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For all of Ford's struggles during the 2026 NASCAR season, the manufacturer has won two straight Cup races and will have two of its drivers, Team Penske's Ryan Blaney and Front Row Motorsports' Todd Gilliland, race for $1 million in the Brickyard 400 on July 26 as part of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge.
You'd expect Blaney, a 19-time Cup Series race winner and the 2023 champion to be the overwhelming favorite. He's third in the Cup Series standings and could vault into second with a strong run on Sunday.
Gilliland, who is 23rd in points and is yet to win a Cup race in 164 tries, sees himself and his No. 34 FRM team as the underdog — not that that moniker nor its basis in reality concern him.
"Put the house on us, that’s what I would say," Gilliland said Tuesday. "We made it this far, why not us? I would probably agree with all of those people who say we’re fighting an uphill battle, but, honestly, we’ve been the underdogs in however many matchups there’s been, but it’s doable.
"It’s crazy. It’s only one person standing between us and winning this thing, so I’m excited about it. It’s gonna be an uphill battle. David vs. Goliath is probably fair, but we’re gonna go out and do our best and see where everything ends up.”
Gilliland vs Blaney framed as David vs Goliath at IMS
In last year's In-Season Challenge finale, Goliath took down David. Ty Gibbs beat Ty Dillon, who went on an amazing Cinderella run to make it to Indy with a chance to win the $1 million prize.
A look at Gilliland and Blaney's numbers at Indianapolis shift the odds further in Gilliland's favor. What he lacks in experience at IMS he makes up for in results, as he finished sixth in his two Brickyard 400 starts.
Blaney has raced in the Brickyard 400 eight times, finishing top 10 three times. His best finish in the iconic race was third in 2024.
"If they’re making it a David vs. Goliath story, that’s not good news for me," Blaney said. "I recall that David won that battle, but, no, I’ve heard that. Indianapolis, a lot of things can happen.
"That group runs really well. Front Row, they do a really good job. They have good drivers. Todd is a great driver and they have a really good team over there, so it’s gonna be tough. I don’t think people should write anything off. I’m not going into this weekend thinking that it’s going to be a layup because it’s not."
Of course, a win in a Cup race will be the priority for both drivers on Sunday, especially considering it's a crown jewel event.
But a cool $1 million isn't a bad consolation prize, even if it comes without a kiss of the bricks on the side.
Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.
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