NASCAR has officially set the list of drivers who will compete in the inaugural in-season tournament that awards $1 million to the winner.
The race at Nashville Superspeedway served as the cutoff point. The top 32 drivers in the Cup Series standings secured their spots in the in-season tournament, while the remaining four full-time drivers missed out.
Brad Keselowski took the final spot by ending the race 32nd in the standings. He eliminated Shane van Gisbergen, Cole Custer, Riley Herbst, and Cody Ware.
The final two stages of the Cracker Barrel 400 featured a close battle between Keselowski and van Gisbergen. Both drivers spent time on each side of the proverbial cutline.
At one point, van Gisbergen ran in 16th place while Keselowski toiled one lap behind the leaders. If the race had ended at that point, the 2012 Cup champion would have failed to make the field.
Keselowski ultimately secured his spot with a 23rd-place finish. Van Gisbergen crossed the line in 25th place.
The 32-driver in-season tournament field includes
- William Byron
- Kyle Larson
- Christopher Bell
- Denny Hamlin
- Chase Elliott
- Tyler Reddick
- Ryan Blaney
- Joey Logano
- Ross Chastain
- Bubba Wallace
- Chase Briscoe
- Alex Bowman
- Austin Cindric
- Chris Buescher
- Kyle Busch
- Ryan Preece
- Carson Hocevar
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- AJ Allmendinger
- Josh Berry
- Michael McDowell
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Todd Gilliland
- Erik Jones
- Zane Smith
- Austin Dillon
- Ty Gibbs
- Daniel Suarez
- Justin Haley
- Ty Dillon
- Noah Gragson
- Brad Keselowski
With Ryan Blaney's win at Nashville Superspeedway now in the rearview, the top 32 drivers in the Cup Series standings will move on to the next step of the process. They will now spend three races racing for points.
NASCAR will use the performances of the 32 drivers at Michigan International Speedway, Mexico City, and Pocono Raceway to set the bracket. The driver who performs the best in this stretch will enter the in-season tournament as the No. 1 seed. The driver who performs the worst will be the No. 32 seed.
The tournament will shake out over five rounds, starting with Atlanta Motor Speedway. The respective seeds will face off in each race, and those who perform the best will advance.
The final round will take place during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The two remaining drivers will race for $1 million.