Discover How NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge Unfolds in 2025

NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge for 2025 adds a fresh twist to the summer racing calendar. Starting June 28, Atlanta Motor Speedway will host the first race in this unique single-elimination tournament.

Thirty-two drivers will enter the challenge, each competing head-to-head across five races that are broadcast on TNT Sports. The goal for every driver is clear: finish ahead of their opponent in each race bracket and keep moving forward until only one remains.

To qualify for the In-Season Challenge, drivers must be among the top 32 in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings after the race at Nashville, which takes place on June 1 at 7 p.m. ET. The field is then set based on the three seeding races occurring earlier in June.

These seeding races will be held at Michigan International Speedway on June 8, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City on June 15, and Pocono Raceway on June 22. The drivers are seeded according to their best results in these races.

If any drivers achieve identical finishing positions in the seeding rounds, the next-best finish is used to break the tie. If still tied, the points standings after Pocono decide the order.

The tournament layout moves through five different tracks. Atlanta hosts the opening round with all 32 drivers.

The Chicago Street Course is home to the round of 16 on July 6. Eight drivers advance to Sonoma Raceway for a showdown on July 13.

Four will race on at Dover Motor Speedway on July 20. The final two face off at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.

At every stage, the format is the same: in each pairing, whoever finishes ahead advances to the next stage, making every position on the track count.

Drivers competing in the In-Season Challenge have more than just bragging rights on the line. The winner claims a $1 million prize, a reward that adds extra stakes to every lap and decision.

With so much at stake, teams will be pushing their strategies and skill as far as they can during these summer events.

All Challenge races air live on TNT, with an alternate broadcast available on truTV that highlights the tournament pairings as they unfold. These broadcasts offer fans a closer look at every battle in the bracket, letting them follow the drama as the field narrows race by race.

As the season heats up and the In-Season Challenge begins, fans will be watching closely as the top drivers go all out for a shot at the grand prize. Each race promises high stakes, tight matchups, and plenty of excitement leading into the late summer NASCAR schedule, much like the evolving strategies seen in the latest rule changes impacting race dynamics.