2026 In-Season Challenge bracket set after Pocono

NASCAR ^ | 15 June 2026 | NASCAR Communications

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

Points leader Tyler Reddick will enter the In-Season Challenge as the No. 1 seed, with Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs clinching the top five seeds in the bracket.

Alex Bowman and Cole Custer were tied for the 32nd and final spot in the tournament after Pocono, but Bowman earned the tiebreaker based on highest finish in 2026 (third at Talladega).

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

The 32nd seed was a tie only because NASCAR had to do administrative work after the tragic circumstances. If there is a driver injury at San Diego, Cole Custer would slot in on account of being the replacement.

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The NASCAR brackets:

BRACKET ONE:

(1) 45 Reddick vs (30) 48 Bowman

(16) 2 Cindric vs (17) 6 Keselowski

(8) 7 Suárez vs (25) 34 Gilliland

(9) 77 Hocevar vs (24) 38 Smith

(12) 19 Briscoe vs (21) 16 Allmendinger

(5) 54 Gibbs vs (29) 3 A. Dillon

(13) 23 Wallace vs (20) 71 McDowell

(4) 9 Elliott vs (31) 4 Gragson

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Bracket Two:

(2) 11 Hamlin vs (33) 10 T. Dillon

(15) 43 Jones vs (18) 22 Logano

(7) 17 Buescher vs (27) 42 Nemechek

(10) 20 Bell vs (23) 1 Chastain

(11) 24 Byron vs (22) 47 Stenhouse

(6) 5 Larson vs (28) 35 Herbst

(14) 97 van Gisbergen vs (19) 60 Preece

(3) 12 Blaney vs (32) 21 Berry

The following full-time teams did not qualify: 41 (Custer, tiebreaker based on highest finish), 51 (Ware), 88 (Zilisch), 33 (no driver because Austin Hill is ineligible, would have been the 26th seed). Driver seeding is used but this bracket includes seeding based on owner points (48 had Alfredo and Allgaier when Bowman was on IR for vertigo situation in Austin, 33 has been A Hill since Charlotte).

The 33 (Austin Hill) would have been seeded 26th, but is ineligible because he is an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series driver. The seeds 27-33 are posted that way out of respect to the situation.

[JBW1949]

WTH has NASCAR become?????

[HKMk23]

This has all the hallmarks of the same flock of busybodies that ruined NCAA Football.

[Ronaldus Magnus III]

Chase Elliott’s dad is, no doubt, very proud of his son, and shaking his head at what passes for Stock Car “Racing” today.

[devane617]

I haven’t watch a NASCAR race in years and I use to spend my vacations and Sundays watching racing.

[JParris]

Holy gee whiz! What a complicated cluster f#$k.

Whatever happened to some body say 1,2,3, go and let’s see who can run 500 miles fastest?

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

It’s Denny Hamlin’s idea to get interest during the summer months — have a March Madness-style tournament. The NBA has its NBA Cup (and the New York Knickerbockers did the first-ever NBA Double in winning both the “apertura” NBA Cup and “clausura” NBA Finals). This is a single-elimination five-round race. Higher driver of the two at Sonoma advances to the next round in Joliet. The winners of the next rounds face off in an elimination round at Hampton. Winners of the next face off in North Wilkesboro. The two survivors — whoever finishes higher at Indianapolis wins the money and trophy.

Single elimination, stages don’t count. Just beat the other guy at the chequered flag to advance. You can lead 109 laps at Sonoma but if you fail to lead 110, and your opponent was second and passes you, he advances and you’re gone.

[JBW1949]

I worked in the pits for Elmo Langley back in the ‘70’s...

They need to get NASCAR back to racing...Just racing as it should be...

[JBW1949]

I worked in the pits for Elmo Langley back in the ‘70’s...

They need to get NASCAR back to racing...Just racing as it should be...