"Remove the France family": NASCAR fans blast $1,000,000 In-Season Challenge prize going to owners not drivers

The mini-tournament within the regular NASCAR Cup Series season has had its fair share of drama in the four races since its inception at Atlanta. The In-season tournament is a 32-driver tournament that is set to commence at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend. The winning driver of the In-season challenge was supposed to win a whopping prize of $1 million, or that was what the fans expected.

NASCAR has surprised everyone with its announcement that the prize money will be awarded directly to the team owner, similar to the purse. This decision was unexpected for many in the garage. NASCAR Insider Bob Pockrass reported this news on social media.

Fans haven't been happy with this decision by the sporting body, as many have blasted them for the decision to award the prize to the owner rather than the driver. Some fans even lashed out at the owners of the sport for the decisions.

Here are some fan reactions to the news:

"There was a buzz around the tournament, bc of how the schedule had the tournament play out, that an unsuspecting driver could win a million dollars. I have always been a fan of promoting this as a team sport, but this really takes the wind out of the sails for the final matchup," one fan wrote. "Never anything without controversy. They should really consider that," another fan wrote

Here are some more reactions to this news:

"Nothing says NASCAR like risking your life behind the wheel of a race car so that your car owner can pocket the money," one fan wrote. "Boooooo @NASCAR that’s so lame!" another fan wrote.

NASCAR has a new points leader in the Cup Series rankings after two months

The latest NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover presented an enthralling and thrilling experience for the viewers. Denny Hamlin clinched his fourth victory of the season in a rain-affected Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race. The race led to a change in the Cup Series points leader for the first time since May.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver, William Byron, has led the championship since May, but his teammate, Chase Elliott, took the top spot from him after the race at Dover. The 29-year-old driver has delivered consistent performance this season with top-20 finishes in all the races so far.

Chase Elliott is ranked at the top of the standings, scoring 702 points in the season so far. He now has a lead of 16 points over his teammate, William Byron, and a lead of 38 points over his other teammate, Kyle Larson, who stands third. Elliott finished sixth in the race at Dover and will be back in action for the next race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam