23XI Racing boss Denny Hamlin picks his winner and the final 4 for $1,000,000 In-season Challenge

Denny Hamlin knows what it takes to win under pressure. So when the three-time Daytona 500 winner sat down to make his predictions for the inaugural In-Season Challenge, he didn't hesitate.

Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast this week, Hamlin revealed his projected Final Four and winner in NASCAR's $1 million bracket tournament. With Chicago's street course looming, the 23XI Racing co-owner picked one of his own, but insisted it's not just blind loyalty.

"We're looking at a (Tyler) Reddick - (Chase) Elliott (final at) Indy and Reddick ends up winning. I know y'all are going to say I'm such a homer, but I'm using my brain... that's my pick. Reddick beats Elliott with the final four being Bubba (Wallace), Elliott, (Chris) Buescher and Reddick," Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental Podcast (43:32 onwards).

Denny Hamlin's comments come with Round 2 of the In-Season Challenge right around the corner on July 6 at the Chicago Street Course. NASCAR's new midseason tournament features 32 seeded drivers in a single-elimination format, with matchups determined by performances in three June races (Michigan, Mexico City, Pocono).

Round 1 of the challenge at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta was decided by a big crash on Lap 69, which involved more than 20 cars. The wreck was initiated when Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek made contact on the backstretch. Nemechek grazed the wall, as Hamlin spun into Noah Gragson, and chaos erupted behind them.

While Hamlin later took the blame for the incident, it eliminated five out of the top ten seeds from the challenge, including himself. A red flag was waved to clear up the debris on the Echo Park Speedway, as the race paused for seven laps. But, Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota was too damaged to continue, forcing him to DNF in 31st.

His Round 1 opponent, Ty Dillon, went on to finish eighth. With top seeds like Denny Hamlin (1), Chase Briscoe (2), Christopher Bell (4), and Ryan Blaney (7) all ousted, Chase Elliott is the only driver with a win still in the bracket.

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"Give him his moment": Denny Hamlin reacts to Ty Dillon using his catchphrase after beating him in the In-season Challenge

Denny Hamlin before the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 at Echo Park Speedway. Source: Getty

32nd-seeded Ty Dillon entered NASCAR's In-season challenge against top seed Denny Hamlin. He won his matchup, dodging the crash thanks to a pit road penalty that had placed him at the rear of the field. In doing so, he notched his first top-10 of 2025 and pulled off the competition's biggest upset.

Dillon knew the moment was too good to pass up. After finishing at Atlanta, the Kaulig Racing No. 10 driver took a jab at Hamlin, post-race:

"All you Denny fans out there, I just knocked your favorite driver out."

The reference was unmistakable. Hamlin has long used the phrase "I beat your favorite driver... all of them!" following dominant wins. It became a fan-favorite mic-drop line after his 2023 Bristol victory and again at Michigan earlier this year. So when Dillon flipped it around, it struck a chord online.

Rather than being upset, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran embraced the moment and said (via Actions Detrimental):

"I see people giving Ty Dillon a lot of flack... Give him his moment, people. He beat me... just let him have his moment. He texted me, he was like 'Hey I was just playing around.' I’m like 'Bro I loved it'... You're never going to make fun of me more than I make fun of myself." (23:27 onwards)

Dillon's Cinderella story continues into Round 2, where he faces 17th-seed Brad Keselowski. The RFK Racing co-owner is coming off a vintage performance in Atlanta, nearly winning the race and advancing with 46 laps led. On a street course like Chicago, Keselowski remains a dark horse, especially against Dillon, who hasn't seen a top-10 on a road or street layout in Cup.

As the Challenge moves toward its $1 million finale at Indianapolis on July 27, just four races remain - Chicago (July 6), Sonoma (July 14), Dover (July 20), and the winner-take-all showdown at IMS. Whether Denny Hamlin's predictions come true or not remains to be seen, but the Challenge is already delivering.