With a $5,000 payoff to Saturday and Sunday champions in Top Eliminator and a free entry incentive for racers in Modified (Footbrake), the 2015 Hoosier Tires Carolina Coalition Series kicks off this week at Rockingham Dragway.

The popular four-race series will make additional stops at Farmington Dragway, April 18-19, Piedmont Dragway, June 20-21, and Galot Motorsports Park (formerly Dunn-Benson), Aug. 29-30.

Each event will consist of two separate races, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  On both days champions will be crowned in Top Eliminator, Modified and Jr. Dragster categories with winners earning $5,000, $1,000 and $200, respectively.

Carolina Coalition points will be awarded for both participation and success. Three points will be awarded each time a racer pulls to the starting line for the first round of a Coalition event.  An additional point will accrue for every round won and, at the end of the series, another three-point bonus will go to those drivers who started all eight races.

In the Jr. Dragster class, younger drivers (11 and under) will compete against one another during the first three rounds.

Defending champions in the Hoosier Carolina Coalition Series are Charlie Doss of Statesville in Top Eliminator, Terry Rucker of Benson in Modified and Ashleigh Stafford of Kernersville in Jr. Dragster.

In addition to Carolina Coalition points, drivers this week also will earn bracket series points that will determine Rockingham Dragway’s representatives in the NHRA’s Summit Series.