Last Chance to Secure Final In-Season Challenge Spot in Next 2 Cup Races

Only two races remain before the NASCAR Cup Series finalizes its 32-driver lineup for the inaugural In-Season Challenge, and the fight for the last spot is getting tougher each week. The field will be set after the Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway on June 1.

For several drivers hovering near the cutoff, these next two races will make or break their season as they hunt for a position and a chance at a $1 million prize.

Heading into the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, just four drivers—Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer, and Shane van Gisbergen—are separated by only 13 points. Herbst, driving the No. 35 Toyota for 23XI Racing, is currently in the 32nd position, barely holding off the others.

Keselowski is three points back, while Custer and van Gisbergen are twelve and thirteen points behind, respectively. These small gaps ratchet up the pressure and create a thrilling scenario for the upcoming events.

Charlotte’s race is unique because it features four stages, more than any other race this year, giving these drivers extra opportunities to collect stage points and improve their standing. Despite their determination, none of the four drivers has posted a top-10 finish on a 1.5-mile oval track this season.

Keselowski, who finished 11th at Las Vegas in March, leads the group’s best showing on an intermediate track in 2025. Still, his experience at Charlotte is mixed. The two-time Charlotte winner has also suffered five DNFs this season, the most among Cup drivers, including three in a row. For more details on NASCAR race formats and stage points, visit the official NASCAR rules page.

Custer and Herbst share a similar record with Keselowski. All three have started every race this year without cracking the top 10.

Van Gisbergen, meanwhile, scored one top-10 finish at Circuit of The Americas—a road course that presents different challenges than Charlotte’s high-speed oval. To learn more about the differences between oval and road course racing, check out this explainer from the FIA.

This lack of recent strong finishes leaves the door wide open, with none of the four drivers emerging as a clear favorite to lock in the final spot.

The In-Season Challenge starts June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Over five races—spanning Atlanta, the Chicago Street Course, Sonoma Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis—drivers will square off in a bracket format.

The field will shrink each round, from 32 to 16, then to 8, and down to 4, before the final two drivers battle at Indianapolis for the title and the $1 million award. For historical context on NASCAR’s playoff formats, see this Sports Illustrated retrospective.

Seeding for the challenge will be determined by each driver’s best finish in the three Prime Video-races leading up to the event—Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono. Ties are broken by second-best finish and then season points.

Each round matches drivers head-to-head, with the higher finisher advancing. By the final race, only two drivers remain in the chase for the grand prize.

With so much at stake and such thin margins separating the contenders, every lap in the next two races at Charlotte and Nashville matters more than ever. The next two weekends will reveal who among Herbst, Keselowski, Custer, and van Gisbergen will earn the last ticket into the In-Season Challenge and keep their championship hopes alive. For more insight into recent high-stakes NASCAR events, see the coverage of the 2025 All-Star Race.

Additionally, Keselowski’s aggressive driving style has been a topic of discussion recently, especially after his performance at North Wilkesboro, reflecting his season’s volatility. More on this can be found in the piece about Bell’s North Wilkesboro revival.

John Martinez

John Martinez delivers real-time NASCAR Cup Series and Truck Series news, from live race updates to pit-lane strategy analysis. A graduate of the University of Northwestern Ohio’s Motorsports Technology program, he breaks down rule changes, driver tactics, and championship points with crystal-clear reporting.