The 2025 NASCAR In-Season Challenge has been chaotic, to say the least. On paper, this was an excellent concept to spice up the racing and one of the better NASCAR gimmicks. Unfortunately, the very first race exposed a major flaw in the format. Starting the challenge at a superspeedway was not the best idea, and this busted open every single bracket, leaving zero perfect brackets remaining after just one race! However, there was one man who was instrumental behind this bracket-breaking madness.
As they say, one man’s pain is another man’s gain, and the man who gained at Atlanta Motor Speedway was Ty Dillon. There were a couple of big wrecks that wiped out several In-Season Challenge competitors, including a 22-car Big One that took out the #1-seeded Denny Hamlin, who Ty Dillon was competing against. True to his wreck-avoiding fashion, Dillon escaped any trouble and finished the race to qualify for the next round. But this was just the start of his giant-killing tendencies.
NASCAR insiders discussed the dispatching of Alex Bowman
After winning in Atlanta, Dillon leaned into his status as a shock favorite. He took a cheeky jab at Denny Hamlin, saying, “For all you Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out.” And Hamlin appreciated the trash talk. This only grew after Dillon advanced past Brad Keselowski in Round 2 at the Chicago Street Race. Keselowski was involved in a Lap 4 wreck, moving Dillon through to the next round with ease. Dillon had some choice words for Brad, too, commenting on his lack of basketball skills in Chicago, and citing that as a reason he was the favorite at the Windy City.
Then came the race at Sonoma last week, after which the field would waddle won to just four drivers. Dillon was matched up with Alex Bowman, who drove right in front of him on the final lap of the race, giving Dillon the perfect opportunity to strike. Ty Dillon was hunting down Bowman and threw one last gambit. In a move that would have made Dale Earnhardt proud, Dillon pulled a perfect bump-and-run and dove down the inside of the #48 Chevrolet and just roughed him up a little and took his spot to qualify.
The move wasn’t egregious, but enough to secure Dillon his spot in the final 4 of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge, where he will face off against John Hunter Nemechek. As we head to Dover, ex-Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte couldn’t help but praise Ty Dillon’s Cinderella run from the 32nd seed to the Final Four. Letarte told Inside the Race, “Ty Dillon, the #32 seed, eliminates another. He is like the… I don’t even want to give him a nickname at this point. He’s leaning into it, he’s fun to watch, and he continues to advance.”
ATLANTA, GA – FEBRUARY 23: Ty Dillon 10 Kaulig Racing Racing Sea Best Chevrolet looks on prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 on February 23, 2025, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, GA. Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire AUTO: FEB 23 NASCAR Cup Series Ambetter Health 400 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250223524
Inside the Race’s Mamba Smith understood the nature of the move, saying, “Ty roughed him up, but it’s for a million freaking bucks. And he didn’t wreck him, he just moved him.” Russell Wenrich added, “I loved the move. I think it was totally fair. He didn’t wreck him, did it on the last corner, timed it out perfectly.” And it wasn’t just the analysts who were fine with the move; Alex Bowman himself had no qualms at all.
The #48 Hendrick Motorsports driver knew that, unlike the last two races where a driver was knocked out by a crash, this was a straight fight, and Dillon had nothing to lose. Bowman’s attitude was also among the things that Letarte appreciated.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver accepted defeat with grace
To be honest, from a championship perspective, Ty Dillon had nothing to lose. It was only the prize of 1 million dollars that was serving as a primary motivator. When it came down to it, he was willing to put everything on the line to try and advance into the next round of the In-Season Challenge. Dillon even admitted, “Man, if it wasn’t for the million dollars, I probably wouldn’t have done that, but I had to.”
Meanwhile, Letarte also observed Bowman’s demeanor after the race, saying, “I want to applaud Bowman. He goes over to him after the race, and Bowman, he’s not all, ‘Hey, congratulations.’ He’s like, ‘Man! I get it! I understand.’ No harm, no foul, this is a guy, Bowman’s won some career races, right? He understands. Ty Dillon has even told a few people this has become a highlight of his career, being able to advance to this bracket. So, great for Ty for pulling this off, that’s what it looked like for the #32 seed.”
Now, the next person on his hit list is John Hunter Nemechek in the Legacy Motor Club Toyota. Nemechek saw off challenges from Josh Berry, Chase Elliott, and his teammate, Erik Jones. The only other drivers still in the competition are Tyler Reddick and Ty Gibbs, who face each other. Any of these four drivers could win 1 million dollars after the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That being said, who’s your money on for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge? Let us know in the comments!
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