NASCAR announced Monday, Jan. 12 its new championship format for the 2026 season and beyond, bringing back the Chase for the Championship and emphasizing winning with a return to a full-season points system.
NASCAR utilized the Chase format from 2004-2013 when it first introduced a postseason.
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The top racing series in the United States is looking to get past a turbulent offseason that culminated in a nasty federal antitrust trial that ultimately settled, but the company was accused of being a family-owner bully and ruffled feathers when a former commissioner’s emails disparaging long-term owners were discovered during the trial.
In the new Cup Series format, there will be a 10-race Chase – nine races for the O’Reilly Series (formerly the Xfinity Series) and seven for the Craftsman Truck series – with 16 drivers based on points. (O’Reilly Series Chase field will be set at 12 drivers; while the truck field will be 10.)
Race winners will receive 55 points for any victory across the season – up from 40 – and stage points will still be awarded.
NASCAR CUP SERIES 2026 SCHEDULE: Tracks, dates, how to watch each race
Another change is the elimination of playoff points, which will reset at the beginning of the Chase. The top driver will start with 2,100 points in the Chase, and have a 25-point lead over second and a 35-point lead over third. Five points will separate the rest of the drivers from fourth to 16th.
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The driver with the most points after the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8 will be crowned the champion.
“As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race,” NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said. “At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR’s storied history and the traditions that have made the sport so special. Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this format is designed to honor their passion every single race weekend.”
In 2014, NASCAR announced it would adopt a four-round, 10-race elimination-style playoff, with the top 16 drivers advancing to the postseason based on points, and put the emphasis on actually winning races. The round of 16 would feature three races, and at the end, the field would be cut to 12, then to eight, with the final four competing for the title, with the highest finisher taking home the series championship.
From 1948 until 2014, the sport had no playoffs, relying on a points system to determine the overall season winner.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASCAR championship format returns to The Chase for 2026 Cup season
