The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series hits Sonoma Raceway on Saturday and Sunday, but it isn't just another other race weekend.
NASCAR's In-Season Challenge kicks off in California with the Toyota/Save Mart 350, with a $1 million prize up for grabs in the coming weeks.
First introduced in 2025, the In-Season Challenge brings a fresh twist to the middle of the Cup Series season, with the 32-driver, single-elimination tournament giving fans an extra storyline to follow and drivers something else to compete for as they go head-to-head in a bracket-style competition over five races.
This year, those five races are set to take place at the following tracks:
- June 28, 2026 — Sonoma Raceway
- July 5, 2026 — Chicagoland Speedway
- July 12, 2026 — EchoPark Speedway
- July 19, 2026 — North Wilkesboro Speedway
- July 26, 2026 — Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Joe Gibbs Racing star Ty Gibbs was the inaugural winner of the challenge last year, and we can't wait to see who comes out on top this time around.
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NASCAR In-Season Challenge matchups
With the above said, here is a full look at the first round matchups ahead of this weekend's In-Season Challenge opener at Sonoma.
| Driver (Seed) | vs. | Driver (Seed) |
|---|---|---|
| Tyler Reddick (#1) | vs. | Alex Bowman (#32) |
| Austin Cindric (#16) | vs. | Brad Keselowski (#17) |
| Daniel Suárez (#8) | vs. | Todd Gilliland (#25) |
| Carson Hocevar (#9) | vs. | Zane Smith (#24) |
| Chase Briscoe (#12) | vs. | A.J. Allmendinger (#21) |
| Ty Gibbs (#5) | vs. | Austin Dillon (#28) |
| Bubba Wallace (#13) | vs. | Michael McDowell (#20) |
| Chase Elliott (#4) | vs. | Noah Gragson (#29) |
| Denny Hamlin (#2) | vs. | Ty Dillon (#31) |
| Erik Jones (#15) | vs. | Joey Logano (#18) |
| Chris Buescher (#7) | vs. | John Hunter Nemechek (#26) |
| Christopher Bell (#10) | vs. | Ross Chastain (#23) |
| William Byron (#11) | vs. | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#22) |
| Kyle Larson (#6) | vs. | Riley Herbst (#27) |
| Shane van Gisbergen (#14) | vs. | Ryan Preece (#19) |
| Ryan Blaney (#3) | vs. | Josh Berry (#30) |
READ MORE: Five matchups to watch in the first round of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge at Sonoma
