Discover the Exciting First-Round Matchups for the NASCAR Cup In-Season Challenge!

LONG POND, Pa. — The first round of the NASCAR Cup tournament is set and excitement is building as it kicks off this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

After the race on Sunday at Pocono, the top 32 drivers in points were locked in. The stakes are high: a $1 million prize awaits the winner. The group’s seedings came from results in the last three races—Michigan, Mexico, and Pocono. Each driver’s best placement in these races determined their rank, with second-best results used as tiebreakers.

Denny Hamlin takes the number one seed following his win at Michigan and a strong finish at Pocono. Chase Briscoe, after securing a victory at Pocono, claims the second seed. Interestingly, Shane van Gisbergen won in Mexico but isn’t in the top 32, missing out on the tournament.

Here’s how the first round pairings look:

1. Denny Hamlin vs. Ty Dillon
2. Chase Briscoe vs. Noah Gragson
3. Chris Buescher vs. Todd Gilliland
4. Christopher Bell vs. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
5. Chase Elliott vs. Austin Dillon
6. Ty Gibbs vs. Justin Haley
7. Ryan Blaney vs. Carson Hocevar
8. Alex Bowman vs. Joey Logano
9. Bubba Wallace vs. Daniel Suarez
10. Kyle Larson vs. Tyler Reddick
11. Michael McDowell vs. A.J. Allmendinger
12. John Hunter Nemechek vs. Josh Berry
13. Ross Chastain vs. Erik Jones
14. Zane Smith vs. Austin Cindric
15. Ryan Preece vs. William Byron
16. Kyle Busch vs. Brad Keselowski

The tournament format offers a thrilling twist to the season. According to a recent NASCAR survey, fans are eager for this competitive edge, with 78% of them supporting the tournament format. This change from past seasons shows NASCAR’s commitment to keeping the excitement alive.

Drivers and teams are feeling the heat. After earning his first Cup win for Joe Gibbs Racing, Briscoe mentioned he feels less pressure now. In a sport where every point matters, these early matches will be intense.

As we look forward to this weekend, it’s not just a race; it’s a high-stakes showdown that could change the course of the season.

For more insights and updates, check out NASCAR’s official site.

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