NASCAR Cup Series drivers have completed three of the five races that make up the In-Season Challenge. Now, only four remain in contention for the $1 million prize.
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Three championship contenders and one underdog will head to North Wilkesboro Speedway on Sunday night to complete the semifinal round. Only two will advance to the final round that takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26.
The final four drivers are Team Penske's Ryan Blaney, Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell, Hendrick Motorsports' Chase Elliott and Front Row Motorsports' Todd Gilliland.
Blaney, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, defeated William Byron. He dominated the Sunday night race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which featured a weather delay lasting three hours and nine minutes.
Bell advanced to the semifinal round of the In-Season Challenge by finishing the race in the runner-up position. His opponent, Denny Hamlin, finished the race in the 12th position. Like Byron, Hamlin failed to advance.
Elliott finished the race in 13th place, but he still advanced due to attrition. His opponent, Chase Briscoe, ended the race in the 36th position after a crash involving seven cars.
There's trouble on the backstretch, and multiple cars are involved! pic.twitter.com/gEGY6cxsSy
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 13, 2026
Gilliland initially appeared that he would fail to advance to the semifinal round. He didn't have the fastest car, and he did not crack the top 10 before finishing 19th. However, his opponent, Alex Bowman, finished 22nd after being collected in the crash that ended Briscoe's race.
The semifinal round of the In-Season Challenge will now pit these four drivers against each other.
Elliott and Gilliland will face off in a battle of champion and underdog. Bell and Blaney will face off as they both try to add another short track win to their respective resumes.
Bell has two short track wins that paid points. He also won last season's All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Blaney has three short track wins in his Cup Series career.
Elliott has scored two of his 23 career Cup Series wins on short tracks. He also won the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025.
Gilliland, for comparison, has yet to score a Cup Series win in a career lasting 164 races. His best finish on a short track is sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway earlier this season.
