For the second year, the $1,000,000 In-Season Challenge is on the horizon. Last season, Ty Gibbs snagged the upset to win the Million. This season, we set the grid for the tournament-style challenge once again brought to you by TNT.

Starting at Sonoma, you have 16 matchups that will shrink to 8 at Chicagoland, then 4 at EchoPark, then 2 at North Wilkesboro, before the head-to-head fight for the million at Indianapolis.

Some matchups we need to keep an eye on;

Briscoe vs. Allmendinger

Chase Briscoe has speed this season, but just has not really put full races together. However, you have road course ace AJ Allmendinger on the other end who seems to always get more than his car can put out at road courses. This could be a great matchup to keep an eye on all day long at Sonoma.

Cindric vs. Keselowski

These former Penske teammates are both solid road course racers, but neither have won on the road in Cup. He does however have a single win in O’Reilly. Cindric is a seasoned road racer who has won multiple road courses in both O’Reilly and Truck Series competition. Both have shown good speed this season.

Jones vs. Logano

Joey Logano has RC wins but not for a while. Erik Jones has none but is vastly improving this season. Both are on two ends of the success spectrum this season. Jones is fresh into the Chase, Logano is fighting to get in and falling back. But don’t count Joey out just yet, this is the time of year he tends to fight back.

Buescher vs. Nemechek

Chris Buescher has shown to he a hell of a road racer and has won on a road course. John Hunter has not won in Cup just yet, but is showing some great examples of speed with the growth of his Leagacy Motor Club team. This could prove to be a solid matchup.

Bell vs. Chastain

Both drivers scored their first wins on a road course, so this could be fun. Despite his injury at Michigan, Christopher Bell made one hell of a charge to win at Pocono before running out of fuel. However, the road course could prove to be a bit more of a challenge for his fractured wrist. Ross Chastain hasn’t quite had the speed to contend this season, but has brought the 1 car back to life over the last week or so.

Header Image Credit: Patrick Vallely. Graphic via NASCAR