The 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge began with 32 drivers at the start of the five-race tournament. Four races later, only two drivers remain with an opportunity to win the $1 million prize for being the victor of the bracket.
This year’s In-Season Challenge, much like last year’s, has seen its fair share of twists and turns. Some of the top contenders were knocked out early, while a few underdogs have surprised some people.
In the end, Ryan Blaney and Todd Gilliland are the two drivers left standing and will battle to be the winner of the bracket challenge in this Sunday’s final round at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
With Brickyard 400 on the horizon, we will take a look at how we got to this point.
Gilliland versus Blaney: How We Got Here
The In-Season Challenge kicked off last month at the Sonoma Raceway, where the 32-car bracket shrunk to 16 following the checkered flag. Among those who did not make the second round was Tyler Reddick, who entered as the top seed.
Gilliland, who entered as the 25th seed, bested eighth-seeded Daniel Suarez to advance to the second round. Blaney, who entered as the third seed, took down 30th-seeded Josh Berry at Sonoma.
Round two took place at Chicagoland Speedway, where the field was cut from 16 drivers to eight. Gilliland made his way to the third round after winning his second-round matchup over ninth-seeded Carson Hocevar.
On the other side of the bracket, Blaney moved through the second round after beating 14th-seeded Shane van Gisbergen.
EchoPark Speedway was the site for round three of the In-Season Challenge. This time, only four drivers remained after the checkered flag. Gilliland bested 32nd-seeded Alex Bowman in round three, while Blaney took down 11th-seeded William Byron to advance.
Last Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro was the site of the semifinal round. Gilliland upsetted fourth-seeded Chase Elliott to advance to the finals, while Blaney earned a spot in the finals after beating 10th-seeded Christopher Bell.
The stage is set for Gilliland and Blaney to face off in this Sunday’s In-Season Challenge finals at Indianapolis. The highest finisher between the two drivers will be the winner of the In-Season Challenge and receive $1 million.
Breakdown of the Gilliland/Blaney matchup
On paper, it is fair for many to think that Blaney will have the upper hand on Gilliland in the final round of the In-Season Challenge.
However, Gilliland is not one to sleep on. In two previous starts at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the driver of the No. 34 has secured sixth-place finishes in both. If Blaney fails to show top-five speed this Sunday, Gilliland could creep up on him.
Still, Blaney has experience on his side. In eight starts on the Indianapolis oval, the driver of the No. 12 has secured one top five and three top 10s. The Team Penske star has posted finishes of seventh or better in his last two starts at the track, including a third-place result in last year’s race.
One thing is for sure, all eyes will be on Blaney and Gilliland this Sunday at Indianapolis. The green flag for the Brickyard 400 is scheduled to drop on Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. Eastern time.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NASCAR In-Season Challenge Final Round: How We Got Here appeared first on HEAVY.