Cup Series star hits out at NASCAR In-Season Challenge format

NASCAR Cup Series star Chase Briscoe has criticised the format of the first ever In-Season Challenge.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was one of a number of drivers whose race, and thus first round of the single elimination tournament, was ruined by a huge wreck early in Stage 2.

That wreck involved more than half the field, and effectively ended the races of nine or ten drivers including #2 seed Briscoe and #1 seed Denny Hamlin, with five of the top ten seeds falling in the first round.

Briscoe had won that high seed by winning at Pocono and admitted on SiriusXM NASCAR’s The Morning Drive show that while he thought the race at Atlanta was a great watch, he doesn't believe the chaotic superspeedway should have been part of the tournament's knockout stage.

NASCAR HEADLINES: Cup Series star confirms team exit as commissioner hits back at lawsuit

Briscoe: I'd like to have controlled my destiny

“I’m not a fan, personally, you know I love the racing at Atlanta,” Briscoe said. “The other night obviously I was just kind of watching as a fan and knocked out from that race which is so intense. Obviously I have a different perspective because I know what it’s like but yeah I thought this race to watch was incredible there at the end.

“As for the competitor side of me I definitely don’t love the superspeedway to start off a bracket challenge and even really being in the bracket at all. It definitely changes things there’s so much out of your control as a driver but it was the same for everybody. The teams that moved on, they did a good job or missed the wrecks.

"I think for me I would have liked to have been able to control my destiny a little bit more and just go to tracks where you feel like there’s more for the whole team, right?”

The In-Season Challenge won't return to an oval course until the final four on June 20th at Dover, with the Chicago Street Race and Sonoma Raceway to come first, likely shaking up the bracket even further as road course specialists dominate.

READ MORE: NASCAR star Kyle Busch set for racing series switch as official announcement made

Related

NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR star explains 'eerie' visit to abandoned Cup Series track

• Today 01:00

NASCAR

Kevin Harvick reveals racing defeat as 12-year-old son beats active Cup Series driver

• Today 00:00