With more than 1,500 entries, the Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout requires an effective agenda to whittle down gigantic numbers like 400 cars in one class to only 24 feature starters.

How do they do that? Passing points is the name of the game.

The four-day chase for a Golden Driller began Wednesday with 118 Heat Races and continues Thursday with another 34 Heat Races, 16 E-Mains, 20 D-Mains, and 24 C-Mains, all broadcasted live and exclusively on FloRacing.

It all started with pill draw. The four major divisions range from 26 to 42 Heat Races, thus creating massive divides in the passing point charts. Some will win from the pole, others will charge from 8th, and generally every situation occurs at least once.

The easiest description of the passing points chart (below) can be broken down by finishing points AND THEN passing points. By position, drivers earn 100 for 1st – 93 for 2nd – 86 for 3rd – it’s a 7-point drop off per spot. Then, you add in passing points, which is +5 for any position advanced and -1.5 for any position lost.

 The points chart above is used to determine passing points at the Lucas Oil Tulsa Shootout. 

Following heat races, the top 112 in passing points advance to eight qualifiers (14 cars each) with a four-car inversion in effect. That’s where the bubble gets more intense, with the top 32 point-getters involved in said inversion. Thus, high point man starts fourth in his qualifier with ample opportunity to gain more points. The hardcore cutoff is that line between 32 and 33, which is the difference between starting on the pole and starting fifth.

Those missing the cut for qualifiers are sent to C-Mains, D-Mains, and new this year, as far back as E-Mains to begin their alphabet soup bids.

In qualifiers, which are often some of the most intense races of the week, drivers fight for more passing points. When it’s all said and done, only the TOP 16 in combined points will lock-in for the respective division’s main event. Drivers 17th-112th split into B-Mains, and from there, the Last Chance Qualifier sends the final eight drivers into the big dance.

Once the full 24-car field in each division is set, it’s game on come Saturday night. With the illustrious Golden Driller on the line, you never know what to expect come main event time.

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