Eight Drivers Remain in In-Season Challenge With Atlanta Round 3 Set

Only eight drivers remain eligible for NASCAR’s $1 million In-Season Challenge prize entering Sunday’s Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta (7 p.m. ET, TNT). Round 3 delivers four intriguing matchups: Chicagoland winner Chase Briscoe as the No. 12 seed faces Georgia native Chase Elliott, the defending Atlanta summer winner seeded fourth; JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell square off in an intra-team duel; Todd Gilliland battles Alex Bowman; and William Byron faces Ryan Blaney. Elliott enters as a heavy favorite at his home-state track. Briscoe earned his Round 3 berth with an outright race win at Chicagoland on July 5. Winners advance to the two-week semifinal round.

Sources: NASCAR.com  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Van Gisbergen Hits Hill in Alleged Payback for Coronado, NASCAR Reviewing

Shane van Gisbergen made contact with Austin Hill’s No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at Chicagoland, sending Hill into the wall and ending his race early with a 37th-place finish. Hill’s team communicated over radio that the contact was payback for the Naval Base Coronado race two weeks prior, when Hill’s car collected Trackhouse Racing’s Connor Zilisch on a restart, triggering a multicar pileup. Van Gisbergen denied the contact was intentional, saying he was searching for clean air. Hill expressed his displeasure before heading to the garage. As of Monday, NASCAR had not announced penalties but confirmed it was reviewing the incident.

Sources: Motorsport.com  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Chicagoland Comeback Forces NASCAR to Confront a Scheduling Dilemma

NASCAR faces a welcome scheduling dilemma after Chicagoland Speedway’s return produced some of the best Cup racing of the 2026 season, featuring sold-out crowds and multi-groove competition. But with negotiations for a Chicago Street Race return gaining traction, the sanctioning body must decide whether to host two Chicago-area events annually or alternate between venues in future years. If the Street Race returns, it will not reclaim July 4 weekend — negotiations point to an earlier spring date. NASCAR COO Ben Kennedy also expressed a desire to return to Naval Base Coronado, with San Diego’s July 4 slot emerging as a candidate, per Jayski.

Sources: Jayski  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Cup Series Heads to EchoPark Atlanta for Quaker State 400 on July 12

The NASCAR Cup Series makes its second trip to EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta this season for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 (July 12, 7 p.m. ET, TNT Sports, truTV, HBO Max). The 1.54-mile quad-oval’s steep banking transforms it into a drafting-style track comparable to Daytona and Talladega, with the decisive pass occurring in the final two laps in six of the last seven Cup races there. The weekend also serves as Round 3 of the In-Season Challenge, with eight drivers competing for $1 million bracket advancement. Forty cars are entered for the summer Atlanta event, the second Cup visit to Georgia this season, following February’s Autotrader 400.

Sources: NASCAR.com  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Briscoe Win at Chicagoland His First on a 1.5-Mile Track, and a Championship Statement

Chase Briscoe’s Chicagoland victory on July 5 carried extra significance: it was his first Cup Series win on a 1.5-mile intermediate track, the format considered the backbone of the NASCAR schedule. “It’s really cool to win at a mile-and-a-half in the Cup Series,” Briscoe said in his post-race press conference. “I feel like that’s the staple of what the Cup Series is. My teammates have obviously been unbelievable on the mile-and-a-half.” Crew chief James Small executed an undercut on the final pit cycle, calling Briscoe to pit road one lap early to clear traffic and gain clean air. Briscoe jumped three positions to eighth in the championship with 538 points.

Sources: NASCAR.com  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Reddick Went From 129 Points Up to 44 Points Down in Six Weeks

Tyler Reddick held a 129-point championship lead before Memorial Day in May — now he trails Denny Hamlin by 44 points after 19 races, per Racer. The reversal accelerated at Chicagoland when a debris strike punctured Reddick’s radiator on Lap 131, costing him 30 laps of repairs. Racer noted it was the fourth significant mechanical failure in Reddick’s last five races, despite his five wins this season. Hamlin finished third at Chicagoland to extend his lead. Both drivers pilot Toyota Camrys — Hamlin for Joe Gibbs Racing, Reddick for 23XI Racing. Seven regular-season races remain before the playoff field is set.

Sources: Racer  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Playoff Bubble Tightens: Jones Leads Preece by Four Points After Chicagoland

The NASCAR Cup Series playoff cut line separates Erik Jones and Ryan Preece by just four points following Chicagoland. Jones moved back above the bubble to 16th place with 411 points, while Preece dropped two positions to 17th with 407. Joey Logano and AJ Allmendinger sit 16 points below the line in 18th and 19th respectively, while Brad Keselowski is 19 points back in 20th. All four are in danger of missing the 16-driver playoff field. Seven regular-season races remain to determine the final lineup, with every points finish mattering for bubble contenders, per post-race driver standings at Jayski.

Sources: Jayski  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

Byron Calls Chicagoland a Near-Miss: Missed It by a Little Bit After Dominant Day

William Byron was Chicagoland’s dominant driver, leading the most laps and sweeping both stage victories before the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team was outmaneuvered on pit strategy late in the race. Byron reflected on Monday that the team “missed it by a little bit” on timing — referring to Chase Briscoe’s crew calling an early pit stop that leapfrogged Byron in the final cycle. In the closing laps, Briscoe’s clean-air advantage proved decisive, and Byron settled for fourth place. Byron sits 12th in the championship with 499 points heading into this weekend’s race at EchoPark Speedway near Atlanta.

Sources: NASCAR.com  Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text

What's Trending in NASCAR Cup Series