How is Denny Hamlin still leading NASCAR’s $1M in-season tournament after skipping the Mexico race?

By winning the points race at Michigan about a week ago, Denny Hamlin became the top seed for NASCAR’s new In-Season Challenge, which debuts this year. Despite missing this Sunday’s race in Mexico City, the Tampa, Florida, native remains the top seed for the tournament.

Recently, renowned journalist Bob Pockrass explained Hamlin's position. Michigan was the first of the three seeding events, followed by Mexico and Pocono. Denny Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 for Joe Gibbs Racing, won that race and, according to the rules, made it to the single-elimination bracket phase, much like the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

“Hamlin is still the top seed because SVG was 33rd in points at the time of the field being set and not in the tournament,” Pockrass wrote on X. “If anyone in the tournament had won the race, they would have been seeded ahead of Hamlin.”

Bob Pockrass

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No ... Hamlin is still the top seed because SVG was 33rd in points at the time of the field being set and not in the tournament. If anyone in the tournament had won the race, they would have been seeded ahead of Hamlin.

Following the seeding races is the bracket phase that comprises five more races, starting with Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28. The drivers will go head-to-head with each other, and only the better finishing driver will qualify for the next stage.

As explained by Sports Illustrated,

“In the opening race of the five-race tournament, which will be contested at EchoPark Speedway (formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway), the No. 1-seeded driver will face off head-to-head against the No. 32-seeded driver, while the No. 2-seeded driver will face off against the No. 31-seeded driver, etc.”

The final tournament will be held between the two best finishers at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. The prize is a whopping $1 million. Needless to say, Denny Hamlin is one of the early favourites to win the high-stakes event.

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Denny Hamlin’s Mexico substitute receives advice from a former Cup Series driver

Denny Hamlin was substituted by Ryan Truex Jr. during last Sunday’s race at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. Truex happens to be a reserve driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr., who is now retired.

Ryan Truex Jr. got some advice from his brother as he inched closer to the day of the final event. Recalling his conversation with the former Joe Gibbs Racing sensation, the 33-year-old driver said,

“I texted him this week when I found out. And he said, ‘The Truexes are one-for-one at Mexico. So, no pressure. I’m glad he could throw that at me. But yeah, he’s been good for advice.”

“What you guys see here and what you guys see on TV, that’s him. That’s how he is. Short [and] to the point. If I ask him stuff, he’ll tell me, but I don’t know how much it’ll translate from 2005,” he added.

Ryan Truex went on to finish 23rd. Denny Hamlin will be back next week at Pocono for The Great American Getaway 400. Scheduled for June 22, the 160-lap event will be televised on Prime Video (2 pm ET onwards) with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.