Chase Elliott, a leading driver for Hendrick Motorsports, revealed during the Pocono Raceway weekend that he had not been paying attention to the newly introduced $1 million winner-takes-all in-season NASCAR tournament. The announcement of the seven-figure prize caught Elliott off guard, but he expressed a clear interest in winning the lucrative reward once informed about it.
The tournament, which NASCAR launched in 2025, is designed to take place over five races broadcast on TNT. It features a bracket-style competition involving 32 drivers, who will face elimination rounds until only one champion remains. The initial seeding for the tournament relies on results from three preceding races aired on Amazon Prime, culminating at Pocono.
Overview of the NASCAR In-Season Tournament and Seeding Process
Chase Elliott disclosed that the tournament and its substantial cash prize had escaped his attention until the recent press conference. Jeff Gluck, reporting on social media platform X, captured Elliott’s reaction, highlighting his surprise and interest in the prize.
“Chase Elliott in Pocono this morning said he hasn’t paid any attention to the in-season tournament and asked if the winner gets anything. He was told the winner gets $1 million and it seemed that was news to him, and he said he would like to win it.”
—Jeff Gluck, Reporter
Despite the significant prize, some drivers, including Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing, remain focused on their regular race objectives, such as securing solid finishes and qualifying for the playoffs. However, Denny Hamlin, who manages Wallace’s team, shows a keen interest in capturing the prize money himself. After the initial two seeding rounds, Hamlin holds the top seed, having won at Michigan.
Meanwhile, Shane van Gisbergen, the winner at Mexico City, failed to qualify for the tournament due to not being among the top 32 drivers in the cutoff rankings. Chase Elliott currently stands fifth in the seedings after placing third in the Mexico race. Final seedings will be confirmed post-Pocono before the tournament officially starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28, with the event concluding at the Brickyard on July 27.
Chase Elliott’s Struggles and Performance Compared to Teammates
Reflecting on his 2025 qualifying performances, Elliott acknowledged falling behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammates William Byron and Kyle Larson, especially in Saturday qualifying sessions. Elliott pointed out that their better qualifying spots give them major advantages throughout race weekends, affecting pit stall selection and race positioning.
He explained that starting races mid-pack poses significant challenges given the Next Gen car’s sensitivity in traffic, which affects overall race day outcomes. Elliott’s average starting position after 16 races is 15.4, compared to Byron’s 9.3 and Larson’s 11.5.
“There’s a lot of things that go into that, but I think probably the biggest one is qualifying. I think qualifying is so important. (It’s) an area that I’ve struggled in, no doubt.
—Chase Elliott
“Being up front, having a really good pit stall, keeping yourself up there – it can change the complexion of your day in such a large way nowadays.”
—Chase Elliott
This admission highlights the critical role qualifying plays in Elliott’s overall competitiveness this season.
Current Standings and Outlook for the Remainder of the Season
With ten regular-season races remaining, Elliott is fourth in the championship standings, trailing his teammate William Byron by 104 points. Despite maintaining a points cushion above the playoff cut-off, Elliott lacks both race wins and playoff points so far in 2025, which puts some pressure on him to break through soon.
As the in-season tournament approaches, Elliott’s newfound awareness of the million-dollar incentive may influence his strategy and focus in these upcoming key races, especially with fierce competition from drivers like Denny Hamlin, who currently leads the seeding.
