NASCAR has created a totally unnecessary distraction with its newest gimmick

NASCAR has been making plenty of changes throughout its existence. Some of those changes have been great for the sport. Others, not so much.

The In-Season Challenge was an idea initially coined by Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin, as more of a fantasy project. As it turned out, NASCAR and its new broadcasting partners, Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports, were listening.

Thus, the In-Season Challenge was formed. It would see the top 32 drivers seeded against each other, much like the seeding of the NCAA's March Madness bracket. With those drivers competing head-to-head within the races for a five-race stretch, the best of them would emerge with a $1 million prize.

Sure, it seemed like a great concept at first, and it seemed like, sure, you would see upsets each round, but the top stars would rise to the top, when it was said and done. That appears to be far from the truth of it.

In-Season Challenge? More like Side Show Madness

After a massive wreck in Atlanta all but busted most brackets, you wouldn't think more chaos would have reigned in the In-Season Challenge, would you? Boy, was everybody wrong again.

That wreck alone saw Ty Dillon pull the biggest upset possible, as the No. 32 seed advanced past No. 1 seed Hamlin. Thus, the top seeds continued to fall. Chase Elliott won in Atlanta, and he all but looked to have given himself the inside track at the money.

Cue up the Chicago Street Course, and more side show drama cooked up by NASCAR and its pit road reporters.

TNT's Marty Snider sure liked trying to stir up drama for no reason. It was like he was trying to egg Alex Bowman and Bubba Wallace into a fight before the race on Sunday.

Then again, Bowman famously bumped Wallace out of the way to win this race in 2024, and Wallace wasn't afraid to remind him.

""Ask Alex what he did last year. He wrecked the hell out of me to win the race. A door slam --- we are not even, so I hope he knows that. $50,000 versus $ 1 million --- pennies.""

Bubba Wallace, via TNT

Nothing worse than manufactured drama in NASCAR. Oh, but wait; the pair did end up having a run-in late in the race, which also happened to cause more nonsense within this in-season bracket.

So much for playoffs and championship contention

That isn't the worst thing about this whole In-Season Challenge. It's really become more of a distraction.

Sure, everybody knows Shane van Gisbergen won in Chicago on Sunday. But as a non-tournament driver, was he even the talk of the weekend after the nonsense that played out in the final laps of the race?

First, you had the contact between Bowman and Wallace. Then you add the fact that Joey Logano and Ross Chastain were mad at each other, not to mention Cody Ware's high-speed crash into the tire barrier that NASCAR seemed to completely ignore.

Did I forget to mention that not a single driver left in the bracket challenge has won a race this season? What happens if none of the drivers who end up in the "championship" win? Is NASCAR going to hand them a playoff spot too?

It was a fun thought, but NASCAR hasn't been too great with trying to run gimmicks. For example, the "win and in" playoff format has been broken for a while now. Perhaps that needs addressing before we keep this in-season thing going after 2025. Whatever the real answer, fine job again, NASCAR.

What even matters in this sport at this point anymore? Wins, championships, points, or just having drivers all pissed off at each other?