NASCAR was getting a bit too comfortable with its predictable routine. By the time the summer stretch hit the Cup Series season, major playoff narratives were decided, with favorites securing a provisional spot and drivers on the cut line vying for a way in. So, to spice things up for the 2025 Cup Series Campaign, NASCAR decided to host its inaugural In-Season Challenge!
This involves a bracket-style showdown over the next 4 weeks, carrying a $1 million bonus pool. Drivers were seeded based on recent finishes at Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono, and while some got a favorable matchup, others were left with a daunting task of beating a championship favorite. However, Ryan Blaney is in an interesting spot.
His matchup for week 1 at EchoPark Speedway is Carson Hocevar, someone he tangled with last time the series raced in Atlanta. However, Blaney isn’t paying too much attention to that, as he feels the concept of the tournament itself is as perfect as it gets.
Ryan Blaney on the in-season challenge
When NASCAR unveiled its In-Season Challenge, the excitement was imminent. RFK Racing driver/owner Brad Keselowski spoke about the tournament, saying, “I think it’ll become a lot more real, whether it be for the drivers or for the media or the fans, as it progresses into the later rounds over the next few weeks.” And Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney echoed this sentiment.
Speaking to the media ahead of the race at Atlanta, Ryan Blaney said, “I think it’s unique, it’s gonna be a fun race within a race type scenario… Our sport is unlike a lot of others, it’s not 1v1… It’s us versus a whole field. This would give a cool aspect of just head-to-head matchups… I don’t really see anything bad about it. It’s a fun thing for us teams to go for and fans to watch.” The tournament style is unlike anything NASCAR has ever experimented with before, and adds additional drama to the final stretch of the season, where any driver in the top-30 could walk away with $1 million at the end of it.
.@Blaney says that Pocono last week was one of the worst times he’s felt physically post-race, saying it was hot and he was getting over an illness from Mexico.
Blaney also talks about racing against @CarsonHocevar in this week’s In Season Challenge debut. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/G3EKmqhJcj
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) June 27, 2025
Blaney sees the In-Season Challenge creating intense on-track battles, noting drivers will be aware of their head-to-head matchups, especially as the tournament progresses. “You might see some tenacious battles for 20th, right? Just because these guys might be racing their a—s off, you know, to try to beat each other and transfer,” he noted. The bracketed portion kicks off at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta) for the Quaker State 400 on June 28, 2025. However, Blaney did not note that there “could be a lot of upsets” at Atlanta, considering the unpredictability of Next-Gen superspeedway racing.
And for skeptics who worry head-to-head matchups might drag on grudges, Blaney shrugged off his rivalry with Carson Hocevar. “No, no, I don’t think so at all. Yeah, just another driver you’re trying to beat, you know, no matter who you’re up against.” Earlier this season in Atlanta (Ambetter Health 400), Hocevar pulled an aggressive move that made Blaney spin while entering a turn. Still, Blaney got in the top 5. After the race, Blaney confronted Hocevar and also said, “You need to calm down.” So, reflecting on these incidents, reporters and even fans are excited to see Blaney vs. Hocevar again this weekend.
As we are talking about NASCAR rivalries, let’s unfurl one more below.
Duel of champions: Why Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski matters
The Kyle Busch (No. 16) versus Brad Keselowski (No. 17) matchup in Round 1 of the 2025 NASCAR In-Season Challenge is a clash of former Cup Series champions, pitting Busch’s aggression against Keselowski’s calculated strategy. The two-time champion Kyle Busch has been winless in the Cup Series for over a year now, and even if he doesn’t win a race, triumphing in this head-to-head tournament could be a huge boost to his momentum at Richard Childress Racing.
Meanwhile, for 2012 Cup Champion Brad Keselowski, this tournament comes at the perfect time, as the RFK Racing No.6 has found some speed in recent races, with three top-10 finishes in his last 5 races, which were his first top-10s of the entire season! The RFK Racing unit as a whole has seen a significant momentum shift, with Ryan Preece and Chris Buescher also pulling their weight, as seen in Michigan, where all RFK drivers were in the top 10 for the first time in the Next-Gen era.
However, Busch will be no slouch in this first-round matchup against Keselowski. Despite recent struggles, Atlanta is a track where Busch races well. All of his last four races have been top-10 finishes, and in 2024, he was involved in a three-wide finish at the line with Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney in the closest finish in NASCAR history as he came third.
With track history on Busch’s side and recent form on Brad’s side, this first-round matchup promises to be one for the ages. Who do you think will triumph at EchoPark Speedway this weekend? Let us know in the comments!
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