A year after Denny Hamlin proposed the notion of a bracket challenge, NASCAR is introducing an unprecedented in-season competition.
The three consecutive summer races scheduled to show on Prime Video, the first streaming channel to exclusively broadcast Cup Series races, will determine seeding for a field of 32 drivers. Tiebreakers will be determined by their next best finish, followed by their season point standing.
The five consecutive races televised on TNT Sports in 2025 will feature a head-to-head competition. The driver who finishes higher on the scoreboard advances through each of the five rounds, culminating in a $1 million prize for the champion.
It is unclear which tracks and races will be included in this first-of-its-kind tournament, which NASCAR announced Monday afternoon, according to a piece in Sportico.
BEFORE THE NBA, DENNY HAMLIN SUGGESTED THE IDEA FOR NASCAR
On his podcast last year, Hamlin was discussing ways to improve NASCAR’s television ratings.
It was still roughly three months before the NBA would announce plans for its inaugural in-season tournament that included the Charlotte Hornets last fall. Hamlin had a specific idea to increase competition, which he said he had already taken to NASCAR himself.
“If NASCAR could do this — we don’t need credit — but just hear me out,” Hamlin said last May on an episode of Actions Detrimental. “I have a fix. … This is something I’ve been thinking about for years. And I actually brought it up to NASCAR probably a year-and-a-half ago.
“During the summer months, we should be kicking a** in the ratings. We’re just competing against baseball for the most part, maybe some big PGA events when they come up. I’ve got a fix. Five-week fix where we are gonna have more storylines than ever. The drivers are going to get amped up. This is it.”
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