INDIANAPOLIS — Todd Gilliland entered NASCAR’s inaugural in-season challenge finale as the underdog against former Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney. He left Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a $1 million prize and a story few expected.

Gilliland, the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports driver, finished 24th Sunday, but it was enough to defeat Blaney in the bracket-style competition after Blaney was swept into a late-race incident and forced to spend the closing laps trying to recover track position.

“My heart was pounding those last 25 laps,” Gilliland said. “It still seemed like one slipup and I was going to be right in front of the 12 or right behind him.”

The challenge rewarded consistency rather than outright race-winning speed, and Gilliland embraced that role throughout the five-week tournament. Seeded near the bottom of the field, he never expected to make a serious run at the prize.

“Even for myself, I never really thought this was a realistic goal,” Gilliland said. “When you get a little bit closer, you go past one round, two rounds, then you’re in the final eight, final four, then the finale, it really ramps up a lot.”

Gilliland acknowledged he benefited from misfortune on Blaney’s side, particularly when the Team Penske driver spun and suffered nose damage during a late-race incident. But he was quick to point out that surviving NASCAR’s unpredictable races is part of the challenge.

“It took a bit of bad luck clearly from the 12,” Gilliland said. “After it’s over with, you’re like, ‘All right, that definitely helped us out.’”

For Front Row Motorsports, the payoff extended beyond the seven-figure prize. Gilliland repeatedly credited the team’s effort during the challenge, saying the tournament gave the organization a tangible goal and revealed another level of commitment inside the shop.

“The biggest thing for me that was really cool through this whole process was seeing how my team really elevated themselves,” Gilliland said. “They unlocked another level within themselves.”

The victory also offered validation for a team that often fights outside the spotlight. Gilliland noted that organizations running near the middle of the standings can easily fall into routine, but the challenge created extra urgency and motivation.

“It’s easy to kind of get very relaxed, go through the motions of we’re a 23rd-place team,” Gilliland said. “We don’t want to be that forever.”

While Gilliland admitted he still doesn’t know exactly how the prize money will be distributed, he knows one thing: it will be the biggest payday of his career.

And for a driver who spent the final laps staring in the mirror at Blaney’s car, the million-dollar pressure was every bit as real as racing for a trophy.

“It felt really good to have that feeling of racing into the closing laps with something meaningful,” Gilliland said.