The first two rounds of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge are complete, and only eight drivers remain of the original 32. This group includes two who fall into the "Cinderella" category.
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The term "Cinderella" refers to an underdog competitor that makes an unexpected deep run in a tournament. The most popular association with this term is the annual NCAA Basketball Tournament.
It also applies to NASCAR's bracket-style In-Season Challenge, such as when Ty Dillon and Kaulig Racing went from the 32nd seed to the final matchup.
The current drivers still in contention for the $1 million prize include No. 2 seed Denny Hamlin, No. 3 Ryan Blaney, No. 4 Chase Elliott, No. 10 Christopher Bell, No. 11 William Byron, No. 12 Chase Briscoe, No. 25 Todd Gilliland, and No. 32 Alex Bowman.
This group includes all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers, three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers, one Team Penske driver, and one Front Row Motorsports driver.
Gilliland is the first of the two drivers who falls into the Cinderella category. He ranks 25th in the Cup Series standings after 19 races. He has reached the third round of the tournament after upsetting Coca-Cola 600 winner Daniel Suarez and Talladega winner Carson Hocevar.
On paper, Bowman may not fall into the Cinderella category considering that he drives for Hendrick Motorsports and has eight career wins. However, he missed four races due to vertigo, and he only barely secured the final spot in the In-Season Challenge.
Bowman has made it to the third round by delivering some upsets. He beat No. 1 seed Tyler Reddick at Sonoma Raceway and then he defeated No. 16 seed Austin Cindric at Chicagoland Speedway. Now, he will try to advance to the Final Four during this weekend's trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Unfortunately for these two Cinderella drivers, only one of them will continue in the tournament. They will face off this weekend.
The Elite 8 Matchups:
- No. 2 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 10 Christopher Bell
- No. 3 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 11 William Byron
- No. 4 Chase Elliott vs. No. 12 Chase Briscoe
- No. 25 Todd Gilliland vs. No. 32 Alex Bowman
