NASCAR In-Season Challenge 2025: Key dates, races and how stars can win $1 million prize

With 26 regular season and 12 playoff races, as well as two exhibition weekends, it's fair to say that NASCAR Cup Series stars are forced to deal with a fairly grueling schedule.

Now, following the introduction of a new In-Season Challenge for the 2025 campaign, the drivers and their teams have a new wrinkle to contend with, with a $1 million prize up for grabs.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge explained

NASCAR's In-Season Challenge is a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament that is set to take place over five upcoming races, all of which are set to be broadcast on TNT Sports.

32 Cup Series drivers are set to compete in the challenge, with the field locked in after the regular season race at Nashville (June 1), and matchups set to be determined by seedings over three upcoming races at Michigan (June 8), Mexico City (June 15) and Pocono (June 22).

Drivers will be seeded by their best finishes across those three races, with tie-breakers set to be determined by the drivers' next best finish across those three seeding races. If drivers achieve the same results over the three races, their points and the standings then come into play.

Once the seedings are set, drivers will be placed in head-to-head matchups, with whoever achieves the better finishing position in the matchup advancing to the next round.

After each In-Season Challenge race, the field will be halved, with winners advancing and losers being eliminated. For example, 32 drivers are set to compete in round one, 16 in round two, eight in round three, four in round four, before two drivers battle it out in the fifth and final race, the champions round.

NASCAR's In-Season Challenge will be determined by results in the regular Cup Series races and is not a standalone event. However, there are no regular season or playoff implications depending on whether or not you win or lose in the In-Season Challenge.

Dates and races

NASCAR's In-Season Challenge is set to kick off at Atlanta on June 28th and run through until Indianapolis on July 27th. Between then, there will be races at Chicago (July 6), Sonoma (July 13), and Dover (July 20) where the In-Season Challenge will be at play.

Please see the full schedule below.

Which drivers have qualified?

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