The time has come for two drivers to race for $1 million. The in-season challenge championship is officially set as the NASCAR Cup Series prepares to head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Ty Dillon, the Cinderella story of the inaugural in-season challenge, punched his ticket to the championship after finishing ahead of John Hunter Nemechek. Ty Gibbs secured his spot after finishing ahead of Tyler Reddick at Dover Motor Speedway.
This was not a simple race for either driver, however, considering that they each spent all 407 laps racing next to their respective rivals.
Gibbs, for example, was next to Reddick in the running order as the laps clicked down. There were multiple points in the race where he actually fell behind the 23XI Racing driver and appeared to be out of contention for the $1 million prize.
Yet, Gibbs ultimately pulled ahead in multiple late restarts. He crossed the line in fifth place while Reddick finished 12th after fading on a two-tire strategy.
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
"I'm glad we got to go back racing here in Dover," Gibbs said after the race. "Great finish for us. Good day - I wish we could have had a little more track position.
"It was so hard to pass there. Thank you to Monster Energy, SAIA, Toyota - everyone that helps me out."
Dillon, for comparison, spent seemingly the entire race one position behind Nemechek. The two drivers kept battling for position, to the point that they held up eventual race-winner Denny Hamlin as he tried to navigate traffic.
The turning point for Dillon was one chaotic restart. He passed Nemechek and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. before the caution flew for Ryan Preece and Zane Smith crashing. This pass put Dillon in the free pass position. He got back onto the lead lap while Nemechek remained one lap down for the overtime restart.
One happy Driver/Crew Chief pairing!!
These two just know how to fight! pic.twitter.com/tfInpOrBcC
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) July 20, 2025
Dillon just needed two clean laps in order to secure his spot in the in-season challenge's championship round. He and the rest of the drivers in the field delivered these clean laps. Hamlin went on to hold off Chase Briscoe for the win while Dillon finished one spot ahead of Nemechek.
"It feels good," Dillon said after the Dover race. "You know, I have been the underdog for a long time now, just battling my way to try to get opportunity. Eventually you get comfortable in fighting from behind and people underestimating you.
"It's hard to say that we lucked into it this far in, and I am proud of the way we have run. We haven't been a dominating car, but we have been a pain to everyone around us. That is all we can do -- put pressure on them and execute at the right time and that is what we have done."
The two drivers named Ty have taken the final two spots in the in-season challenge bracket. All that's left is to race each other at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Whichever driver finishes better locks up the $1 million prize.