With the sphere now set following Sunday‘s Nice American Getaway 400 at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR‘s second In-Season Problem is able to start, giving 32 drivers an opportunity to battle by way of 5 races for a $1 million prize at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Getting sizzling on the proper time can change every thing in NASCAR and drivers know that 5 robust races might flip a long-shot contender right into a millionaire, with final 12 months‘s finals being decided between No. 6 seed Ty Gibbs and the ultimate driver into the match, Ty Dillon.
The highway to glory will check drivers throughout almost each self-discipline in NASCAR. The In-Season Problem opens June 28 at Sonoma Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, TNT Sports activities, HBO Max, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) earlier than shifting to the returning intermediate structure of Chicagoland Speedway, the high-speed drafting motion of EchoPark Speedway, a historic cease at North Wilkesboro Speedway and a finale on the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Let‘s see who might prevail with seeding finalized!
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Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing, No. 45 ToyotaSeed: 1Comment: There have been no weaknesses in Reddick‘s sport in 2026, main the regular-season championship battle since hoisting the Harley J. Early trophy again in February at Daytona Worldwide Speedway. The five-time victor this 12 months has confirmed to excel in any respect forms of race tracks, with the lone exception being quick tracks, and even that has improved from prior years. The No. 45 group looks like a close to lock for at the very least the semifinals.
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 11 ToyotaSeed: 2Comment: Hamlin is white-hot, profitable the final three Cup Sequence races earlier than the seeds had been locked. Admittedly, his largest weak point stays highway programs, however an opening-round matchup with Ty Dillon leaves optimism. After which when the sequence returns to turning left, no one is best at the moment.
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Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, No. 9 ChevroletSeed: 4Comment: Whereas Elliott hasn‘t received a road-course race within the Subsequent Gen automobile, he‘s all the time formidable and may keep away from a first-round matchup with Noah Gragson. The No. 9 group has additionally flown below the radar at intermediate tracks in 2026, greatest in camp at HMS. Elliott ought to be thought-about one of many favorites for the whole match, although he does have potential contests in opposition to Bubba Wallace and Ty Gibbs to be among the many final 4.
Ty Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 54 ToyotaSeed: 5Comment: You possibly can‘t overlook in regards to the reigning winner! The first distinction is that Gibbs had an atrocious begin to the 2025 season, whereas he‘s a bona fide championship menace in 2026. This set of tracks lays out completely for the No. 54 group, with the largest query mark being EchoPark.
Tyler Reddick at Pocono.
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Carson Hocevar, Spire Motorsports, No. 77 ChevroletSeed: 9 Remark: Except there‘s absolute chaos at Sonoma, it‘s powerful to see Hocevar advancing by way of the primary spherical. He goes into highway course races anticipating to be the weak hyperlink of the No. 77 group, with finishes of twenty eighth and thirty first in two makes an attempt this 12 months.
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Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, No. 23 ToyotaSeed: 13Comment: The luck of the draw did no favors for Wallace. He has improved tremendously at highway programs however has a median end of 24.0 at Sonoma by way of seven begins. In the meantime, he‘s pinned in opposition to Michael McDowell, who has by no means completed worse than seventh within the Subsequent Gen automobile on the 1.99-mile highway course.
Joey Logano, Staff Penske, No. 22 FordSeed: 18Comment: Logano ought to by no means be discredited for his relentlessness. He would possibly even sneak by way of to Spherical 2 in a contest in opposition to Erik Jones, who has by no means completed higher than nineteenth within the Subsequent Gen at Sonoma. However a probable matchup in opposition to Hamlin at Chicagoland, an space the place Ford has struggled mightily in 2026, doesn‘t bode nicely for the three-time champion.
Ryan Preece, RFK Racing, No. 60 FordSeed: 19Comment: Preece could have obtained the worst draw at Sonoma, as he’ll have the unenviable activity of attempting to beat Shane van Gisbergen, arguably the very best road-course driver to ever strap right into a Cup Sequence automobile. Good luck!
Joey Logano at Pocono.
DARK HORSE:
Shane van Gisbergen, Trackhouse Racing, No. 97 ChevroletSeed: 14Comment: Van Gisbergen has sailed to victory in six of the final seven road-course occasions, and has improved his craft tremendously at ovals, scoring a private greatest fifth-place effort in the latest intermediate race at Nashville Superspeedway. Quick ahead to EchoPark and something can occur, which means it‘s not unrealistic to see the No. 97 automobile within the semifinals at North Wilkesboro.
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Zane Smith, Entrance Row Motorsports, No. 38 FordSeed: 24Comment: Let‘s go off the overwhelmed path with this choose. Smith grew up racing karts and has a competitor in Hocevar (highway programs aren‘t his specialty) within the opening spherical. The No. 38 group hasn‘t seen the deserved leads to current weeks, wrecking out at Michigan Worldwide Speedway and Pocono whereas competing inside the highest 10. With both Daniel Suárez or Entrance Row teammate Todd Gilliland ready within the wings at Chicagoland, Smith is an actual sleeper to advance to the quarterfinals.
shane van gisbergen at watkins glen
