Chase Elliott shares candid feelings on fighting against Austin Dillon in NASCAR’s $1,000,000 event

Chase Elliott is facing Austin Dillon in the first round of NASCAR's inaugural In-Season Challenge. While Elliott looks forward to racing against Dillon, he hasn't started "trash-talking" him yet, though he thinks the matchup could heat up on Saturday.

The In-Season Challenge is a 32-driver, single-elimination tournament scheduled for five races, with the champion taking home $1,000,000. Elliott secured the fifth seed to battle the 28th-seeded Dillon at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway).

When asked about his opponent for the upcoming mid-season tournament, the #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver said (via Frontstretch on X):

“No, not yet. Austin and I get along pretty good usually. I'm excited about it, though. I think it'll be something good to talk about throughout the year and throughout the summer... and kind of give people a little something extra to watch after.”

“We haven't started trash-talking yet, but maybe Saturday. We'll see how it goes. But I'm looking forward to it. I think the fans will get into it as well,” he added.

The seeding for the In-Season Challenge was determined by the drivers' finishes from the previous three races. Chase Elliott finished 15th at Michigan, third in Mexico City, and fifth at Pocono, enough to comfortably sit in the fifth seed.

The Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway is happening on a Saturday, with the 260-lapper commencing at 7:00 p.m. ET. TNT Sports is set to cover the entirety of the mid-season tournament before NBC, through the USA Network, takes over at Iowa Speedway.

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“What an honor and a privilege”: Chase Elliott on radio exchange with Ryan Blaney at Pocono

During the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway last week, Chase Elliott had a friendly banter with Ryan Blaney on the radio. He told the #12 Team Penske driver that it was an honor to hear from him as he prepared to get going in the #17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

In response to Blaney checking in the #17's radio, the 29-year-old Dawsonville native said (via Skid on X):

“Loud and clear. What an honor and a privilege to hear from you today.”

He shared his thoughts on the race as he led the field to green, adding:

“I haven't had a pole in about 2.5 years, so that was really good and enjoyable. I thought we had a pretty bad HendrickCars Chevy on the race trim, I think. So, looking forward to it.”

Chase Elliott, who led the most laps, concluded the race in fourth place after making contact with Justin Allgaier from the lead on lap 88 of 100. 18-year-old Connor Zilisch took the checkered flag with his JR Motorsports boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr., serving as a substitute crew chief.

Off the track, Elliott and Blaney are long-time buddies, growing up together as they climbed the racing ranks. The HMS driver was even a groomsman in Blaney's wedding held in Aspen, Colorado, last December 2024. He attended the wedding along with other NASCAR drivers, including Bubba Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Daniel Hemric.