The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season allows tail-enders to throw shade at multiple race winners. Thanks to the In-Season Challenge, Ty Dillon, for once, is getting all the attention which he probably wouldn’t have gotten if not for the mid-season chaos. The Big One at Echo Spark Speedway wiped out most of the top contenders, and Dillon knocked out top seed Denny Hamlin. Well, he made a big deal of it after the race.

“All you Denny fans out there: I just knocked your favorite driver out,” Ty Dillon took a jab at Hamlin using his tagline. It was all in good fun and banter with the JGR driver appreciating these antics rather than taking offence. Next up, Dillon was paired against Brad Keselowski for the race in Chicago, and guess what, another big pile-up saw Keselowski bow out of the race and the bracket just three laps into the race. Ty Dillon didn’t turn any heads, but a twentieth-place finish was enough for him to advance to the next round. Like Atlanta, he continued his banter, and the RFK Racing co-owner found himself on the receiving end of the stick.

“I knew in a basketball city, going up against Brad in a game of knockout, I was going to have a good chance,” Dillon said post-race. While this banter is nothing serious or sparking rivalries, not everyone is in favor of Ty Dillon’s trash talk, especially Kevin Harvick. He didn’t mince words in calling out Kaulig Racing driver on his podcast, “I just don’t know how you talk that much trash when you run that bad, though.” Harvick gave Dillon a reality check, reminding him that he should look at the position where he stands before mocking drivers like Hamlin and Keselowski.

Interestingly, on both cases, Ty Dillon had no involvement in knocking out his direct rival from the In-Season challenge. The fans saw how thrilling the battle between Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace was. But, in Dillon’s case, he has been very fortunate that his rivals ended their day with DNF, and this is why Harvick feels the banter makes little sense.

Harvick further explained, “I would just be more humble about it. I mean, if you were up there running first or second, third, fifth, something, and you’re knocking people out of the bracket, but you’re knocking, you’re knocking the guys out that are crashing. Let’s not be cocky about it. It’s OK.”

Who knows where this trash talk by Ty Dillon will end? After clearing two rounds, the Kaulig Racing driver will be competing against Bowman. Let us also take a look at what the rest of the bracket looks like.

The eight remaining drivers in the $1 million bracket challenge

Ty Dillon vs. Alex Bowman is an interesting pairing for the Top 8. The HMS driver is trying his best to qualify for the playoffs, whereas Dillon is hoping to make something out of his season. He is 32nd, and apart from the wildcard Daytona race, he is unlikely to stage a big upset. So, a $1 million payout is the only thing that is driving him.

Next up, we have an interesting pairing of John Hunter Nemchek lined up against his teammate, Erik Jones. Nemechek beat Chase Elliott by one position at Chicago, and while the two drivers aren’t out of the playoff race, this matchup is certainly interesting. Ryan Preece vs. Tyler Reddick is probably the most competitive one from the top 8. Preece is the only RFK Racing driver left in the challenge. But apart from the challenge, he will also be eyeing that 16th-place spot as he is just two points away from the playoff bubble. Reddick, on the other hand, wouldn’t mind entering the finals, as he is good in terms of points.

The final match-up is Ty Gibbs and Zane Smith. Gibbs has been struggling for most of 2025, but has found a new gear in recent weeks. Smith, on the other hand, has flown under the radar in the In-Season challenge and could continue his driver forward. Interestingly, all eight drivers in the bracket are winless so far and still in the race to win that $1 million jackpot.