NASCAR insider slams bizarre seeding format for $1M In-Season challenge  

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck shared his disbelief about the seeding format for the newly introduced $1M In-Season challenge. He questioned the logic behind the format, which is based on best finishes rather than cumulative points standings.

A bracket-style tournament spanning five races was announced last month, with all events set to air on TNT Sports. Seeding will be determined by the preceding three races aired by Prime Video, where the best finishes take priority. Tie-breakers are resolved by the second-best finish, followed by the overall points as a final measure. This method rewards a single strong performance over consistent outings.

The unconventional system has drawn criticism from Gluck, who wrote on X:

"Dude...check out this find from @_DanielCespedes. NASCAR is going to seed the in-season tournament by best finish plus tiebreakers over the next three races. It's not even points. Lmaooo WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS??? JUST USE THE STANDINGS!"

The In-season tournament is part of NASCAR's seven-year media rights deal with FOX, NBC, Amazon, and Warner Bros. Discovery, meant to increase fan engagement and compelling storylines. The tournament is open to all 32 drivers, with a $1 million prize for the winner.

The three seeding races will be held at Michigan International Speedway (June 8), Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (June 15), and Pocono Raceway (June 22).

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NASCAR announces mid-season rule change to driver weight

NASCAR recently amended its weight regulations, requiring drivers to undergo unannounced weigh-ins throughout the season. Previously, drivers were weighed only once before the season began, and a vehicle minimum was set based on that. The new system establishes a baseline weight that restricts fluctuations on the driver's side.

Fox analyst Bob Pockrass reported on the rule change on his X handle.

"NASCAR modified rule book on vehicle weight as far as driver weight — driver weight determines minimum vehicle weight. Drivers get weighed typically prior to season. Now it looks like they will get weighed multiple times to keep them from trying to add weight for a weigh-in," he wrote.

The new rule book provides guidelines for calculating the variance allowed from the baseline weight.

"A driver will be allotted +/- 3% of their baseline weight during reweighs. This tolerance will be calculated using the same rounding technique as used for their weight bracket. If a driver's weight falls outside of this tolerance and changes their baseline weight bracket, a new baseline driver weight bracket will be established," the revised NASCAR rulebook reads.

The move is meant to mitigate any driver weight changes that alter the vehicle minimums. For instance, adding weight during the initial weigh-in would allow for lighter car setups during the season. As such, last weekend's Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway saw JR Motorsports' Sammy Smith get disqualified due to a minimum weight violation.