RALEIGH, NC – A Raleigh woman is one step closer to a potential $1 million payday after being selected as one of 16 finalists in the NASCAR Powerball Playoff™ promotion.

Patricia Hockaday was announced as a finalist during Saturday night’s broadcast of the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on NBC. Her selection came after entering her Powerball ticket into the promotion’s second-chance drawing in May.

“I’m very excited,” Hockaday said. “I’m carrying the whole state on my back.”

The NASCAR Powerball Playoff™ follows a format similar to the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, featuring multiple elimination rounds that will narrow the field from 16 finalists to four. The remaining contestants will each receive a VIP trip for two to NASCAR Championship Weekend™ in Phoenix from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, along with entry into the final drawing for the $1 million grand prize.

Each of the four finalists will have a one-in-four chance of claiming the top prize, which will be announced live during NBC’s pre-race coverage of the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race™ on Sunday, Nov. 2.

“I’m going to go all the way and win it all,” Hockaday said confidently.

The grandmother already has plans for potential winnings, saying she would put the money toward her retirement and spend more time with her grandchildren.

The elimination process begins Sept. 13 during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where four players will be eliminated from the competition. Those eliminated contestants will each receive $2,500 as consolation prizes.

Powerball tickets can be purchased at any North Carolina lottery retail location, through the lottery’s website at www.nclottery.com, or via the NC Lottery Official Mobile App. The odds of winning the standard Powerball jackpot are approximately 1 in 292 million.

Information about how lottery funds benefit all 100 North Carolina counties is available in the “Impact” section of the state lottery’s website.