NASCAR star Ryan Blaney addresses David vs. Goliath comparison ahead of $1 million matchup

NASCAR star Ryan Blaney has responded to his In-Season Challenge matchup with Todd Gilliland being branded as David vs. Goliath.

NASCAR's 2026 In-Season Challenge concludes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, with Blaney and Gilliland set to go head-to-head for $1 million.

Despite Gilliland having done exceptionally well to reach this stage, he is the clear underdog heading into Sunday's race, with Blaney being the more experienced driver and driving in better machinery at Team Penske.

With that said, the David vs. Goliath comparison is perhaps understandable, but Blaney himself is certainly not underestimating the man who stands between him and the $1 million prize.

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Ryan Blaney on David vs. Goliath comparison

“If they’re making it a David vs. Goliath story, that’s not good news for me," Blaney told the media on a call this week. "I recall that David won that battle, but, no, I’ve heard that.

"Indianapolis, a lot of things can happen. That group runs really well. Front Row, they do a really good job. They have good drivers. Todd is a great driver and they have a really good team over there, so it’s gonna be tough.

"I don’t think people should write anything off. I’m not going into this weekend thinking that it’s going to be a layup because it’s not. It’s gonna be incredibly difficult and we have to be on top of our game to try to not only compete for the win, but also race that 34 car too.

"I don’t think that’s accurate what people are saying. I think it’s gonna be just as tough as ever no matter who you’re facing because you’re not gonna be able to have any mistakes. You better be fast on the racetrack. You better be good on pit road and your strategy better be where it should be. I think it’s gonna be a heck of a battle, for sure.”

Gilliland: Put the house on us

The same David vs. Goliath comparison was also put to Gilliland, to which he had a fantastic response.

“Put the house on us, that’s what I would say," he said. "We made it this far, why not us? We’ll see. I’m with you.

"I would probably agree with all of those people who say we’re fighting an uphill battle, but, honestly, we’ve been the underdogs in however many matchups there’s been, but it’s doable.

"It’s crazy. It’s only one person standing between us and winning this thing, so I’m excited about it. It’s gonna be an uphill battle. Davis vs. Goliath is probably fair, but we’re gonna go out and do our best and see where everything ends up.”

You can see who comes out between Blaney and Gilliland in the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, July 27th, with the race set to get underway at 2 p.m. ET (TNT Sports, SiriusXM).