How Denny Hamlin’s Idea Became NASCAR’s Summer Success

SONOMA, CA – JUNE 27: Fans pose in front of a display for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge in the Fan Zone prior to the Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race on June 27, 2026, at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, CA. (Photo by Jeff Speer/Sonoma Raceway/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

It’s not often that an idea from a driver morphs into something the entire NASCAR world embraces. Sure, NASCAR has taken input from drivers on all manner of things, but those are mainly on-track changes: more horsepower, less downforce, safer cars, better barriers, different rules packages. Drivers have spent decades telling NASCAR what the car should feel like and what the racing should look like.

But a driver pitching an entirely new competition concept? That’s a different animal. That’s not tweaking the machine. That’s changing the way fans see the game.

When NASCAR unveiled its new In-Season Challenge, there were plenty of questions. It was a concept that started with Denny Hamlin, who floated the idea on his Actions Detrimental podcast in 2023. Hamlin envisioned a March Madness-style, single-elimination bracket layered over existing NASCAR races, creating compelling head-to-head matchups without altering the championship format. The idea grew among fans and within the industry before NASCAR ultimately adopted its own version as part of the new media rights agreement beginning in 2025.

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The challenge debuted in 2025, coinciding with TNT Sports’ return to NASCAR’s broadcast lineup after a decade away. Thirty-two drivers qualify based on points, then compete in head-to-head matchups over five consecutive races. In each matchup, whichever driver finishes higher advances, regardless of where they finish the race. The winner receives a $1 million bonus, while the regular championship battle continues uninterrupted.

Unlike the NASCAR Playoffs, the In-Season Challenge has no impact on championship points. Its sole purpose is to create an additional storyline during the traditional summer lull in the schedule, giving fans another reason to follow races even if the overall winner has already separated from the field. TNT also supports the concept with dedicated bracket coverage, while fans can fill out their own brackets similar to the NCAA Tournament.

But that first year there were a lot of questions… A lot. Would fans care? Would drivers embrace it? Or would it be just another gimmick that faded into the background once the green flag waved?

Halfway through the second year of the tournament, TNT Sports believes it has found something that goes way beyond just another promotion.

“It’s kind of a show within a show,” TNT Sports Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Craig Barry told Forbes.

The single-elimination tournament, featuring head-to-head matchups over five races and a $1 million prize for the winning driver, has made the middle of the season feel less like a waiting room for the playoffs. While the races still determine playoff positions and championship hopes, the bracket has given broadcasters another storyline to follow throughout the day.

Barry said the concept wasn’t designed to compete with the race itself.

“It was never meant to be either-or,” he said. “It was just meant to be, ‘Here’s another experience if you’re interested in it.’ It’s a matter of choice.”

That philosophy appears to be paying off.

After an uneven debut, Barry said this year’s tournament has become part of the conversation instead of just part of the broadcast.

“The first year it wasn’t that sticky,” Barry admitted.

A massive multi-car crash at Atlanta during last year’s tournament wiped out much of the bracket early blowing up much of the tournament before it had a chance to hook fans.

This season has been different.

“The million dollars seems to have an impact,” Barry said with a laugh, noting that conversations predicting the Final Four drivers have helped momentum.

For TNT, the challenge represents something larger than a simple bracket competition.

It reflects the growing trend across sports television to create multiple ways for viewers to engage with live events.

“We love giving the fan options,” Barry said.

Whether that’s alternate viewing on Max, enhanced in-car camera feeds or companion storylines like the In-Season Challenge, Barry believes modern sports broadcasts should go beyond just showing the competition.

NASCAR may be uniquely suited for that approach.

Unlike most professional sports, every Cup Series team competes on the same day, creating a true elimination atmosphere every weekend.

“NASCAR is the only sport where all the teams race or play on a single day,” Barry said. “Every Sunday is kind of win or go home. That’s an opportunity.”

For now, Barry isn’t measuring the tournament solely by television ratings or a social media trend. Instead, he’s watching whether fans continue talking about the bracket alongside the race itself.

If they do, the experiment has succeeded.

After all, the goal was never to replace NASCAR’s main event.

It was simply to give fans another reason to stay invested from green flag to checkered flag.

“it’s definitely been an asset,” Berry said. “And I think I think that is just another way to kind of innovate, to extend the experience.”