North Carolina Player Wins 2026 NASCAR Promotion

The national promotion - known this year as NASCAR Powerball - The Chase to $1 Million - has been building towards a climax in recent weeks with a series of prize draws that have taken place alongside major races. Go to the NASCAR Powerball Playoff page to learn more about how it works and how the final few draws have unfolded.

Sunday’s finale coincided with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race, with all four remaining participants in attendance - Whitaker, Jeffely Pargo from Maryland, Rachel Tobaben from Nebraska and Tina Lanning from South Carolina. 

Whitaker was left overcome with emotion when she was randomly drawn as the winner, saying: “I just saw the number two and was like, ‘That’s my number,’ and I started crying. I still have to catch my breath.”

The Greensboro resident said she would use the money to visit her father in Hawaii this winter, while she also wanted to support homeless people in her local community. 

Whitaker’s winnings throughout the promotion amounted to $1,010,000, while the other three finalists received $20,000 each.

All players had initially entered through in-state second chance drawings and promotions, leaving 25 semi-finalists (one from each participating lottery). A number of ‘elimination drawings’ then whittled the field down to four, who were all given a VIP trip to Florida for NASCAR Championship Weekend.

It is the fourth straight year that NASCAR and Powerball have teamed up for a promotion that awards one lucky player $1 million. The 2025 winner was Francisco Erives from Kansas, while previous winners have been from Mississippi and Louisiana.

Powerball.net will provide information about the 2027 promotion if it returns next year. In the meantime, you can enjoy Powerball drawings every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening.