Reddick lands No. 1 seed in 2026 NASCAR Challenge

The 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge is set as a 32-driver, single-elimination bracket that starts June 28 at Sonoma Raceway and ends July 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a $1 million prize on the line. The bracket was finalized after Denny Hamlin won Sunday’s Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, and seeding was determined by Cup Series points after Pocono. Tyler Reddick claimed the No. 1 seed, while Hamlin is No. 2, Ryan Blaney No. 3, Chase Elliott No. 4 and Ty Gibbs No. 5.

The first round includes Reddick against No. 32 seed Alex Bowman, Hamlin against Ty Dillon, Blaney against Josh Berry and Elliott against Noah Gragson. Bowman and Cole Custer were tied for the final spot in the field, and Bowman was expected to take the last berth on the tiebreaker based on his highest 2026 finish, a third place at Talladega. After Sonoma, the tournament moves to Chicagoland Speedway on July 5, EchoPark Speedway on July 12 and North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 19 before the title race at Indianapolis.

Preview coverage framed the challenge as a test of seeding, current form and track specialization. Reddick was described as the most complete driver in 2026 and a strong bet to reach at least the semifinals, while Hamlin entered as the hottest driver after winning his last three Cup Series races. Elliott and defending champion Ty Gibbs were listed as drivers whose versatility could help them navigate favorable matchups, Shane van Gisbergen was tagged as the leading dark horse because of his road-course strength and improving oval form, and Carson Hocevar, Bubba Wallace, Joey Logano and Ryan Preece were cited as drivers to watch cautiously because of difficult opening draws and track-specific limitations.