The second annual NASCAR In-Season Challenge officially kicked off at the Toyota / Save Mart 350. With a $1 million prize on the line, the bracket-style tournament brought a new level of intensity to Sonoma. Here is a look at the results from the Round 1 matchups and who advanced to the next stage of the competition.
We’ll lead off with the In-Season Tournament results from Round 1 on Sunday at Sonoma. Immediately below that is where you can find the matchups for Round 2 next week in Chicago.
Unofficial 2026 NASCAR Results at Sonoma, Cup Series Stage Results
NASCAR In-Season Challenge Round 1 Results
- (1) Tyler Reddick vs (32) Alex Bowman: Alex Bowman advanced in a stunning first-round upset in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. A power-steering issue for Tyler Reddick required a lengthy pit stop after Stage 1, putting him 6 laps down before he even got back on the track. That paved the way for Bowman to easily advance to Round 2.
- (2) Denny Hamlin vs (31) Ty Dillon: We nearly had another top-seeded upset and it would’ve been Ty Dillon delivering a first-round knockout over the No. 11 for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, Dillon lost the power steering in his car with under 20 laps to go and that allowed Denny Hamlin to advance to Round 2.
- (3) Ryan Blaney vs (30) Josh Berry: Ryan Blaney moves on to the second round of the In-Season Tournament, delivering a top-10 finish at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday. Bowman’s opponent, Josh Berry, finished outside the top 25 and was nowhere close to challenging the No. 12 car on Sunday.
- (4) Chase Elliott vs (29) Noah Gragson: Chase Elliott is headed to the second round of the In-Season Challenge, even after a relatively underwhelming day at Sonoma. Elliott finished 17th on SUnday, while Noah Gragson placed 32nd.
- (5) Ty Gibbs vs (28) Austin Dillon: Ty Gibbs advances to Round 2 after a career-best finish in the Cup Series at Sonoma. Gibbs won both stages and ended with a top-five finish, whereas Austin Dillon ended it outside the top 30.
- (6) Kyle Larson vs (27) Riley Herbst: Kyle Larson easily advanced out of Round 1, snagging a top-five finish at Sonoma whereas RIley Herbst finished outside the top 25.
- (7) Chris Buescher vs (26) John Hunter Nemechek: Chris Buescher moves on to Round 2, with a late rally on the final stage allowing him to record a 19th-place finish to just land a few spots ahead of JHN in 25th.
- (8) Daniel Suarez vs (25) Todd Gilliland: In another first-round upset in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, Todd Gilliland advances to Round 2 thanks to a rough day for Daniel Suarez at Sonoma.
- (9) Carson Hocevar vs (24) Zane Smith: Carson Hocevar‘s sudden improvement on road courses sends him to ROund 2, with the youngster coming out on top against Zane Smith with an 11th-place finish that put him well ahead of Smith’s 18th-place finish.
- (10) Christopher Bell vs (23) Ross Chastain: Christopher Bell moves on, which is even more remarkable considering he did this while racing with a fractured hand. Bell finished fifth on Sunday, whereas Ross Chastain ended in 14th.
- (11) William Byron vs (22) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Unsurprisingly, it’s William Byron (12th place) advancing through Round 1 with Ricky Stenhouse Jr (21st) never really challenging him at Sonoma.
- (12) Chase Briscoe vs (21) AJ Allmendinger: Chase Briscoe knocked out AJ Allmendinger at a road course, even nearly beating SVG at the finish in the process. Briscoe’s second-place finish made it an easy clinch for him.
- (13) Bubba Wallace vs (20) Michael McDowell: This one was decided pretty early, with Michael McDowell spending almost the entire day ahead of Bubba Wallace. McDowell ended it in 9th place, while Wallace finished in 22nd.
- (14) Shane van Gisbergen vs (19) Ryan Preece: It should come as no surprise that Shane van Gisbergen advanced out of Round 1 at Sonoma, easily finishing ahead of Ryan Preece to secure his spot in the second round.
- (15) Erik Jones vs (18) Joey Logano: Erik Jones not only finds himself ahead of Joey Logano in regular-season points and The Chase battle, he also knocked him out head-to-head in Round 1 of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. ones finished in 23rd, just ahead of Logano in 24th.
- (16) Austin Cindric vs (17) Brad Keselowski: In another tight finish for the In-Season Tournament, Austin Cindric moves on with a 13th-place finish that ended with him just seconds ahead of Brad Keselowski in 15th place.
NASCAR Standings Today, Cup Series Points Leaders and Chase Cutline Right Now
NASCAR In-Season Challenge Bracket: Round 2 Matchups at Chicagoland Speedway
Here are the NASCAR In-Season Challenge Round 2 matchups for next Sunday at Chicagoland.
- (32) Alex Bowman vs (16) Austin Cindric
- (25) Todd Gilliland vs (9) Carson Hocevar
- (12) Chase Briscoe vs (5) Ty Gibbs
- (20) Michael McDowell vs (4) Chase Elliott
- (2) Denny Hamlin vs (15) Erik Jones
- (7) Chris Buescher vs (10) Christopher Bell
- (11) William Byron vs (6) Kyle Larson
- (14) Shane van Gisbergen vs (3) Ryan Blaney
Related: Winners, Losers from NASCAR Race Today at Sonoma Raceway
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