NASCAR
NASCAR Cup Series’ In-Season Tourney Forming; Kyle Larson Earns Top Drivers’ Championship Odds
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He ed the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on Get to know Jeff Hawkins better
Published29 May 2025
Only one NASCAR Cup Series race remains before the inaugural field is established.
Following Sunday night’s Cracker Barrel 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, a 32-driver grid will be established for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.
Several drivers remain in contention to enter the $1 million tournament.
Among those vying for a spot includes Brad Keselowski, Shane van Gisbergen, Riley Herbst and Cole Custer. Overtaken by Keselowski’s P5 at Charlotte last Sunday, Riley Herbst ranks No. 34.
No. 33-ranked van Gisbergen enters the Nashville event 19 points behind Keselowski and No. 35 Custer trails Herbst by five points.
Cup points leader Kyle Larson remains a virtual lock to qualify for the in-season head-to-head tournament. The 2021 circuit titleholder also remains the sports-betting favorite to capture the Cup Series championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Larson was tabbed with +280 odds.
The seeding fo the 32-pilot field will be determined during three races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. Then the challenge tips off, the drivers will meet in a bracket-style tourney. After five races, the winner will be crowned during The Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.
TNT Sports Announces Full Broadcast Team for Inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge 🏁
Full Release: https://t.co/csrz2yXAbD pic.twitter.com/ROxCmwqTRV— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsUS) May 6, 2025
NASCAR Cup Series Question of the Week
Ross Chastain may not draw the ire of opposing drivers like he did a few seasons ago. He is coming off a strong weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he won the Cup event and placed P2 in the Truck race.
Question of the week: Is Chastain developing into a Cup contender?
Melon Mayhem. 💥@RossChastain | #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/8FLWWmULNx
— Charlotte Motor Speedway (@CLTMotorSpdwy) May 26, 2025
2025 NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship Odds
Here is an All-Star week look at the drivers’ odds for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series drivers’ championship, according to FanDuel Sportsbook:
| Driver | 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Odds |
|---|---|
| Kyle Larson | +280 |
| Christopher Bell | +450 |
| Ryan Blaney | +650 |
| Denny Hamlin | +700 |
| William Byron | +750 |
| Joey Logano | +1200 |
| Chase Elliott | +1200 |
| Tyler Reddick | +1200 |
| Alex Bowman | +2800 |
| Ross Chastain | +2800 |
| Austin Cindric | +3400 |
| Kyle Busch | +4000 |
| Chase Briscoe | +4000 |
| Josh Berry | +4600 |
| Chris Buescher | +4600 |
| Bubba Wallace | +5500 |
| Ty Gibbs | +5500 |
| Brad Keselowski | +7500 |
| Carson Hocevar | +11000 |
| Ryan Preecc | +13000 |
| Todd Gilliland | +25000 |
| Justin Haley | +25000 |
| Noah Gragson | +25000 |
| Shane van Gisbergen | +26000 |
| AJ Allmendinger | +26000 |
| Daniel Suarez | +26000 |
| Erik Jones | +30000 |
| Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | +30000 |
| Austin Dillon | +31000 |
| Ty Dillon | +50000 |
| Zane Smith | +50000 |
| John Hunter Nemechek | +50000 |
| Cole Custer | +50000 |
| Riley Herbst | +50000 |
*-Odds current at time of publication
