NASCAR In-Season Challenge Field Set for Exciting Nashville Race

RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski secured the final spot for NASCAR’s first in-season challenge by finishing 23rd in the Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway. He narrowly edged out Shane van Gisbergen of Trackhouse Racing by 21 points and will compete for a $1 million prize in this new knockout-style bracket.

Only the top 32 drivers in the Cup Series standings after 14 races qualified for the competition, making every point crucial. Notable drivers like Riley Herbst from 23XI Racing, Cole Custer of the Haas Factory Team, and Cody Ware for Rick Ware Racing did not make the cut after the Nashville event.

Drivers will be ranked for the challenge based on their highest finishes in three upcoming races: Michigan International Speedway on June 8, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on June 15, and Pocono Raceway on June 22. If ties occur, the second-best finish and overall points position will serve as tiebreakers.

These seeding races will be broadcast on Prime Video, attracting greater attention as the stakes rise. The official competition kicks off at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28 with racers matched according to their seeding.

In each round, the driver with the better finish advances to the next stage. After five head-to-head battles, the final driver remaining at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27 will win the $1 million prize.

All challenge races are scheduled to air on TNT Sports and HBO Max, with alternate views on truTV, providing multiple options for fans to follow the action. The field features top Cup Series talent including William Byron, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Chase Elliott.

Other prominent competitors include Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, Ross Chastain, Bubba Wallace, Chase Briscoe, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, and Chris Buescher. Each driver’s seeding depends on their performances in the critical qualifying races, meaning every lap and finish could shake up the bracket.

The knockout format will challenge drivers’ consistency and strategy, offering a fresh mid-season competition for fans. This marks a significant change in the Cup Series with bracket matchups and an eye-catching prize enhancing the excitement.

With a full lineup of star drivers and national broadcasts, NASCAR aims to increase competition intensity well before the playoffs. Once the field is confirmed after post-race inspections at Nashville, focus will shift to upcoming events as drivers vie for the best possible seeding.

The new format sets the stage for a packed summer schedule culminating in the July finale at Indianapolis, where only one driver will claim the million-dollar reward. For fans familiar with high-stakes racing settings, the anticipation recalls other major motorsports contests such as Monaco GP scenarios.