It’s commonplace these days for major animated blockbusters to be preceded by a branded app. DreamWorks Animation is putting a spin on things with its Turbo Racing League app that is currently offering up to US$1 million in shell-out cash prizes.

The free app is based on DreamWorks’ upcoming racing-themed animated film Turbo, which hits theaters July 17 and is distributed by Twentieth Century Fox.

The “$1,000,000 Shell-Out Contest” is presented by mobile giant Verizon and encourages players in the US to show off their racing skills on specific contest tracks during an eight-week qualifying period of weekly races, which start today and run through July 7. Each week, the 10-fastest racers will win cash prizes up to US$25,000. Each of the eight weekly first-place winners will be invited to final race event in L.A. on July 17 to compete for a grand prize of $250,000.

And while the game is available on all US mobile carriers, users who play on a Verizon device will also be privy to exclusive film content, as well as game customization options.

Turbo Racing League was developed by DreamWorks and published by PikPok (Super Monsters Ate My Condo) and is available on the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android handsets and tablets, and Windows Phone 8.

This app isn’t Turbo‘s only digital offspring. The 3D film has already inspired an original Netflix series called Turbo F.A.S.T. that’s set to debut on the streaming service in December.