The NASCAR In-Season Challenge continues this weekend with Round 2 at the Grant Park 165 in the streets of Chicago. 16 drivers remain after a wild first round, and the winners of these head-to-head battles will move on to Round 3 at Sonoma Raceway. Each round brings the drivers closer to the $1 million grand prize, with the season finale at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.
Here are 7 battles to watch on Sunday:
Alex Bowman vs. Bubba Wallace
Alex Bowman is the defending Chicago street race champion and knows this track well. Bubba Wallace is fighting for a playoff spot and has shown improvement on road and street courses. Both are close in points so this is a tough battle to call.
Chase Elliott vs. John Hunter Nemechek
Chase Elliott comes in after his first 2025 win in Atlanta and holds the №5 seed. He has the head-to-head advantage over John Hunter Nemechek, having beaten him in most races this season. But Nemechek can pull off upsets and street racing is unpredictable so this is a must-watch.
Brad Keselowski vs. Ty Dillon
Brad Keselowski comes in after a strong run in Atlanta and has the higher seed. Ty Dillon pulled off an upset last round and has shown promise on street courses. This is a battle of wills.
Tyler Reddick vs. Carson Hocevar
Tyler Reddick is one of the favorites on the street course and is consistent and skilled. Carson Hocevar is aggressive and has had solid finishes this season. Their styles are opposite so this should be a physical battle.
Ty Gibbs vs. AJ Allmendinger
Ty Gibbs has a few top-10s on street circuits, and AJ Allmendinger has years of road course experience. Allmendinger surprised everyone with an upset in Round 1 so this will be a classic youth vs. experience showdown.
Ryan Preece vs. Noah Gragson
This is a matchup of former Stewart-Haas teammates. Ryan Preece has the edge with more head-to-head wins this season but Noah Gragson comes in with momentum after an upset in Round 1. The narrow Chicago streets could even the playing field in this tight battle.
Chris Buescher vs. Zane Smith
Chris Buescher is a road course guy, and he’s going against Zane Smith who has been good on similar tracks this season. Buescher has the favorable stats but Smith is en forme.
