Hamlin earns 1 seed in first In-season Challenge

LONG POND, Pa. -- Denny Hamlin earned the apical effect successful the inaugural mentation of NASCAR's In-season Challenge, a five-race, bracket-style tourney acceptable to footwear disconnected adjacent week successful Atlanta.

The tournament, which comes with a $1 cardinal prize to the winner, is portion of a caller media rights woody that includes TNT.

The last 32-driver tract was acceptable by results of the races astatine Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. Chase Briscoe won the Cup contention Sunday astatine Pocono Raceway to finalize the field.

The drivers volition beryllium paired successful head-to-head matchups based connected seeding, with the winners advancing to the adjacent circular successful a bracket format that mirrors the NCAA hoops tournaments.

Hamlin goes head-to-head adjacent week against the 32nd seed, Ty Dillon. Briscoe earned the 2nd seed, Chris Buescher is third, Christopher Bell 4th and Chase Elliott fifth.

The format is azygous elimination with the tract chopped to 16 astatine Chicago, 8 astatine Sonoma, 4 astatine Dover and the last 2 astatine Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The tourney is patterned aft in-season tournaments that are staged by shot leagues astir the satellite and adjacent brought to the NBA.