Dale Earnhardt Jr. pokes fun at NASCAR ripping off Denny Hamlin’s bracket challenge: ‘They’re already in court’

Before there was the NASCAR In-Season Challenge, there was Denny Hamlin‘s Bracket Challenge. Hamlin’s Bracket Challenge pitted drivers against each other over a five-race period, and fans were allowed to submit their predictions.

The winning entrant received an RTIC Outdoors bundle and Dirty Mo Media swag. Hamlin and 23XI Racing are already in court with NASCAR after declining to sign the charter agreement last fall. Earnhardt jokingly pointed out on this week’s “Dale Jr. Download” that Hamlin has another issue to bring against the sanctioning body after they came up with a near carbon copy of his original bracket idea.

“There’s people out there that think the bracket is stupid. … I don’t understand why you would go, ‘Ah, this is dumb. We ain’t college basketball.’ We created this bracket. Denny Hamlin created this idea and said, ‘This would be fun,’ and we did it. We put it on a website. All the people who follow Dirty Mo Media, we had like 20,000 people sign up and do it. It’s fun as hell,” Earnhardt said. “NASCAR took the idea, carbon copy enough that I think Denny oughta be like, ‘Hey, man.’ They’re already in court. Tack that one in the end.

“The bracket’s cool. If you’re not into it, just don’t say sh*t. Sit over there and enjoy what you enjoy about racing and NASCAR. But I think it’s fun as hell.”

NASCAR In-Season Challenge: Zero perfect brackets remain after Round 1

For the In-Season Challenge, there was a $1 million prize for anyone who guessed a perfect bracket. Zero brackets remain after Round 1. Hamlin, the No. 1 seed, was knocked out by No. 32 seed Ty Dillon. It was one of several stunning upsets at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta this past Saturday.

Hamlin certainly helped lay the groundwork for the NASCAR In-Season Challenge. He anticipates his $1 million royalty any day now.

“This is such a win for our sport and drivers,” Hamlin wrote on X last year after NASCAR announced the tournament. “Many story lines will made [sic] during this 5 week period. I will collect by 1M royalty next season.”