While Shane van Gisbergen bagged his second win of the season at Sonoma Raceway, another storyline was unfolding in the back field as the first round of NASCAR’s 2026 In-Season Challenge wrapped up.
The biggest upset came right at the top of the bracket. No. 1 seed Tyler Reddick entered Sonoma as the tournament favorite, but his afternoon ended after power steering issues left him struggling before he eventually finished last in 36th place.
That opened the door for 32nd-seeded Alex Bowman, whose steady drive to a 10th-place finish completed one of the biggest bracket shocks. The tournament’s highest seed was eliminated immediately by its lowest seed.
Another championship contender, Denny Hamlin, also endured his share of drama before advancing. Hamlin survived both a spin and splitter damage during the race but still managed to finish ahead of 31st-seeded Ty Dillon, allowing the No. 2 seed to safely progress into the next round.
Only two of the tournament’s top ten seeds failed to survive the opening round. Along with Reddick’s stunning elimination, Daniel Suárez also bowed out earlier than expected.
As the tournament now shifts to Chicagoland Speedway on July 5, the remaining 16 drivers will battle head-to-head once again, with each matchup determining who advances to the quarterfinals. The second round features the following pairings:
| Matchup | Driver 1 | Seed | vs. | Driver 2 | Seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | No. 2 | vs. | Erik Jones | No. 15 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | No. 3 | vs. | Shane van Gisbergen | No. 14 |
| 3 | Chase Elliott | No. 4 | vs. | Michael McDowell | No. 20 |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | No. 5 | vs. | Chase Briscoe | No. 12 |
| 5 | Kyle Larson | No. 6 | vs. | William Byron | No. 11 |
| 6 | Chris Buescher | No. 7 | vs. | Christopher Bell | No. 10 |
| 7 | Carson Hocevar | No. 9 | vs. | Todd Gilliland | No. 25 |
| 8 | Austin Cindric | No. 16 | vs. | Alex Bowman | No. 32 |
Austin Cindric got the better of Brad Keselowski, Todd Gilliland outpaced Daniel Suarez, and Carson Hocevar came home in P11 ahead of Zane Smith. Here’s the complete list of winners:
| Matchup | Winner (Seed) | Finish | Defeated (Seed) | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Bowman (32) | 10th | Tyler Reddick (1) | 36th |
| 2 | Austin Cindric (16) | 13th | Brad Keselowski (17) | 15th |
| 3 | Todd Gilliland (25) | 29th | Daniel Suarez (8) | 31st |
| 4 | Carson Hocevar (9) | 11th | Zane Smith (24) | 18th |
| 5 | Chase Briscoe (12) | 2nd | AJ Allmendinger (21) | 16th |
| 6 | Ty Gibbs (5) | 3rd | Austin Dillon (28) | 27th |
| 7 | Michael McDowell (20) | 9th | Bubba Wallace (13) | 22nd |
| 8 | Chase Elliott (4) | 17th | Noah Gragson (29) | 32nd |
| 9 | Kyle Larson (6) | 4th | Riley Herbst (27) | 30th |
| 10 | William Byron (11) | 12th | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (22) | 21st |
| 11 | Ryan Blaney (3) | 6th | Josh Berry (30) | 28th |
| 12 | Shane van Gisbergen (14) | 1st | Ryan Preece (19) | 8th |
| 13 | Chris Buescher (7) | 19th | John Hunter Nemechek (26) | 25th |
| 14 | Christopher Bell (10) | 5th | Ross Chastain (23) | 14th |
| 15 | Erik Jones (15) | 23rd | Joey Logano (18) | 24th |
| 16 | Denny Hamlin (2) | 26th | Ty Dillon (31) | 35th |
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