NASCAR launches the inaugural In-Season Challenge Presented by DraftKings on Saturday night, featuring a 32-team tournament bracket with weekly head-to-head driver matchups. The tournament winner earns $1 million, and a fan who builds a perfect bracket also wins $1 million. Round one takes place Saturday night at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here are the best bets for the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400, presented by Walmart, at Atlanta.
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NASCAR In-Season Challenge Presented by DraftKings
Round 1 — Atlanta Motor Speedway
DraftKings Sportsbook In-Season Challenge Head-to-Head Driver Props
Click here for the NASCAR Cup Series In-Season Challenge Bracket Presented by DraftKings!
9. Bubba Wallace vs. 24. Daniel Suarez
Daniel Suarez (-115)
The odds reflect the irrelevance of seeding, as seeds were based on results from the past month. This is further undermined by the fact that round one is a drafting race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a superspeedway where any driver can win or wreck. For example, No. 32 seed Ty Dillon (+230) could easily upset No. 1 seed Denny Hamlin (-340) on Saturday night.
Bubba Wallace is widely considered a top-tier plate racer, while Daniel Suarez does not share the same reputation at superspeedways like Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta. However, Suarez excels at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. He won the 2024 spring race and finished as runner-up in two of the last four races there. In the first two races at this high-banked, 1.5-mile pack-racing track, Suarez placed sixth and fourth.
4. Christopher Bell vs. 29. Ricky Stenhouse Jr
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (+160)
Christopher Bell would be the pick at most tracks, but Atlanta Motor Speedway is not a typical track—it’s a plate track. Although NASCAR no longer uses restrictor plates, the pack-racing style persists. Whether called pack races or drafting tracks, traditionalists still refer to it as plate racing. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. made his name in plate racing, with his two Xfinity Series championships launching his career. However, most fans know him as “Wrecky Spinhouse,” a driver perceived to excel only at Daytona and Talladega. While he hasn’t won at Atlanta, Stenhouse’s signature skill—reckless abandon—has been evident. In Stage 1 of the February 2025 Atlanta race, he gained 21 positions, showcasing his passing ability and fearless approach. If Stenhouse avoids trouble, he thrives.
5. Chase Elliott vs. 28. Austin Dillon
Austin Dillon (+215)
Round 1 features the “Nepo Baby” matchup: Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott, versus Ty Dillon, grandson of Richard Childress. Both have proven their worth and should not be disparaged for their lineage. Elliott is an Xfinity and Cup Series champion, while Dillon is a Truck Series and Xfinity Series champion. Both have multiple Cup Series wins at superspeedways. Elliott, the hometown hero from Dawsonville, Georgia, is near the top of the NASCAR Cup Series standings and chasing a championship despite fewer recent wins. Dillon, however, is fading into obscurity, having not been relevant for years. A win would be significant, but he seems unlikely to deliver, even at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s drafting track. Advancing to Round 2 of the In-Season Challenge could be a notable achievement for him.
Dillon’s Atlanta performances have been unremarkable but safe, with an average finishing position of 20th in the last five races at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. Most In-Season Challenge bracketeers will pencil in Elliott, but Dillon offers a way to differentiate in the NASCAR In-Season Challenge Presented by DraftKings. He’s among the better bets at DraftKings Sportsbook, as favorites rarely make sense at superspeedways due to the volatility of plate racing. Dillon’s odds are enticing and could improve by Saturday night. One mistake could send Elliott to the wrecker, while Dillon could crash and still win—provided he wrecks second.
