Looks like Denny Hamlin’s brainchild, the In-Season Challenge, is finally paying its dividend for Ty Dillon. Coming into the weekend’s penultimate showdown at Indianapolis, Dillon has captured the NASCAR community’s imagination with his underdog story. With a cool $1 million on the line, he has shown resilience, great and genuine love for racing, qualities that make his match-up against Joe Gibbs’ grandson more than just a money race. Dillon is now weighing on himself, and he is ready to take down the favorite.

Ty Dillon’s 2025 season started quietly. Driving the No. 10 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing, he struggled to consistently break into the top 20. Earlier this year, he ranked 30th in points, far from the front of the pack. But the season challenge has reinstated both his performance and passion.

Ty Dillon opens up about his plan to overthrow Gibbs for the one million

As the lowest seed, Dillon upset Denny Hamlin in round one at Atlanta with an eighth-place finish, then etched into the semi-final at Sonoma with a gutsy bump and run on Alex Bowman. At Dover, strategic free passes and savvy driving earned them the last spot on the lead lap, paving his way to the final showdown. Along the way, he has reminded everyone of his capabilities, not just as a racer but also as a strategist who thrives under pressure.

Ty Gibbs, on the other hand, has come into this in-season showdown riding consistent momentum. At 19th in the standings, with four top fives and six top tens across 21 starts, Gibbs has steadily turned heads. His season highlight came at Talladega, where he led a race-high 32 laps before finishing strong in the Top 10. Gibbs delivered a clutch fifth-place run at Dover most recently, showcasing maturity in traffic and tight conditions. Through every road of the challenge, he has matched or even outdone Ty Gibbs, earning the right to clash for the million bucks in Indy.

In an interview with NASCAR Live, when asked about the confidence he has entering Indy, Dillon said, “Yeah, why? Why can’t we? You know, that’s the way we look at it. I think our goal each week has been to focus on us. We can execute the race the best we know we can. We feel like and we know now that that’s enough to get us through this thing and, and our best foot forward is gonna put pressure on him, and that’s all we can do is. ” 

Ty Dillon’s journey hasn’t been easy. He often finds himself stuck in the middle of the back of the pack. Over 20 races, he recorded finishes such as 28th at Kansas, 31st at Nashville, and a 34th-place finish at COTA, among his worst of the year. In total, he has consistently hovered around 20th to 30th place, with his average finish at 17.048. But the season challenge has given the driver something to push for, an inspiration that helps them perform better.

The Kaulig Racing driver, backing his strategy of putting pressure on Ty Gibbs, said, “It’s worked all the way through this thing and, and we believe going to Indianapolis. I’ve won there in the past. Kiss the bricks. So there’s always something good there that you know, anything can happen and and we’re going to give them all we got.” 

And as for Ty Gibbs? He is focused on the bigger picture, not paying too much heed to the in-season challenge. And as Ty Dillon goes in with high spirits, he recalls the first time he won at Indy.

Ty Dillon expresses his love for Indy

As NASCAR returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the In-Season Challenge, Ty Dillon quietly stepped onto familiar ground, bringing with him not just recent momentum but also the memory of a career-defining moment a decade ago. While most of the spotlight is on the high-profile favorites, Ty arrives with the confidence of a driver who once spectacularly conquered Indy.

Looking back on his 2014 Xfinity Series victory at the Brickyard, Dillon shared, “I remember it was extremely hot, and when we won, I was trying to drink everything, including the milk. But no, I think it’s just a day that I look back on and gives me a lot of confidence on just my career. I was able to beat Kyle Busch head-to-head on a restart with 20 or 30 laps to go, and he pressured me for the last 20 or 30 laps, and I didn’t make a mistake and was able to win that race.”

Ty Dillon had notched his first nationwide Xfinity Series win dramatically at Indy’s Lilly Diabetes 250. Starting third in Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet, Dillon seized the lead from pole sitter Kyle Busch on a pivotal lap 77 restart. Over the final 23 laps, he held off the two-time Cup Series champion by just 0.833 seconds, managing fuel and composure as his car neared empty. That race saw veterans like Matt Kenseth running third, followed by Kevin Harvick in fourth.

The Kaulig Racing driver went on to reveal the boost he feels when returning to Indy. He said, “And it wasn’t just that Kyle Busch was in the race that he ran second. There was probably 10 other top, top Cup drivers at the time in that race. And we were able to take it to him on that day. And ever since then, I know I can do it when we’re in the right spot. So, always going back into Indy gives me another little boost of energy for the race weekend.” 

His crew chief, Danny Stockman, and his father, Mike, guided him through the race’s closing moments, urging him to hammer down amid a field that included several top-tier Cup competitors. That day, he also pocketed a $1 million Dash4Cash bonus, and after the checkered flag flew, he celebrated by kissing the bricks, marking a breakout performance that proved he could deliver under immense pressure. And now, once again, $1 million is at stake at Indy. Which Ty do you think will take home the bag of cash? Let us know in the comments!