The NASCAR In‑Season Challenge kicked off with the Toyota Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, turning the point standings from the previous week at Pocono into a 32‑driver knockout bracket.
Surprising Upsets Redefine the Bracket
Four drivers who finished inside the top 16 still missed the cut, including Ryan Preece, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski and A.J. Allmendinger. Each was eliminated by a driver who finished lower in the running order, such as Shane van Gisbergen, Christopher Bell, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe.
The shock results did not stop there. Alex Bowman, seeded 32nd, moved past pole‑sitter Tyler Reddick when Reddick’s car suffered power‑steering failure, while Ty Gibbs and Ty Dillon also advanced despite modest finishes.
The next event on the schedule, the eero 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, is set for July 5, promising another chance for drivers like Denny Hamlin, Todd Gilliland and Erik Jones to climb the bracket.
Team owners and sponsors alike are watching closely as the bracket reshapes, with traditional powerhouses like Hendrick Motorsports and Team Penske seeing several of their drivers survive, while newer entries such as Trackhouse Racing and Kaulig Racing continue to make an impact.