Florida man one of 16 to compete for $1 million, VIP trip in NASCAR Powerball Playoff

A Florida man is on the way to possibly win a NASCAR contest. Not in a car, though.

Kevin Weber, of Bradenton , was selected to be one of the 16 national semifinalists in the 2024 NASCAR Powerball Playoff . Those 16 Powerball players will go through multiple elimination rounds for their own championship while 16 drivers fight it out for the NASCAR Cup Series title. The last four finalists will get a VIP trip to the NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway and a shot at a $1 million grand prize.

Weber was one of 50 Florida Powerball players randomly selected by the Florida Lottery and submitted to a nationwide pool.

The next elimination round is Sept. 31 at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. If Weber is dropped out he'll get $2,500, if he advances he'll go on to the Oct. 13 elimination round at the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Here's what you need to know.

How does NASCAR Powerball Playoff work?

In 24 states (including Florida), there were in-state contests and second-chance drawings throughout the 2024 NASCAR season. Each state got to decide how to select entries to add to a national pool of semi-finalists; Florida used a second-chance Powerball bonus play to pick 50 people.

Sixteen semi-finalists were drawn from that nationwide pool and announced during the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on Sept. 1. Now they'll go head-to-head in a series of elimination drawings that line up with the elimination rounds of the NASCAR Playoffs.

The four semi-finalists still in the Playoffs after the fourth drawing (the "Championship 4") will win a VIP trip to NASCAR Championship Weekend at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona for the final drawing for $1 million. All 16 semi-finalists will win cash prizes based on when they are eliminated.

What and when are the elimination rounds?

• Drawing 1: Sept. 1, Cook Out Southern 500, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC. 16 semi-finalists advance.
• Drawing 2: Sept. 31, Bass Pro Shops Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway. 12 semi-finalists advance, 4 eliminated win $2,500.
• Drawing 3: Oct. 13, Bank of America ROVAL™ 400, Charlotte Motor Speedway. 8 semi-finalists advance, 4 eliminated win $5,000.
• Drawing 4: Nov. 3, Xfinity 500, Martinsville Speedway. 4 finalists advance and win VIP trip, 4 eliminated win $7,500.
• Drawing 5: Nov. 10, NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race, Phoenix Raceway. One $1 million winner, three $10,000 winners.

Tips for picking numbers: Is there a strategy to winning Powerball and Mega Millions?

What do you get in the VIP NASCAR Championship Weekend?

The four finalists chosen on Nov. 3 at Martinsville will win:

• Roundtrip airfare for two to Phoenix, three nights of hotel accommodations
• Two Ally Curve Hospitality Club passes for both the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race on Nov. 9 and the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Nov. 10
• Two passes for VIP experiences at Phoenix Raceway during the NASCAR Championship Weekend including NASCAR Cup Series VIP access
• A NASCAR team hauler tour
• An MRN radio booth tour, pace car rides
• Victory Lane access
• Official programs, scanner rentals and gift bags
• A welcome dinner
• All meals, and ground transportation to scheduled events and activities

Who are the 16 semi-finalists in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff?

Here are the 50 Floridians chosen to be eligible to become one of the 16 national semi-finalists, in order of drawing. No more than one semi-finalist from any state will be chosen to advance, and no state lottery is guaranteed to have a player in the Playoff.

1. Myisha Clark - Birdsboro, PA
2. Shunda Davis - Magnolia, MS
3. Marilyn Elkie - St. Michael, MN
4. Christopher Goggins - Greenbelt, MD
5. Anthony Lawrence - Magnolia, DE
6. Meagan Lewis - New Orleans, LA
7. Beverly Lipford - Goldsboro, NC
8. Mary Mauro - Denver, CO
9. Edward Oechsli - Louisville, KY
10. Thelma Price - Portland, ME
11. Noriko Puckett - Nashville, TN
12. Fawn Senn - Fox Lake, WI
13. Kathy Sullivan - Albuquerque, NM
14. Tosha Tomlinson - Anderson, IN
15. Kevin Weber - Bradenton, FL
16. Michael Wells - Columbia, SC

When will the $1 million winner be announced?

The $1 million grand prize winner will be announced in a special drawing televised live from the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, Nov. 10, before the start of the race on NBC.

Who won the 2023 NASCAR Powerball Playoff?

Marcelo Jo from Boca Raton made it as far as the Round of 8 before being eliminated, and won $7,500.

Stephanie Walker of West Point, Mississippi won the million-dollar grand prize.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida man one of 16 to compete for $1 million, VIP trip in NASCAR Powerball Playoff