Earlier in 2024, Denny Hamlin was all smiles when NASCAR finally approved the idea he had long championed, a mid-season tournament. The concept was simple: a five-round elimination bracket with head-to-head matchups, all culminating in a $1 million prize. Hamlin had been openly advocating for such a format, believing it would raise the stakes during the regular season and keep fans engaged.
“We don’t want credit. We just want this for the sport,” Hamlin had said on his Actions Detrimental podcast. He even got a call 30 minutes before the official announcement from NASCAR president Steve Phelps, just to give him the heads-up. Hamlin welcomed the move. He said it would “be good for our sport” and would help drivers push harder during the midseason stretch when fan attention dips. So, this year, when the 32-driver bracket launched at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, it was fitting that Denny Hamlin, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, would lead the charge.
Notably, Hamlin had earned his place in the tournament as top top-seeded driver despite missing one out of three seeding races. With three wins already this season, Hamlin was the odds-on favorite to cruise past his first-round opponent. Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed and buried at 33rd in the points standings, looked like an afterthought. But what unfolded was a gut punch to the favorite. And for Dillon, it was the moment when he took a dig at Hamlin.
Ty Dillon drops the mic on Denny Hamlin
Ty Dillon didn’t just beat Denny Hamlin; he outlasted him in Atlanta. With the field bunched up and pushing hard early in Stage 2, Hamlin got caught in a 23-car pileup. The top line buckled when the #42 of John Hunter Nemechek and Hamlin made contact, triggering chaos across the backstretch. Dillon somehow avoided it all and raced smart, drawing shades of the 2022 Coca-Cola 600, where he was the only driver not to be involved in any incident. However, Hamlin ended up winning that race, but luck was not on his side this time, as that alone was enough to turn the tournament upside down, as the No. 1 seed was out. And the No. 32 seed was on to Round 2.
While Hamlin spent nearly two hours inside a broken car waiting to rejoin the race, Dillon kept climbing the leaderboard. When the dust settled, he had a season-best eighth-place finish. That was more than enough to eliminate Hamlin, who returned to the track 109 laps down and finished 31st. It wasn’t even close. The bracket had been busted in the biggest way possible. However, after the race, Dillon took a sly dig at Hamlin and his fans, saying, “For all you Denny [Hamlin] fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out.”
Ty Dillon: “To all of you @DennyHamlin fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out [of the In-Season Tournament].” #NASCAR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) June 29, 2025
The dig stung because it flipped Hamlin’s own trademark phrase, “I just beat your favorite driver,” right back at him. For years, Hamlin used that line to troll fans after big wins. But this time, it was Dillon holding the mic and the momentum. And Dillon earned it. His Mark III Employee Solutions Camaro was fast and clean. “These are the best cars I’ve ever driven. We’re building confidence and momentum week in and week out,” he said after the race.
Despite his underdog status, Dillon was no fluke. He led laps, ran inside the top 10 for much of the night, and executed a nearly flawless race. He also owned up to his role in a minor incident with Justin Haley, showing maturity and accountability. He even owned up to a minor incident with Justin Haley, saying, “I got into those guys, just got loose… I apologize, but pretty pumped about our day.” Meanwhile, Hamlin’s night unraveled fast.
Joe Gibbs Racing‘s #11 reflected on the massive chain-reaction crash on the backstretch after a restart in Stage 2. “All of us were in the top line pushing off Turn 2, and some zigged, some zagged, most crashed… Is that anybody, people being over-aggressive at that point, or is that just the nature of Atlanta right now, the way it races? I’m not really sure,” he said after the race.
After 90 minutes of sitting in the car waiting for repairs, he was back on track for just a handful of laps. He called it a night after gaining six positions and some points. But as one fan-favorite exited, another roared back to life.
Chase Elliott snubs winless streak in hometown
For Chase Elliott, Atlanta was more than just a bracket race. It was his chance to finally get the monkey off his back. No wins in the ongoing season meant plenty of frustration. But in front of a packed hometown crowd, Elliott delivered. He stayed clean in a night when most didn’t. Only four drivers avoided crashes, and Elliott was one of them. His skill in the draft, his patience in chaos, and some late-race help from Alex Bowman pushed him to the front when it mattered.
After slipping past Brad Keselowski just after the white flag, Elliott held on to the final lap and crossed the line first. “I honestly just think all the cards fell in the right places those last couple laps. What a crazy race, man. I don’t know if y’all had fun, but it was wild from my seat,” Elliott said after the race. The victory was sweet but not easy. Elliott had to claw back after Joey Logano dominated early. Soon, rain shuffled the order before wrecks took out big names, Ryan Blaney, William Byron, and Kyle Larson.
A 23-car crash in Stage Two shook up the whole bracket. But Elliott stayed alive and surged when it counted most. The crowd roared. Elliott smiled. “You can’t dream of this,” he said to TNT Sports. This was his first win since April 2024, when he won in Texas after two years. This locks Elliott into the playoffs as he climbs to the second position in the regular-season championship. It had been a long time coming. And on a night filled with upsets, bracket busters, and sly digs, it was Chase Elliott who stole the show with a long-overdue win and a statement of his own.
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