Todd Gilliland secured a season-best finish at North Wilkesboro on Sunday, advancing to the finals of the In-Season Challenge, where the victor will claim a $1 million reward. The Front Row Motorsports driver placed eighth, eliminating 2020 NASCAR Cup champion Chase Elliott, who struggled after being caught off the lead lap during a poorly timed caution flag.
As the No. 25 seed in the 32-driver bracket, Gilliland previously defeated Daniel Suarez at Sonoma and Carson Hocevar at Chicagoland. He narrowly edged out Alex Bowman at Chicagoland before overcoming Elliott’s challenge at North Wilkesboro. The championship round will take place during the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway—TNT’s final race broadcast of the 2026 NASCAR Cup season.
Ryan Blaney, Team Penske
Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
Gilliland will now compete against 2023 NASCAR Cup champion Ryan Blaney, the No. 3 seed, who advanced by defeating Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell. “Yeah, the 12 is pretty good, that’s for sure,” Gilliland said. “That’s why they’re in this position. I’m excited about it. Anything can happen—we have to do what’s best for the 34 team and race hard to the finish.”
While Blaney presents a formidable challenge, Indianapolis Motor Speedway has historically been a strong track for Gilliland, with sixth-place finishes in 2024 and 2025, including a one-position advantage over Blaney last year. Blaney acknowledged the competition, stating, “Ford is gonna get it, so that’s good. The Blue Oval is gonna win the In-Season Challenge. That group at FRM does a great job, and Todd is a talented driver. Indy’s strategic, but we need to be on top of our game.”
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