Saturday's Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 XFINITY Series event.

And that twist is heat races: There will be a pair of 50-lap heat races Saturday in advance of the 200-lap main event. 

This will be first XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash race this year, joining Richmond International Raceway (April 23), Dover International Speedway (May 14) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 23).

Qualifying for each Dash 4 Cash event will set the 40-car field and the starting positions for each of the two 50-lap heat races, with the fastest qualifier awarded the Coors Light Pole Award. 

Odd-numbered qualifiers (first, third, fifth, etc.) will start in the first heat in respective order, with even-numbered qualifiers (second, fourth, sixth, etc.) in the second heat.

The two heats will set the starting positions for the main with the top two NASCAR XFINITY Series regulars in each heat becoming eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. 

The highest finisher in the main among the four Dash 4 Cash-eligible competitors will be awarded a $100,000 bonus. A driver who wins multiple Dash 4 Cash bonuses will earn a spot in the XFINITY Chase, provided he/she remains eligible per the NASCAR rule book. 

Drivers must have declared to earn XFINITY points in order to be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus.

"I think this is a good place for it," said Kyle Busch. "Obviously, racing Late Models over the years and being at short tracks I'm used to the heat races and things, but I think the format is just a little different from what I'm accustomed to with the races and what they mean at the other race tracks or those other series.

"We'll see what it has to offer the fans and kind of break of it up maybe and give a chance to see what heat races are all about in NASCAR again."