Chris Buescher Does Not Believe NASCAR’s Million Dollar Challenge Will Affect How He Will Approach Races

RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher isn’t losing any sleep over the build-up to the Michigan race this weekend. The groundwork for NASCAR’s in-season challenge bracket will be laid over the next three races, beginning at Michigan International Speedway, then shifting to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico, and finally landing at Pocono Raceway.

During his pre-race media session, the No. 17 driver made it clear that although the in-season challenge field was set following Nashville, it won’t alter his approach at Michigan.

“I don’t think it’s gonna change much at all,” he said. Admitting he’s no expert in other sports, Buescher confessed he’s still trying to wrap his head around the nuances of brackets and seedings. That said, he still acknowledged the stakes.

“Ultimately, it’s a lot on the line. There’s a million dollars at the end of it. I’m sure teams have taken note of it… and I don’t know how many weeks it goes, but our season is way bigger than that and it’s not something that you’re willing to do anything whatsoever that will come at a detriment to racing for a championship, which means making the playoffs first.”

“No, I don’t see that being something that’s going to affect anything leading into a race weekend,” he concluded.

Buescher added that there may be some moments during a race when the scenario boils down to a one-on-one showdown in the bracket, where a driver might take a calculated risk. But unless it guarantees a tangible gain without flirting with a penalty, he doesn’t expect many drivers to veer from their usual game plan.

He sees the challenge as more of a fan-centric twist — an added wrinkle for the audience to sink their teeth into. And he feels it’s just something for the NASCAR fans to dive off into and keep them excited, and it’s something to push against and let them have some fun with it.

The NASCAR in-season challenge is officially scheduled to start on June 28 at EchoPark Speedway — formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway — under TNT Sports’ newly minted broadcast window. Meanwhile, seeding will be determined by each driver’s best result across the three lead-up races.

Then the real knockout begins: 32 drivers face off at EchoPark Speedway, 16 advance to Chicago, eight to Sonoma, four to Dover, and finally, two will square off at Indianapolis — with a $1 million prize on the line.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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