The NASCAR In-Season Challenge produced another wild weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.
Just one week after No. 32 seed Alex Bowman stunned top-seeded Tyler Reddick, the tournament delivered more bracket chaos as Bowman, Todd Gilliland and several other underdogs continued their unlikely runs into Round 3.
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Meanwhile, defending In-Season Challenge champion Ty Gibbs was eliminated, and Kyle Larson’s Stage 2 spin proved costly in more ways than one.
Alex Bowman keeps the Cinderella story alive
Bowman entered the tournament as the No. 32 seed, but his remarkable run continued Sunday.
Fresh off eliminating No. 1 seed Tyler Reddick at Sonoma, Bowman defeated No. 16 seed Austin Cindric after finishing fourth at Chicagoland. The Hendrick Motorsports driver now advances to EchoPark Speedway, where he’ll face another Cinderella story in Todd Gilliland.
Todd Gilliland knocks off another favorite
Gilliland’s surprising tournament run also continued.
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After upsetting Daniel Suárez in Round 1, the No. 25 seed eliminated ninth-seeded Carson Hocevar by finishing 16th while Hocevar ended the day 22nd.
Gilliland now meets Bowman in one of the tournament’s most unexpected Round 3 matchups, guaranteeing that either the No. 25 or No. 32 seed will reach the semifinals.
Briscoe ends Ty Gibbs’ title defense
One of Sunday’s biggest bracket results came on the left side.
Chase Briscoe’s Chicagoland victory eliminated defending In-Season Challenge champion Ty Gibbs, who had won the inaugural tournament last season.
Briscoe now advances to face Chase Elliott, who defeated Michael McDowell after Elliott finished 11th and McDowell came home 29th.
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Hamlin, Bell and Blaney keep rolling
The top half of the bracket largely held to form.
Denny Hamlin defeated Erik Jones after finishing third, while Christopher Bell advanced by beating Chris Buescher with his runner-up finish despite racing through a fractured wrist.
Ryan Blaney also moved on after defeating Shane van Gisbergen, while William Byron eliminated Kyle Larson after Larson’s spin and 34th-place finish dramatically changed that matchup.
Updated Round 3 Matchups
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Alex Bowman (32) vs. Todd Gilliland (25)
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Denny Hamlin (2) vs. Christopher Bell (10)
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William Byron (11) vs. Ryan Blaney (3)
EchoPark Speedway now hosts the quarterfinal round, with only eight drivers remaining in NASCAR’s second annual In-Season Challenge.
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