The Brickyard 400 delivered drama on every level, historic milestones, crown jewel thrills, and unexpected subplots. While Bubba Wallace rightly claimed victory and made history as the first black driver to win on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval, another storyline unfolded just beneath the surface. One that NASCAR had orchestrated to culminate on these hallowed grounds.

In the emotional Ty vs. Ty finale of NASCAR’s inaugural In-Season Challenge, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs beat Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon to claim the $1 million prize. The Brickyard 400 may have seen rain momentarily, but it was Gibbs who seemed to be the weather god, raining cash on fans while soaking in the glory of that side triumph.

Million-dollar man Ty Gibbs

The NASCAR In-Season Challenge, introduced as part of the 2025 season, was a bold new bracket-style competition featuring 32 drivers and culminating in a $1 million bonus at the Brickyard 400. Inspired by the NBA cup format and championed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin, the tournament was designed to inject excitement into the usual quieter summer stretch. Drivers were seeded based on results in three seeding races, with matchups decided by who finished higher each race, shrinking the field over five events until the final two faced off at Indianapolis.

Across the elimination bracket, Ty Dillon captured hearts with a Cinderella run: as the lowest No. 32 seed, he knocked off top-seeded Denny Hamlin in Atlanta, Brad Keselowski in Chicago, Alex Bowman in Sonoma, and John Hunter Nemechek in Dover to reach the final, adorned with David versus Goliath drama and memorable clips along the way. But all of that was undone when Ty Gibbs, seeded 6th, maintained steady finishes throughout and ultimately bested Dillon to take home the million-dollar prize and the tournament crown.

And Gibbs didn’t shy away from his celebration style. He made it memorable by firing a money gun full of fake dollar bills towards fans waiting below the media center. After the gun malfunctioned, he switched to throwing the cash by hand into the crowd. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s day wasn’t perfect; he finished 21st overall, but it was enough to outpace Dillon’s 28th-place finish and secure the In-Season Challenge title.

Gibbs began the race in fifth position, while Kaulig Racing‘s Ty Dillon was mired deep in the field after sustaining nose damage in a stage two restart stack-up that left him three laps down. When rain halted the event with four laps to go, Gibbs was able to keep his car running in 19th, whereas Dillon had no chance at recovery. In the end, Gibbs claimed the trophy and a cheering crowd, while Dillon’s Cinderella story met its finish line.

Speaking post-race, Gibbs went on to say, “It’s great. Want to first say, all glory to God. And, $1 million is a lot of money, so I’m going to donate $10,000 to whichever charity Ty Dillon wants to give to. It’s his choice. But we had a fast SAIA Toyota Camry. Didn’t end up where we wanted to in the end. We just lost track position and was out of the way to win the race.” 

Ty Gibbs faltered a little in the first half of the race; by stage 1, the 22-year-old driver had dropped down to 14th place, and by stage 2, he was running in 18th place, a stark difference from his fifth-place qualifying results. Gibbs sits 16th in the standings and is still looking for his breakthrough win to secure his place in the playoffs. And this In-Season Challenge seemed to help boost his confidence, as he notched up three consecutive top-10 finishes in the rounds leading up to Indy.

Ty Gibbs may not have gotten the win that he wanted at Indy, but it is safe to say that he will walk away with the one million dollars happily. But for Ty Dillon, it’s a different type of heartbreak altogether.

Ty Dillon is hopeless about the In-Season loss

Ty Dillon captured the hearts of NASCAR fans during the In-Season Challenge, transforming from underdog to breakout star over the previous five races. At Indianapolis Motor Speedway, fans hoped for one final miracle, but instead the streak ended when he was one of the several drivers caught in a restart on the track on lap 56. He sustained heavy nose damage that crippled his car, sending him spiraling to a 28th-place finish, three laps down in the Brickyard climax and bringing his Cinderella story to an abrupt close.

Ty Dillon, reflecting on what could’ve been, said, “Disappointing, obviously, but things like that happen and you can’t predict everything. That’s what has been so cool about this In-Season Challenge for everybody. I just hate that we didn’t get to give them a run for it there. I don’t think they would say as a team that they had the best day either.”

Dillon started the Brickyard 400 from 26th place, hoping to build momentum and gain on the drivers in the field. But after the crash, his car lost power as ducts pinched off, limiting straightaway speed and eliminating any chance of recovering under long straights. Dillon’s strong challenge run offered a lift, but the poor finish left him still circling just inside the cutoff zone for playoff contention. Despite frustration, his string of strong performances leading up to this race remains a highlight of the season and a sign of potential in the Kaulig Racing No. 10.