NASCAR’s innovative In-Season Challenge has added an exciting new layer of competition to the 2025 Cup Series season. Unlike traditional points races, the Challenge features a bracket-style tournament where 32 drivers will face off in head-to-head matchups to win a substantial cash prize and bragging rights. But before the drama begins, the seeding process is crucial—and it all hinges on three key races: Michigan International Speedway, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, and Pocono Raceway. With the first seeding race in the books, fans are already getting a glimpse of who’s poised to make waves in this mid-season showdown.
How Seeding is Determined for the In-Season Challenge
Seeding for the Challenge depends primarily on each driver’s best finish across the three designated races. After Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono, the driver with the highest finish among those events earns the top seed. If two or more drivers tie on their best finish, NASCAR breaks the tie by looking at the second-best finish in those races, then the third-best. If a tie persists, the overall season points standings after the Pocono race decide the higher seed. This system rewards consistency and peak performances, emphasizing the importance of every lap across these three contests.
Michigan Race Sets the Stage: Denny Hamlin Leads the Pack
The opening seeding race at Michigan delivered a thrilling finish that set the tone for the Challenge. Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing executed a masterful fuel strategy to take the win — his third victory of the season. Passing William Byron with just over three laps remaining, Hamlin’s savvy save of fuel and late-race speed earned him the top seed for the In-Season Challenge.
Byron, who had been running near the front, suffered a late setback when he had to pit for fuel just before the white flag, dropping him down the order. Hamlin’s win was a decisive statement and put him in prime position as the series moves on to the road course test in Mexico City, where Hamlin has previous success dating back to a 2006 Xfinity Series victory.
Top Contenders to Watch After Race One
While Hamlin grabbed the headlines, several other drivers made strong cases for top seeding. RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs, and 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace all finished near the front and demonstrated the kind of consistency that could carry them through the Challenge’s early rounds.
Buescher’s strong showing wasn’t surprising—he is arguably the best active driver on road courses since the Next Gen car’s debut, boasting an average finish of 7.938 on those tracks. That expertise could prove invaluable at Mexico City, the second seeding race. Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs showed solid pace, topping practice averages and finishing third, while Wallace’s fourth-place result continued his recent trend of strong superspeedway performances.
These drivers will be ones to watch as the Challenge seeding solidifies over the next two races.
Key Matchups and Rivalries to Watch in the Challenge
If the In-Season Challenge started today, some compelling first-round matchups are already taking shape. One of the most anticipated would be Bubba Wallace going head-to-head with longtime friend and formidable rival Ryan Blaney at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway). Both excel at superspeedways, making this a battle likely to deliver fireworks.
Other notable matchups include Chris Buescher facing John Hunter Nemechek, and Ty Gibbs set to race Todd Gilliland in the first round. These pairings highlight the diversity of talent and styles NASCAR’s new format brings to the forefront, turning every race into a must-watch duel.
Who’s Gaining Momentum and Who’s Falling Behind?
Momentum is a key factor heading into the In-Season Challenge, and RFK Racing is clearly on the upswing. All three of their cars—Buescher, Ryan Preece, and Brad Keselowski—finished in the top 10 at Michigan. Preece is particularly hot, with three top-10 finishes in his last four races, and Keselowski is showing signs of resurgence after a slow start, notching two top-10s in his last three events.
Conversely, some drivers are struggling to keep pace. Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, who started the season strong, has hit a rough patch. After a Stage 2 crash at Michigan that ended his day early and resulted in a 36th-place finish, Bowman has recorded five finishes of 35th or worse since his early-season surge. If the Challenge began today, he’d face the formidable Hamlin in the first round—a tough road ahead.
News in Brief: NASCAR Seeding Battles Heat Up After Michigan Opener
With the first seeding race complete, NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge is shaping up to be a highlight of the 2025 Cup Series season. Denny Hamlin’s early dominance sets the bar high, but strong performances from Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Bubba Wallace, and others signal an exciting, unpredictable tournament ahead. As the series moves to Mexico City and then Pocono for the final seeding races, every finish counts.
Fans should mark their calendars for the Challenge opener on June 28 at EchoPark Speedway, where head-to-head battles will bring new excitement to the NASCAR landscape. Stay tuned for more updates as the seeding races unfold and the bracket takes shape, promising thrilling action on the road to crowning the In-Season Challenge champion.
ALSO READ: The Weather Puzzle That Could Shake Up NASCAR’s Michigan Race
