DIRECTV and NASCAR have teamed up for a new promotion in which Sprint Cup drivers battle head to head for their favorite charity as they compete in a weekly “NCAA Tournament” style bracket that will allow winning drivers to build up cash prizes each week, with a total of $500,000 donated to charity during the course of the program. Meanwhile, fans have a chance to win a new car and the ultimate prize, a check for $1 million dollars to the person who picks a perfect bracket. Fans can get more information now by visiting www.directv.com/nascar and can begin entering their brackets on April 11. The program will also be promoted at NASCAR.com. It will be the first time in the sport's history that drivers will compete in a bracket, head-to-head fashion.

The initial 32 drivers will be comprised of the 12 drivers who participated in the 2009 Sprint Cup Chase and the winners of the first seven races of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series. The 13 remaining bids will be determined by a selection committee to round out the 32-man field.

Head-2-Head Knockout competition in 2010:

  1. Round One on April 18 (Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway)
  2. Round Two on April 25 (Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway)
  3. Round Three on May 1 (Crown Royal Your Name Here 400, Richmond International Raceway)
  4. “The Fastest Four” on May 8 (Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway)

"Given DIRECTV's passion for absolutely anything sports related, we're excited to partner with NASCAR and FOX to showcase some of the intense rivalries that we all know exist within the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” said Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of Advertising and Public Relations for DIRECTV. “It will be exciting to watch the mano-a-mano match-ups unfold, creating a whole new competitive dynamic for our customers to enjoy on four Sundays this spring.”

“DIRECTV's NASCAR Head-2-Head Knockout competition is another example of DIRECTV's commitment to NASCAR and our fans," said Jim O'Connell, NASCAR's Vice President of Corporate Marketing and International Development. "We are thrilled to have DIRECTV as a long-time partner and look forward to our fans following the match ups on the NASCAR HOTPASS broadcast."

NASCAR HOTPASS is DIRECTV's exclusive broadcast that allows you to experience the race from the driver's vantage point. It can therefore be tailored to track your brackets during the four-week competition and will be the best way to follow the competition along.