NASCAR deemed the inaugural In-Season Challenge a success. Now, it’s back for Year 2.
The first iteration of the event brought a few shockers, including No. 32 Ty Dillon over top-seeded Denny Hamlin in the first round. (Yes, those two are paired up for a rematch in the opening race of the 2026 bracket.) Dillon then stormed all the way to the finals where he fell to sixth-seeded Ty Gibbs.
What will the second version produce?
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It begins June 28 with the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway and culminates in the championship, the Brickyard 400, on July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. All five of the tournament’s races will air on TNT.
Here’s everything you need to know.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge format
The event remains the same as last year.
The top 32 drivers in the point standings, as of June 15, will battle it out in a single-elimination bracket.
No. 1 (Tyler Reddick) will square off with No. 32 (Alex Bowman), No. 2 (Hamlin) will face No. 31 (Dillon) and so on in the opening round at Sonoma. The driver with the better finish in each pairing will advance to the Round of 16.
How long is the In-Season Challenge? Which tracks will host the races?
The in-season tournament will span five weeks, June 28 to July 26. Those five races will take place at Sonoma, Chicagoland, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro and Indianapolis.
NASCAR In-Season Challenge payout
The winner receives a big, fat check for $1 million and a trophy.
NASCAR tournament seeds, first-round matchups
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: What is the NASCAR In-Season Challenge? Format, bracket, schedule
Reporting by Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Vinel, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
