“Basically an All-star race”: Bubba Wallace shares his blunt take on NASCAR’s $1M paying tournament

23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace was nonchalant about NASCAR's in-season tournament, despite the winner-takes-all $1 million prize. As the seeding rounds for the in-season tournament approach, Wallace and his team remain focused on having a strong summer stretch of races and executing on all fronts.

The final three races on the Prime broadcast — Michigan, Mexico City, and Pocono — will determine the 32 drivers eligible for the bracket-style in-season tournament. The five TNT-broadcast races will cover the tournament, starting with the Round of 32 in Atlanta, followed by stops in Chicago, Sonoma, Dover, and the head-to-head finale at the Brickyard.

Bubba Wallace downplayed his interest in the in-season tournament, suggesting he wasn't focused on it. He said the #23 team would approach the summer stretch like any other race weekend. Upon learning about the prize money, Wallace described it as just another All-Star Race, while suggesting that their priority is to score points.

"Screw whoever made that. We haven't talked about that. What's the prize? A million. It's basically an All-Star Race, but points matter." Wallace said [via altdriver.com].

"...I don't know enough about it to give you that much. Clearly, I'm asking questions, but I think we treat it like another race. Execute on pit road, stay out of the mess. Our speed is well capable of having a good in-season tournament, but to me, it's just having a good summer stretch," he added.

Race winners from the seeding rounds will automatically qualify for the tournament, with the remaining spots filled by drivers with the best finishes across the three events. A traditional bracket-style elimination format will halve the field over five races, culminating in a head-to-head showdown between two drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the ultimate prize.

The seeding round begins with the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 8. The in-season tournament kicks off on June 28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, ending with the Brickyard 400 on July 27.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. refutes Bubba Wallace's and other Cup drivers' claims

Dale Earnhardt Jr. called "bullsh*t" on Cup Series drivers downplaying their interest in the $1 million elimination tournament. Contradicting Bubba Wallace's and other drivers' comments, Dale Jr. said every driver would "love" to pocket the money, calling it 'the easiest way' to win $1 million during the season.

In the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, when co-host Jordan Bianchi suggested that drivers aren't changing their approach for the in-season tournament, the NASCAR Hall of Famer replied:

"Bullsh*t! It might not change exactly how they strategize to win races or approach the races, but they are thinking about it. They are lying if they are saying otherwise, because everyone of them would love to pocket that money. It's like the easiest $1 million to win, of anything else in the season." [31:55 onwards]

After failing to advance to the All-Star Race a couple of weeks ago, Bubba Wallace will get a second shot at winning $1 million in the in-season tournament. Wallace will have to navigate the street race and the road course event to reach the finale, which could prove to be a hurdle.

Bubba Wallace occupies 12th place in the standings, halfway through the regular season.