NASCAR Challenge reaches North Wilkesboro semifinals, Blaney faces Bell
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 16, 2026
North Wilkesboro semifinal
The 2026 NASCAR In-Season Challenge reaches the semifinal round Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway with Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott and Todd Gilliland still in the hunt for the $1 million prize and the championship round at Indianapolis. The bracket has narrowed to two matchups, Blaney against Bell and Elliott against Gilliland, and the Bell-Blaney race will decide one of the two finalists. The weekend carries extra weight because the Cup Series will run its first points-paying race at North Wilkesboro since 1996. That gives the semifinals a clear dual focus, one on the challenge bracket and one on the return of a historic track to the points schedule. The field has already been pared down by close calls and late-race drama, and the four remaining drivers arrive with different paths and different strengths. Blaney and Bell bring recent winning form. Elliott and Gilliland bring survival stories. All four are one round from a shot at the final. The margin for error has vanished.
Blaney-Bell matchup
Blaney enters the semifinal with momentum from EchoPark Speedway, where he won in Round 3. He also has seven straight short-track top-10 finishes, a run that points to steady form as the challenge moves to North Wilkesboro. Bell brings a strong record of his own. He won last year’s North Wilkesboro All-Star Race and has six Cup Series wins on shorter, flatter tracks. That profile fits the layout and gives him a clear case in the semifinal. Their Round 3 paths were different but decisive. Bell eliminated Denny Hamlin. Blaney knocked out William Byron. That leaves the bracket’s most direct clash of form and track history. Blaney has been fast and consistent on short tracks. Bell has already shown he can win at North Wilkesboro and on similar circuits. The winner moves on alone, and the matchup has the feel of a test between current rhythm and proven track comfort. Each driver has a reason to believe the route to Indianapolis runs through this race. Bell has the venue edge. Blaney has the recent surge. The semifinal will sort out which one matters more.
Gilliland underdog run
Gilliland has turned the challenge into an underdog run from the No. 25 seed. He reached the semifinals by edging Alex Bowman in Round 3 at EchoPark Speedway, then kept the bracket alive for one more week against a higher-seeded opponent. Now he gets No. 4 seed Elliott, who advanced after Chase Briscoe crashed late in Round 3. Gilliland has leaned into the surprise run. “Only got two more guys to beat,” he said. He also said his team has been “barely hanging on,” a line that fits the way he has stayed in the competition while the bracket has tightened around him. Elliott brings stronger position and a more established record into the matchup. He has a Martinsville win this season, and that kind of result gives him a clear path to the final if he handles Gilliland. The task for Gilliland is simple and difficult at the same time, beat Elliott and move on to the championship round at Indianapolis. He has already outlasted one round of high-pressure racing and one more than the seeding suggested. North Wilkesboro gives him another chance to extend the run. Elliott stands between him and the final.
