This week’s NASCAR Cup Series race isn’t just another race: It’s the first leg of the league’s inaugural “In-Season Challenge,” a bracket-style competition with five rounds of eliminations, ending with the championship at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. It’s NASCAR’s take on the in-season tournament model long leveraged by international soccer and recently introduced to the NBA.

Starting this weekend at Atlanta, the next five Cup Series races make up the entire challenge: Atlanta, Chicago, Sonoma, Dover and Indianapolis.

Our motorsports experts Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi are here to explain how it works, who they think could win it and why it’s likely to be wildly unpredictable — nay, chaotic! Plus, they’ll run down their favorites and long shots for Saturday’s race in Atlanta.

Before we get to the Q&A and full explanation of how this all works, here’s a breakdown of the seeding and head-to-head matchups for the Challenge. Scroll to the end for how-to-watch info and odds.

NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket, matchups

Top half of draw

• No. 1 Denny Hamlin vs. No. 32 Ty Dillon
• No. 16 Kyle Busch vs. No. 17 Brad Keselowski
• No. 8 Alex Bowman vs. No. 25 Joey Logano
• No. 9 Bubba Wallace vs. No. 24 Daniel Suárez
• No. 12 John Hunter Nemechek vs. No. 21 Josh Berry
• No. 5 Chase Elliott vs. No. 28 Austin Dillon
• No. 13 Ross Chastain vs. No. 20 Erik Jones
• No. 4 Christopher Bell vs. No. 29 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Bottom half of draw

• No. 2 Chase Briscoe vs. No. 31 Noah Gragson
• No. 15 Ryan Preece vs. No. 18 William Byron
• No. 7 Ryan Blaney vs. No. 26 Carson Hocevar
• No. 10 Kyle Larson vs. No. 23 Tyler Reddick
• No. 11 Michael McDowell vs. No. 22 AJ Allmendinger
• No. 6 Ty Gibbs vs. No. 27 Justin Haley
• No. 14 Zane Smith vs. No. 19 Austin Cindric
• No. 3 Chris Buescher vs. No. 30 Todd Gilliland

Q&A for the Challenge and Atlanta race

The time has finally arrived for the inaugural NASCAR In-Season Challenge. Remind us: What exactly is this thing?

Jeff: On his “Actions Detrimental” podcast two years ago, three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin proposed an idea: Why doesn’t NASCAR have some sort of head-to-head, in-season tournament that could be overlaid on the regular season races? NASCAR typically has a summer lull before the final push to the playoffs begins, and with few other sports on TV except for baseball after the NBA and NHL championships are decided, NASCAR should have a chance to draw a lot more eyeballs — especially from sports gamblers. So for two years, the driver hosted his “Denny Hamlin Bracket Challenge,” where fans could play along with picks over a stretch of races. It was unofficial, of course, but still made for good fun and conversation. Now, with new TV partner TNT, NASCAR has decided to officially do the bracket challenge as an in-season tournament. Drivers will compete in a March Madness-style bracket for the next five weeks, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.

How do you think this is going to play out?

Jordan: There is genuine optimism that fans will buy in, creating excitement at a time of the season when NASCAR can hit a lull. And with the uniqueness of the five tracks that make up the challenge, there should be enough unexpected twists and turns to produce upsets and keep things interesting.

As for whether this enhances the on-track competition, there is doubt. Drivers and teams are already doing everything they can each week to run and finish as well as they can, so it’s hard to imagine that this challenge somehow pushes them even further. Nor is it likely that a team would potentially sacrifice a good finish by employing an out-of-the-box strategy in an attempt to advance to the next round, fearing that the call could backfire and potentially cost them valuable points.

When The Athletic has asked teams in recent weeks about how they’ll approach these races, every team said they were giving it no consideration and their focus was simply on running as well as they can each week. That said, let’s see if this changes at all in the later rounds, where winning the $1 million prize becomes more attainable.

The first round is being held at Atlanta, which is now a superspeedway. Considering the head-to-head matchups and the chaos that Atlanta usually brings, who are your favorites to make it to the next round, and who are a few long shots who might beat their rival?

Jeff: If you’re new to NASCAR — hi, first of all. Good news and bad news here. The good news is it’s going to be a wild race. A few years ago, Atlanta was reconfigured to be a “drafting” track like Daytona (if you’ve ever watched the Daytona 500) and Talladega. Big packs of cars and big crashes.

But the bad news is that those big crashes could easily take out some of the huge contenders. This is basically a wild-card round where a lot of top seeds will immediately be gone — and probably not even because they did anything incorrectly, other than be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

That said, some drivers are better than others at positioning themselves toward the front (where they have a better chance of avoiding crashes). I really like Austin Cindric (19 seed) in his matchup over Zane Smith (14) and Ross Chastain (13) over Erik Jones (20). Both of them should be in contention for the win, but the sportsbooks are onto them — both have terrible value and are -200 favorites or longer. In terms of upsets in the actual odds, my picks include John Hunter Nemechek (+150) over Josh Berry, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (+150) over Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick (+120) over Kyle Larson and Justin Haley (+145) over Ty Gibbs.

Jordan: Any time NASCAR heads to a drafting track, Joey Logano is automatically considered one of the favorites to win. However, based on seeding alone, the No. 25-ranked Logano is an underdog against No. 8 Alex Bowman. But it would not be a surprise at all if Logano knocks Bowman off and advances. In fact, there is a strong possibility this will happen.

Another matchup to watch for is No. 28 Austin Dillon against No. 5 Chase Elliott. Although Elliott is strong on drafting tracks — he’s won at both Atlanta and Talladega — so too is Dillon. And with Dillon buried in points and needing a win to make the playoffs, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he’s more willing to take chances than Elliott, who’s in the hunt to win the regular season points championship.

What do you think is the most glaring mismatch in the seeding for Round 1? And which matchup is the toughest to call?

Jeff: If you haven’t followed this concept so far, the seeding is totally wacky. Instead of basing the seeding on the point standings (first through 32nd), NASCAR decided to seed the drivers based on their best finish over the last three races. The result is some frankly stupid matchups: Regular-season points leader William Byron is the No. 18 seed against No. 15 seed Ryan Preece — and yet Byron is a -220 favorite. Cindric is a -250 favorite over Smith, despite being a worse seed. Same with Joey Logano (-175), a No. 25 seed matched up against No. 8 seed Alex Bowman. I agree with the oddsmakers on all of those. But in terms of the toughest to call? Dang, that Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suárez matchup is a total tossup. Wallace is a great superspeedway racer, and Suárez has been great at Atlanta (including a win last year). Good luck figuring this one out.

Jordan: Sure, the Logano vs. Bowman noted above jumps out, but the fact that this is a drafting track means there are no glaring mismatches because of how unpredictable these types of races usually are. Many, many of the drivers seeded towards the bottom of the bracket are quite capable of winning at Atlanta, and it wouldn’t be at all shocking. It’s going to be fascinating to see what the bracket looks like and who’s left standing after the race.

OK, it’s prediction time: Who are your final four for the in-season tournament and who do you have winning it all?

Jeff: The way this bracket stacks up is absolutely, laughably, bonkers insane. A superspeedway chaos bomb to open it, followed by two road courses before we get to two “normal” tracks to end. By that time, a lot of the favorites (or big names at least) could easily have been eliminated. Picking these three tracks for the first three rounds was certainly a choice.

That said, my picks are probably a bit surprising. I’ve got one semifinal between Trackhouse Racing teammates Suárez (24) and Chastain (13) and the other between Tyler Reddick (23) and Michael McDowell (11). Then I’ve got Chastain and Reddick moving on from Dover into the final at Indianapolis, and Reddick winning it all. Which feels … not great! Reddick isn’t even running very well, and 23XI Racing doesn’t seem to have the same speed or momentum lately. Picking him is a strange choice, except I think the matchups favor him with the road courses, and then he’ll have enough speed on the ovals. I am worried about him immediately getting eliminated by Kyle Larson in Round 1 at Atlanta, of course.

Jordan: The Team Chaos committee welcomes NASCAR scheduling the challenge as it did with three “wildcard” tracks among the five. Bring on the chaos. The only quibble is that Talladega wasn’t included in place of Indianapolis or Dover to really amp up the chaos factor. As for what my bracket looks like: I have Christopher Bell, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson in my final four. These four drivers are strong on just about every type of track, particularly road courses, which will go a long way to determining who makes the final four.

Now back to business as usual: Who is your favorite to win outright at Atlanta?

Jeff: As mentioned earlier about Cindric, he’s become known as maybe the best superspeedway racer of late. The three Team Penske drivers are the top three in odds, which makes sense, and Cindric is tied for second. But since superspeedways are so random, he’s still +1000. Could be a nice value there if he pulls through.

Jordan: Any one of Team Penske’s three drivers should be on anyone’s short list of favorites, with Cindric, Logano and Ryan Blaney so strong on these types of tracks. But Blaney has to be the pick. In the seven races at Atlanta since it was reconfigured, Blaney has finished outside the top 10 just once and has finished second, third and fourth in the past three races here.

Who is a long shot you like to win it?

Jeff: “Long shot” is a pretty tough definition this week since the odds are so long for almost everyone. Instead of going extreme, I’ll go somewhat realistic and say Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at +4000. Stenhouse is aggressive, he’s great at superspeedways and he’s in a must-win situation for the playoffs. Pull those belts tight if you’re around the No. 47 car, because he’s going to be going all out.

Jordan: With so many long-shot possibilities this week that could realistically cash in, here’s a few that pop out: Carson Hocevar (+2500), Bubba Wallace (+2800), Daniel Suárez (+2800), Michael McDowell (+4500), Ryan Preece (+5000) and Noah Gragson (+6500). All of these drivers have a reasonable chance of winning Saturday night.

How to watch the Quaker State 400

• Track: EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta Motor Speedway) — Hampton, Ga.
  
• Time: Saturday, June 28, 7 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT

Race winner odds for Quaker State 400

Betting/odds links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo of Kyle Larson: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

T.J. Puchyr, a former owner of Spire Motorsports, has entered an agreement to purchase Rick Ware Racing, according to a report Thursday by The Associated Press.

T.J. Puchyr, who in 2018 alongside Jeff Dickerson launched the Spire team to take over the charter that Furniture Row Racing could not unload, told The Associated Press on Thursday he and Rick Ware Racing have a deal for him to take over Ware’s organization next season.

…

“I am bullish on wanting to build a three-car team. I believe in the France family and the direction of the sport and I want the rest of the shareholders and industry to know that I believe the charters are worth $75 million or more,” he told AP.

In his deal with Ware, Puchyr will keep Ware on board as a partner, also keep Ware’s son, Cody, in the No. 51 Ford, and retain all of the current RWR employees. Ware’s current second charter is leased to RFK Racing, but Legacy Motor Club made a legal claim that it had entered an agreement to buy that charter next season.

…

Now, Puchyr and Ware are confident the second charter currently leased to RFK will be returned to their team in 2027, allowing Puchyr to expand the organization. He wants to buy a third charter that makes the organization a three-car Cup team by 2027.

CONCORD, N.C. – Atlanta Motor Speedway under the lights? Trucks going to Lime Rock Park for the first time? Four races in two days at two different tracks? An in-season tournament?

It’s a fun weekend to be a race fan. With the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series taking on the challenges of Atlanta and the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and ARCA Series traveling to Lime Rock Park, you won’t want to miss it.

Hendrick Motorsports has had immense success at Atlanta, scoring the most wins (17), top fives (69), top tens (106) and most laps led (3,690). Along with nine poles, expect any driver of the current line up to contend this weekend. 

RELATED: Driver averages ahead of Atlanta Motor Speedway

Chase Elliott and William Byron are no strangers to victory lane at the track, garnering three combined wins in the Next Gen era. 

Kyle Larson is coming off of his best finish yet at the 1.54-mile quad-oval, crossing the line third in the spring race. Along with his three top fives and five top 10s, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com driver should bring the heat this weekend 

Alex Bowman is looking to mount a charge to lock himself into the playoffs. The driver of the No. 48 Ally Chevy has had success at Atlanta, getting three top fives and four top 10s. 

RELATED: Check out the paint schemes for Atlanta

There will be no practice this time around for the Cup or Xfinity Series so the first laps turned at the track will be in qualifying. Make sure to check out the full weekend schedule below.

Where is NASCAR racing this weekend? 

The NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series are back at Atlanta Motor Speedway while the Truck and ARCA Series venture out to Lime Rock Park.

Where is Atlanta Motor Speedway?

Atlanta Motor Speedway is located in Hampton, Georgia.

Where is Lime Rock Park? 

Lime Rock Park is located in Lakeville, Connecticut.

RELATED: How does Hendrick Motorsports stack up for the in-season tournament?

What time is the NASCAR race on today?

(All times listed in eastern time)

Friday, June 27

• 1:05 p.m. – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series practice, FS2
• 3 – Xfinity Series qualifying, CW
• 5:05 – Cup Series qualifying, truTV
• 7:30 – Xfinity Series race, CW

Saturday, June 28

• 9:30 a.m. – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series qualifying, FS1
• 1 p.m. – CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race, FOX
• 4 – ARCA race, FS2
• 7 – Cup Series race, TNT 

By Teresa M. Walker

AP Sports Writer

NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. advises the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves to watch a couple of night races at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Speedway Classic. Once at the racetrack, he recommends a walk up the banked walls to truly appreciate the half-mile bullring.

MLB’s Speedway Classic on Aug. 2 means either the Reds or Braves will win at Bristol before Stenhouse reaches victory lane at his favorite track. He still plans to watch as they play an MLB game on a ballpark built inside the Bristol infield.

“Hopefully, if they get one over the wall, kind of see where that ball ends up landing,” Stenhouse said of the track where going over the wall usually means injuries and ambulances. “But, yeah, just a really cool venue and something that I’ll be looking forward to watching.”

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip, now a Fox racing analyst, said search his 1990 crash where his car disintegrated after hitting a wall to learn how challenging Bristol can be.

He joined Stenhouse, former Braves centerfielder Andruw Jones, 2009 World Series champ Nick Swisher and three-time All-Star Reds first baseman and now MLB Network analyst Sean Casey in promoting the first MLB game in the state of Tennessee.

Waltrip said the banking of the track has to be seen to be believed and is a big part of its intensity.

“The banking is straight up,” Waltrip said. “You can barely climb up it, and it’s condensed down to a half-mile track. So you’re just constantly in the corners and speeds upwards of 150 miles an hour. It’s just crazy how precise and how technical you have to be to be successful there.”

Trying to hit a baseball might be a bit easier than stepping into a racecar at Bristol. At those speeds, Stenhouse said he forgot to breathe for 10 laps his first time there.

Bristol still has tickets available for an event that will feature a pregame concert with Tim McGraw and Pitbull. A fan zone outside the track will feature more music, a 110-foot Ferris wheel, a food truck row, pitching tunnels and batting cages and team mascots.

“It’s going to be one of those special nights that goes down in history,” said Jerry Caldwell, president of Bristol Motor Speedway. “People are going to want to be there and want to be a part of it or tune in on Fox and take in this event.”

Casey played in a March 2008 exhibition between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Los Angeles Coliseum that drew 115,300 for the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game. Casey said this crossover gives baseball fans a reason to check out Bristol and NASCAR fans the chance to see something different.

Players like Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. will get an experience to remember.

“These guys that are going to be able to have that memory of playing at Bristol, it’s going to be a one of a kind thing,” Casey said.

Stenhouse said he played some wiffle ball during the last stop in Bristol. NASCAR will be in Iowa with a Cup race Aug. 3, but he hopes to sneak over from his North Carolina home for a chance to hit some hard balls over the fence at Bristol — or pitch off the mound.

“I hit a wiffle ball over the fence,” Stenhouse said. “Yeah, it would be cool to get there and take the field in all at the same time.”

Three-time Cup champion Joey Logano claimed a $1 million bonus for ranking first among Cup drivers in NASCAR’s new Driver Ambassador Program.

Sports Business Journal first reported the award.

Kyle Busch has finished in the top 10 in all five races at Atlanta with Richard Childress Racing.

The program rewards drivers for promoting the sport in multiple ways. Drivers are awarded points based on how much they promote the sport, such as in interviews and appearances. The quality of the appearances is a factor along with a driver’s standing in the sport. Former champions earn extra points.

The year is divided into two terms. The first term concluded last weekend at Pocono.

The second term goes beyond the end of the season. The top driver each term is paid $1 million. The driver in last in each term receives about $7,500, according to Sports Business Journal.

T.J. Puchyr, a former owner in Spire Motorsports, has entered an agreement to purchase the NASCAR team owned by Rick Ware.

NASCAR confirmed the top three drivers for the just-completed term was Logano, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney.

Sports Business Journal reported that the rest of the top 10 was Ross Chastain (fourth), Daniel Suarez (fifth), Chase Elliott (sixth), William Byron (seventh), Kyle Busch (eighth), Austin Dillon (ninth) and Chase Briscoe (10th).

The money for the drivers comes from the new media rights deal, Sports Business Journal reported.