There’s a new twist lighting up the NASCAR summer, and it’s got everyone buzzing for good reason! Enter the In-Season Bracket Challenge. A brainchild of Denny Hamlin, which is designed to shake up the midyear grind with a dramatic, win-or-go-home knockout format. But here’s the best part: 16 drivers, and a $1 million payday on the line. Yes, one million dollars!

These sixteen drivers are matched up in March Madness-style brackets. Each round sees the highest finisher advance, regardless of points or overall season standing. And, it’s not just about the big-name teams either. “It’s good for the sport, good for our fans, and it’s a competition,” had said RFK owner Brad Keselowski. However, the unpredictability is wild, and Hamlin’s stamp on the format has made this challenge the talk of the paddock, and for a few contenders, the stakes…well, couldn’t be higher.

Denny Hamlin explains the ‘loophole’

It’s a head-to-head, single-elimination bracket that’s flipped the script on what we expect from race weekends. Suddenly, teams that are usually buried deep in the standings are front and center, chasing a $1 million prize that could seriously change their season. And maybe their future (keeping in view how the sponsorship situation in NASCAR is).

On the surface, drivers like Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs are exactly who you’d expect to see in the semifinals. They’ve got speed, solid teams, and manufacturer support from Toyota. And when they face off this week, “Whoever wins that matchup between Reddick and Gibbs is going to be a heavy favorite at Indy,” said Hamlin. That’s the kind of weight each race carries now. But the real drama is coming from the underdogs.

Ty Dillon and John Hunter Nemechek are the names that usually run somewhere between 20th and 30th on any given Sunday. But, they are somehow still alive in the bracket. Dillon, driving for Kaulig Racing, has only zero top-5s and top-10s all year. His average finish also stands at 23.71. And Nemechek hasn’t exactly been lighting the world on fire in the Legacy Motor Club Chevy either. He has managed just a single top-5 finish. His average finish is slightly better than Dillon’s but still modest at 18.71.

And, Hamlin isn’t sugarcoating it: “They happen to be going up against guys that can’t finish races or not finish them well. It’s the luck of the draw of making sure you get somebody that has bad days,” the JGR veteran said. Well, at Sonoma, Nemechek finished 28th. However, it was enough to advance to the next round as his opponent, Erik Jones, finished just one place behind him. “Did John Hunter win by finishing 27th like yeah, that’s usually not going to be good enough, but it’s, you know, just just happened to be,” Hamlin explained.

Similarly, Ty Dillon managed 17th but advanced as Alex Bowman finished the race in 19th position. Not impressive results, but good enough to get them to the next round of the In-Season Challenge. And, Dillon is all excited.“This in-season tournament, to some, might not mean a lot, but you see what it’s done for our team and myself,” Dillon said. “We’re excited to be a part of it and down to the final four. It’s been just a dream run. It’s hard to even put it together. I’m a little bit shook by how it all shook out, but yeah. We did it.”

And, to make the In Season Challenge even entertaining, John Hunter Nemechek is also prepared. Sharing his plans on X post Sonoma, the No. 42 driver wrote, “Not our best showing but we’ll take a spot in the final 4. On to Dover.”

It means everything to teams like theirs, given the heavy cost of racing in NASCAR. It could fund development, land a sponsor, or simply boost confidence in the garage. So yeah, this bracket isn’t just fun. In fact, it’s reshaping the narrative for small teams and making every race feel like a last-lap dash.

Meanwhile, Toyota is seen as a bracket favorite

As the NASCAR In-Season Bracket Challenge barrels toward its conclusion, Denny Hamlin believes all eyes should be on the upcoming face-off between Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs. The two Toyota drivers (representing 23XI Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, respectively) have emerged as the most formidable contenders left in the million-dollar shootout.

“You got to think, man, whoever wins that matchup between Reddick and Gibbs this weekend is going to be a heavy favorite at Indy,” Hamlin said. Both drivers are coming off strong performances. Gibbs and Reddick finished second and third, respectively, at the Chicago Street Course. They followed it with seventh and sixth positions at Sonoma, demonstrating their knack for showing up when it matters most.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course rewards clean air, track position, and well-balanced cars. Now, these are three boxes that both Gibbs and Reddick regularly check. While luck and survival have helped other drivers advance, Hamlin emphasized that raw pace and execution will be vital at Indy.

Now, that being said, their paths to this round haven’t been flawless (with both suffering erratic finishes in earlier bracket races). But their all-around speed and track record at major events remain unmatched among those still standing. Hamlin, whose Toyota affiliations span both teams, is keeping a close eye on how it unfolds. While underdogs like Ty Dillon and John Hunter Nemechek remain in the fight, Hamlin’s vote of confidence shows where the real power lies.