Top 5 losers from NASCAR’s $1,000,000 challenge feat. Denny Hamlin

With money, pride, and elimination on the line, the first round of NASCAR's $1,000,000 In-Season Challenge at EchoPark Speedway delivered in every way, especially in chaos. Across 260 laps and 400 miles of Saturday night action, 46 lead changes and 10 caution flags shuffled the deck and shattered brackets, with multiple top seeds dropping out of the competition.

The race was won in spectacular fashion by Chase Elliott after a last-lap pass on Brad Keselowski, and names like Chris Buescher, Ty Gibbs, Alex Bowman, Bubba Wallace, and Brad Keselowski all advanced. But for others, especially some of the sport’s biggest stars, Atlanta was the end of the road.

Here are the five biggest losers of the In-Season Challenge's brutal opening round at EchoPark Speedway.

5 NASCAR Cup Series drivers who lost the $1,000,000 challenge at Atlanta

#1. Kyle Larson upset by Tyler Reddick

The 10th-seeded Kyle Larson entered Atlanta as one of the favorites. The Hendrick Motorsports driver began in 11th place and stayed at the front in the opening stages. However, his challenge derailed after the Big One on Lap 70 at the beginning of Stage 2.

Kyle Larson during the NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 qualifying. Source: Getty

Larson was one of the 22 drivers involved in the multi-car pileup caused by Denny Hamlin's spin down the backstretch at Turn 3. Though he stayed in the race with minimal damage and even recovered to finish 17th, his opponent, Tyler Reddick, won Stage 2 and finished P4.

#2. Ryan Blaney eliminated by Carson Hocevar

Ryan Blaney's In-Season Challenge ended with a brutal incident. On Lap 58, Christopher Bell spun in Turn 4 and triggered a wreck that collected several cars, including Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace. Blaney tried to avoid the wreck by diving to the apron but got clipped in the right rear and slammed the wall hard.

It was the hardest hit of the night, and he was done on the spot, finishing 40th. He was later released from the care center without any lingering issues. Meanwhile, Carson Hocevar returned from the wrecks and rolled to a P10 finish to face Reddick in the second round of the NASCAR In-Season Challenge.

#3. Christopher Bell knocked out by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Fourth-seeded Christopher Bell took home the $1 million win at North Wilkesboro but had no luck at Atlanta. He was caught in the same Lap 58 chaos that ended Blaney's night. The No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota caught dirty air, got loose and spun sideways in Turn 4, and was hammered by Bubba Wallace.

Christopher Bell (20) spins after an on-track incident in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Echopark Speedway. Source: Getty

Bell eventually finished a disappointing 30th-place finish, completing only 114 laps of the 260. His matchup, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., however, stayed out of trouble and crossed the line in 6th, advancing to Round 2.

#2. Chase Briscoe eliminated by Noah Gragson

Second-seeded Chase Briscoe was swept into the Lap 70 pileup, and despite his team's efforts to fix the car, NASCAR deemed the chassis too damaged to safely continue. He completed just 69 laps and finished 35th.

NASCAR Cup Series drivers Noah Gragson and Chase Briscoe before the Food City 500. Source: Imagn

Meanwhile, 31st-seeded Noah Gragson survived the wrecks, but while his P25 result wasn't impressive on paper, in head-to-head, it was enough. Gragson is also the favorite driver of Briscoe's 3-year-old son, Brooks.

#1. Denny Hamlin stunned by Ty Dillon

The biggest upset of the night was that top-seeded Denny Hamlin's night ended in flames when he got turned on the backstretch during the Stage 2 restart. His car bounced off the wall and back into traffic, triggering a chain reaction that took out over 20 cars.

The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was done, and so was Hamlin's shot at the million-dollar prize. Meanwhile, Ty Dillon ran a quiet but effective race, finishing P8 and moving on to Chicago to face Brad Keselowski in the next round.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam