Five-Race In-Season Challenge Broadcast On TNT and Max Along With truTV Altcast;
Fans Can Compete in NASCAR’s $1 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge
To view the In-Season Challenge bracket, schedule, and driver matchups, click here
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 25, 2025) – A new era of midseason motorsports drama begins this weekend as NASCAR launches its inaugural In-Season Challenge with TNT Sports during the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart at EchoPark Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET on TNT and Max). The five-race, bracket-style showdown will have 32 drivers compete head-to-head, with the winner earning a $1 million cash prize.
All five In-Season Challenge races will air on TNT and Max. An altcast that will focus exclusively on In-Season Challenge matchups in real time can be viewed on truTV.
- Challenge Round 1 – EchoPark Speedway (June 28 at 7 p.m. ET)
- Challenge Round 2 – Chicago Street Race (July 6 at 2 p.m. ET)
- Challenge Round 3 – Sonoma Raceway (July 13 at 3:30 p.m. ET)
- Challenge Round 4 – Dover Motor Speedway (July 20 at 2 p.m. ET)
- Champions Round – Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 27 at 2 p.m. ET)
Following Sunday’s race at Pocono, the seeds and matchups for all 32 drivers are finalized. The highest finishing driver in each matchup advances to the next round until there is only one driver left standing.
Below are some of the special elements and ways fans can further engage with the In-Season Challenge:
Broadcast and Coverage
- TNT / Max Broadcast
- NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona 500-winning crew chief Steve Letarte and veteran motorsports commentator Adam Alexander will lead TNT Sports’ race coverage of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. They will be joined by pit reporters Marty Snider, Danielle Trotta and Alan Cavanna.
- TNT / Max Pre-Race and Post-Race Studio Coverage
- TNT’s “NASCAR Nation presented by Vanda Pharmaceuticals” pre- and post-race studio coverage will be on site throughout the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, hosted by Shannon Spake with analysts Jamie McMurray and Parker Kligerman.
- NASCAR In-Season Challenge Altcast presented by DraftKings on truTV
- The alternate viewing experience, which will take fans inside the individual driver bracket storylines each week, will be hosted by former crew chief Larry McReynolds and 21-time NASCAR Cup Series winner Jeff Burton.
- NASCAR Driver Cam presented by DraftKings Sportsbook and Straight Talk Wireless
- Earlier this season, TNT Sports and Max launched the NASCAR Driver Cam experience – exclusively on Max – which offers motorsports fans the ultimate all-access pass to every driver for every race throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, including a layered audio mix of scanner team radios and ambient car noise, all synced up with a 1080p Driver Cam feed (on supported devices).
On-Car Branding
- Windshield headers and matchup colors will enhance visual storytelling of the In-Season Challenge
- Challenge Round 1, Atlanta: All 32 eligible entries will run a unified black-and-yellow “In-Season Challenge” windshield header decal.
- Challenge Rounds 2–4, Chicago – Dover: Advancing entries will carry unique color-based windshield header decals based on bracket matchups, which narrow each round from 16 to 8 to 4, and ultimately to the final 2.
- Champions Round, Indianapolis: The final two drivers will run a special gold/chrome header.
- Once eliminated, entries will revert to standard regular season branding.
Fantasy and Betting
- NASCAR Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner and Authorized Gaming Operator DraftKings is the presenting sponsor of the in-season challenge
- DraftKings odds integrations will be promoted on the broadcast both pre-race and in-race with live odds shown on the in-car camera feeds on NASCAR Driver Cam Live on Max.
- $1 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge
- The NASCAR Fantasy game puts fans in control of projecting the winners in each round. Complete a perfect bracket and win $1 million – just like the winning driver of the In-Season Challenge. Additional prizes will be awarded to top performers.
- Fans can predict the winner for each matchup and earn bonus points for ‘upset picks.’
- Fans must join the $1 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge prior to Atlanta or they will not be able to participate.
- The NASCAR Fantasy game puts fans in control of projecting the winners in each round. Complete a perfect bracket and win $1 million – just like the winning driver of the In-Season Challenge. Additional prizes will be awarded to top performers.
- New Markets from NASCAR Betting Partners
- New markets will be available to NASCAR bettors, including matchups, stage elimination, driver to make a specified round and outright winner of the In-Season Challenge.
- TNT Sports and nVenue
- TNT Sports will use live matchup winner probabilities from NASCAR data partner nVenue on its truTV alt-cast for each matchup throughout each race.
NASCAR Digital
- NASCAR.com and NASCAR Mobile have launched a Hub – bringing fans inside the action and educating them on all In-Season Challenge details
- The Hub is a centralized destination for information, FAQs, the bracket, matchups, schedule, results, gaming and statistics.
- Weekly YouTube bracket breakdown – “Inside the Race”
- NASCAR’s “Inside the Race” YouTube series will add Wednesday night shows that are specific to analyzing upcoming matchups.
- Hosted by Steve Letarte and guests (TNT talent and drivers), “Inside the Race” will provide data-driven breakdowns of the In-Season Challenge.
- Bracket Insights
- NASCAR.com will feature head-to-head statistics powered by Racing Insights
- Leaderboard tab on NASCAR.com and NASCAR Mobile live scoring each matchup in every race
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X and Facebook.
