NASCAR’s always been about firing up its fans, pulling them closer to the action with ideas that make every race feel personal. One of the sport’s slickest moves came in 2004 with the NASCAR All-Star Race Fan Vote, a game-changer that lets fans pick one driver to snag a coveted spot in the high-octane All-Star Race, a showcase for recent winners, past champs, and former All-Star victors.

Fans can cast up to five votes a day on NASCAR.com or the mobile app, with the top vote-getter not already qualified joining two drivers from the All-Star Open. Legends like Ken Schrader in 2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2011, and Chase Elliott from 2016 to 2018 rode fan love into the spotlight. The wildest moment? Kasey Kahne in 2008, who turned his fan-vote win into an All-Star Race victory, being the only time that’s ever happened.

In 2025, Noah Gragson nabbed his third straight fan-vote win, proving fans can still tilt the scales for their favorites. This fan-vote tradition isn’t just a popularity contest; it’s a bridge between the grandstands and the grid, giving fans real skin in the game. Now, with the In-season challenge in full gear and the brackets locked, NASCAR is hoping to create more excitement for fans, and this time around, not just drivers, but also those engaging can win big.

In-Season challenge bracket: A shot at a million bucks

Got March Madness withdrawal? Or maybe that college basketball bracket went bust, and a redo sounds sweet. Either way, NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge Bracket Game is here to scratch that itch, with a cool $1 million on the line for a perfect bracket. All it takes is a free NASCAR.com account, signing up for the In-Season Challenge Bracket Game, and locking in picks by 6:55 p.m. ET on June 28, before the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway kicks off TNT Sports’ NASCAR return.

This five-race tournament, running from June 28 to July 27, 2025, pits 32 top Cup Series drivers in head-to-head matchups, whittling the field from 32 to 16 to 8 to 4, until two slug it out for a $1 million bonus at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. The tracks include EchoPark Speedway, Chicago Street Course, Sonoma Raceway, Dover Motor Speedway, and Indy—set the stage for high-stakes racing that still counts toward regular championship points.

The In-Season Challenge itself is NASCAR’s bold new mid-season twist, launched with DraftKings Sportsbook as the presenting sponsor. Drivers’ best finishes set the field in three seeding races: Michigan’s FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 8, Mexico City’s Viva México 250 on June 15, and Pocono’s Great American Getaway 400 on June 22.

Once seeded, drivers face off in elimination rounds, with the better finisher in each pairing advancing. Fox Sports dubbed it “NASCAR’s March Madness,” and heavyweights like Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Ryan Blaney are hyped, calling it a fresh storyline that spices up the season with bracket drama and a massive payday.

For fans, the bracket game’s a no-brainer: one entry gets a shot at the million for a perfect bracket and eligibility for fantasy game prizes. Points stack up with 10 for each correct Round 1 pick, 20 for Round 2, 40 for Round 3, 80 for Round 4, and 160 for the final round, with the top three fantasy scorers snagging cash prizes up to $10,000.

This setup’s a win-win: drivers chase a $1 million bonus without ditching their championship grind, while fans get a high-stakes game that’s equal parts strategy and gut calls. It’s NASCAR leaning hard into fan engagement, blending the thrill of elimination brackets with the roar of the track.

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Matchups that’ll light up the In-Season tournament

The In-Season Challenge’s head-to-head format is a powder keg, and the first-round matchups are loaded with drama. Take Ryan Preece, the 15-seed, squaring off against William Byron, the 18-seed. Preece, now piloting RFK’s No. 60, punched above his weight with a ninth-place run at Michigan, earning his spot. Byron, a championship favorite with Hendrick Motorsports, landed at 18 despite his pedigree. This clash is electric: Byron’s proven he can dominate, but Preece, the hungry underdog, smells a chance to steal the show in this one-and-done format.

Then there’s Bubba Wallace, the 9-seed, versus Daniel Suárez, the 24-seed. Wallace’s strong seeding-race showings put him high on the board, while Suárez, a steady mid-pack runner, fights from a lower rung. This matchup’s got extra juice: both drivers are fan favorites, and they are also fighting hard for that playoff berth. Will Wallace’s momentum steamroll Suárez, or can the Trackhouse driver pull off a stunner?

Kyle Larson, the 9-seed, takes on Tyler Reddick, the 21-seed, in another banger. Larson’s consistency, including a top-5 at Michigan, locked in his high seed, while Reddick’s slightly shakier seeding races left him at 21. This one’s a classic: Larson, a former champ, against Reddick, a rising star with serious chops.

These matchups shine because they pit mid-pack hustlers like Preece and Suárez against heavyweights like Byron and Larson, giving underdogs a stage to make noise. For newcomers like Preece, it’s a shot to break out, while the favorites face the heat of surviving a bracket where one bad race ends the dream. Many of these drivers might not make it to the playoffs, but they can make it up for it with a million-dollar payday after the end of the Brickyard 400.