The stage is officially set. After three action-packed weekends at Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono, NASCAR’s highly anticipated In-Season Challenge is ready to launch, with the 32-driver bracket finalized. What began as a midseason experimental twist in 2024 has grown into a full-fledged tournament-within-the-season, adding drama, stakes, and a fresh head-to-head format that fans and drivers alike now circle on the calendar.
The new EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway) will host the tournament’s opening round under the lights on Saturday, June 28. Seeding is determined by each driver’s best finish across the three qualifying events — with ties broken by second- and third-best results, then total season points if needed.
Key Highlights
Denny Hamlin lands the No. 1 seed with finishes of 1st (Michigan) and 2nd (Pocono).
Chase Briscoe jumps 10 spots to the No. 2 seed after winning at Pocono.
Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski headlines the Round 1 matchups in a can’t-miss clash.
William Byron slides to No. 18 after two tough weeks, facing Ryan Preece.
Blaney surges to No. 7 seed after podium finish at Pocono.
Chase Briscoe’s Pocono Masterclass Shakes Up the Bracket
The fuel-mileage chess match at Pocono was already must-watch, but the ripple effects reached far beyond the checkered flag. With Chase Briscoe’s win — his first with Joe Gibbs Racing — he vaulted from the No. 12 spot all the way up to the No. 2 seed in the In-Season Challenge bracket.
Briscoe’s late-race gamble paid off as he held off teammate Denny Hamlin in the final laps, despite leaving pit road early and possibly short on fuel. That performance not only solidified his playoff spot but dramatically altered the Challenge bracket. Briscoe will now square off against No. 31 seed Noah Gragson — a significant swing in matchup difficulty compared to where he would have landed.
Denny Hamlin, meanwhile, kept his No. 1 seed intact with strong showings at both Michigan and Pocono. He’ll open the Challenge with a duel against No. 32 seed Ty Dillon — a favorable matchup on paper, but the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing leaves no room for overconfidence.
Inside the Top Four: Strategy, Speed & Seeding Drama
The top four seeds — Hamlin, Briscoe, Chris Buescher, and Christopher Bell — have all shown moments of brilliance this season, but it’s consistency in the last three races that’s earned them elite positions in the bracket.
Chris Buescher’s run has been perhaps the most quietly effective. With finishes of second (Michigan), fourth (Pocono), and tenth (Mexico City), he’s locked into the No. 3 seed and will face off against Todd Gilliland, the No. 30 seed. Buescher, who’s known for methodical superspeedway prowess, might be the dark horse to go deep.
Christopher Bell rounds out the top four but is coming in a little cold. His recent performances — 16th at Michigan and 17th at Pocono — haven’t matched his earlier-season dominance. He’ll face Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who’s always a wild card at tracks like EchoPark.
Marquee Matchup: Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski, Round 1 Fireworks
Some matchups jump off the page — and this one practically explodes off it: Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski.
It’s a battle between champions, rivals, and old-school competitors with something to prove. Keselowski’s seven career superspeedway wins and savvy drafting strategy may give him the edge, but Busch’s aggression and knack for drama (remember his photo-finish loss to Suárez in 2023?) could flip the outcome.
This showdown will be one of the most anticipated first-round matchups, and the winner likely gets a crack at top-seeded Hamlin in Round 2. That path only adds more urgency — and drama — to what’s already a must-see battle.
Up and Down the Grid: Who’s Surging and Who’s Slipping?
Ryan Blaney
Pocono runner-up Ryan Blaney made the biggest upward move entering the bracket. His third-place finish bumped him up from 23rd to 7th in the seeding — a massive improvement. The Team Penske driver, with four career superspeedway wins under his belt, faces Carson Hocevar in Round 1, which will be no cakewalk. But on a track where chaos reigns, Blaney’s experience should carry weight.
William Byron
It’s not often that the Cup Series points leader is in the bottom half of a midseason bracket. But Byron’s struggles at Michigan (28th) and Pocono (27th) torpedoed his Challenge position. Despite a ninth-place run in Mexico, Byron ends up as the No. 18 seed and will go up against Ryan Preece in a toss-up Round 1 match. The good news? If he advances, his experience and top-tier equipment make him a threat from any spot on the board.
Other notable seeds:
Kyle Larson (No. 10): Faces Michael McDowell, a quietly strong superspeedway racer.
Bubba Wallace (No. 9): Gets Bowman in a Hendrick vs. 23XI battle.
Tyler Reddick (No. 23): Slid down after a 32nd at Pocono, now faces Allmendinger in a tricky matchup.
News in Brief: 2025 NASCAR In-Season Challenge Before EchoPark
The 2025 In-Season Challenge bracket is locked, the matchups are spicy, and the stakes have never been higher for a midseason showdown. With points, pride, and momentum on the line, drivers now head to the revamped EchoPark Speedway knowing that a single race can make or break their run.
Expect drama. Expect heartbreak. Expect upsets. And above all — expect entertainment. NASCAR’s boldest format twist returns with even more intrigue, more rivalries, and more reason to watch than ever before.
ALSO READ: David Starr’s 2025 Cup Return Is a Blue-Collar Throwback NASCAR Still Needs
Our Reader’s Queries
Q: What is the in-season challenge in NASCAR?
A: The NASCAR in-season challenge is a special, single-elimination tournament for Cup Series drivers, held across five races in 2025. Drivers compete head-to-head, with the winner advancing and the loser eliminated, all for a $1 million prize.
Q: What are the changes for NASCAR in 2025?
One of the key changes to this year’s schedule is the return of the traditional Easter break. After three years of racing on Easter Sunday, NASCAR will not hold a race that weekend in 2025, making it the only off weekend of the season.
