NASCAR’s inaugural season-long tournament kicks off this Saturday night in Atlanta with the Quaker State 400, marking the start of five key races that make up the direct competition. The tournament, called the “In the Season Challenge,” offers a $1 million prize to the champion—matching the payout of the All-Star race—and was introduced last year after Denny Hamlin proposed the concept on his podcast.
Coincidentally, Hamlin is the top seed in this tournament and will face Ty Dillon in the first round. The event features 32 drivers paired by seedings for the Saturday race, with the winner of each matchup advancing. For instance, Hamlin, currently fifth in points, goes up against Dillon, who is 25 years old, with Hamlin expected to move forward.
Out of 36 full-time Cup Series drivers, the 32 participants were selected based on standings after the Nashville race. Seedings for the last three races were determined by average finishes, with Hamlin earning the top seed due to his strong performances in Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono. However, Hamlin missed the Mexico City race for the birth of his son and only competed in two of the three races, yet the seeding process was not affected negatively for him, as his ranking was based on his win in Michigan and second place at Pocono.
The tournament progresses with the second round taking place on July 6th at the Chicago street race, followed by quarterfinals in Sonoma. The final stages will be contested in Dover and Indianapolis, with the champion crowned at the Brickyard. All five tournament races will be broadcast on TNT, marking the network’s return to NASCAR coverage before NBC assumes broadcasting duties for the remainder of the season.
Here are the first-round matchups happening in Atlanta:
1. No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
2. No. 2 Chase Briscoe vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
3. No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 30 Todd Gilliland
4. No. 4 Christopher Bell vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
5. No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 28 Austin Dillon
6. No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 27 Justin Haley
7. No. 7 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
8. No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 25 Joey Logano
9. No. 9 Bubba Wallace vs. No. 24 Daniel Suarez
10. No. 10 Kyle Larson vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick
11. No. 11 Michael McDowell vs. No. 22 A.J. Allmendinger
12. No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 21 Josh Berry
13. No. 13 Ross Chastain vs. No. 20 Erik Jones
14. No. 14 Zane Smith vs. No. 19 Austin Cindric
15. No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 18 William Byron
16. No. 16 Kyle Busch vs. No. 17 Brad Keselowski
Fan Take: This new season-long tournament adds fresh excitement for NASCAR fans by introducing a thrilling knockout format that rewards consistency and head-to-head competition throughout the season. It could reshape how fans engage with the sport, spotlighting every race as crucial and potentially boosting overall interest and viewership.
