As the NASCAR Cup Series season enters its summer stretch and the heat picks up, drivers and teams will face a new challenge from years past with the debut of the In-Season Challenge.
Although the tournament does not officially begin until June 28 at the newly rebranded EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), the seeding for the participating drivers will take place over the next three weeks, giving fans plenty to keep track of during the second half of the regular season.
With so much to unpack, here is everything NASCAR fans need to know about NASCAR's new In-Season Challenge, from what it is and where you can watch it to how the seeding works and the drivers that made it and were left out entirely.
What is the NASCAR In-Season Challenge?
The NASCAR In-Season Challenge is comprised of the top 32 drivers in points. Each driver will be pitted in a head-to-head matchup with the best finishing driver advancing to the next round in the elimination style format.
The challenge will take place over the course of TNT's five-race stretch, with the participating drivers cut in half following each race. The tournament will conclude at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27 with the highest finisher of the remaining two drivers taking home the $1 million prize.
Full list of In-Season Challenge drivers
The top 32 drivers in points qualified for the In-Season Challenge, with Brad Keselowski claiming the final spot Sunday night at Nashville.
Driver | Team |
|---|---|
William Byron | No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
Kyle Larson | No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
Christopher Bell | No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
Denny Hamlin | No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
Chase Elliott | No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
Tyler Reddick | No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota |
Ryan Blaney | No. 12 Team Penske Ford |
Joey Logano | No. 22 Team Penske Ford |
Ross Chastain | No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
Bubba Wallace | No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota |
Chase Briscoe | No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
Alex Bowman | No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet |
Austin Cindric | No. 2 Team Penske Ford |
Chris Buescher | No. 17 RFK Racing Ford |
Kyle Busch | No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
Ryan Preece | No. 60 RFK Racing Ford |
Carson Hocevar | No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevrolet |
AJ Allmendinger | No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
Josh Berry | No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford |
Michael McDowell | No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
John Hunter Nemechek | No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
Todd Gilliland | No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
Erik Jones | No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota |
Zane Smith | No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
Austin Dillon | No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet |
Ty Gibbs | No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota |
Daniel Suarez | No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet |
Justin Haley | No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet |
Ty Dillon | No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet |
Noah Gragson | No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford |
Brad Keselowski | No. 6 RFK Racing Ford |
How NASCAR's In-Season Challenge seeding works
Drivers will be seeded for the In-Season Challenge beginning this Sunday at Michigan International Speedway and continuing through the following two races at Mexico's Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (June 15) and Pocono Raceway (June 22).
The best finish in those three races will determine where drivers are seeded. Should multiple drivers record the same finishing positions, the tiebreaker would go to the next-best finish. If drivers finish in the same positions across all three races, the final tiebreaker would go to the driver's position in the standings after the Pocono race.
How to watch the NASCAR In-Season Challenge
While the next three races on Prime Video will determine the seeding for the In-Season Challenge, the tournament itself will be on TNT. Races will be held at EchoPark Speedway (June 28), Chicago (July 6), Sonoma (July 13), Dover (July 20) and Indianapolis (July 27).
An alternate broadcast on TruTV will break down each bracket matchup as the racing takes place. The tournament will consist of 32 drivers at EchoPark Speedway, followed by 16 for the Chicago Street Race, eight at Sonoma, four at Dover and the final two at Indianapolis.
Which drivers missed the cut?
With 32 drivers qualifying for the In-Season Challenge, that leaves four full-time drivers out of the elimination-style tournament. Those four drivers are Trackhouse Racing's Shane van Gisbergen (33rd), Haas Factory Team's Cole Custer (34th), 23XI Racing's Riley Herbst (35th) and Rick Ware Racing's Cody Ware (36th). Van Gisbergen, Custer and Herbst each missed the In-Season Challenge by 21 points.