'The Chase Is Back': NASCAR Unveils Championship Format For 2026 'And Beyond'

CONCORD, N.C. — "The Chase is back," as NASCAR will go back to basics but will keep the playoffs for the 2026 season and beyond.

NASCAR is keeping the playoffs but is changing the lock-in criteria to lock in the top 16 in points with no more "win-and-you're in." They're also getting rid of eliminations in the playoffs to where the championship will be decided among 16 drivers based on the points they earn for their regular season points finish plus the points they earn in the final 10 races.

The championship format is much simpler, which NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell addressed.

"Ryan McGee said you need to be able to explain the format on an elevator ride to the 20th floor and we finally have that," O'Donnell said.

Here is how the playoffs will be seeded by position:

The points system itself will stay the same – including stage points – but the winner will get at least 55 points, instead of 40.

The reward for running the fastest lap will still be a point, meaning the maximum points a driver can earn in 35 of 36 races is 76. Coincidentally, that's also the number of wins Dale Earnhardt had in his illustrious career.

The NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will also adopt this format with the same field sizes as previous years. While Trucks will still have seven playoff races, the NOAPS playoffs will expand to nine races.

The format is based off of three recommendations a playoff committee came up with when formulating it:

When a regular season champion starts the playoffs, they will be the No. 1 seed and have a 25-point advantage no matter what.

From 2004 to 2006, NASCAR seeded the playoffs based on regular season performance. However, the seeding only separated the regular season champion from the last-place seed by the equivalent of just nine positions on the track.

Then, from 2007 to 2016, NASCAR seeded the playoffs based on wins in the regular season. In just one season, the regular season champion actually started the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

When NASCAR added playoff points in 2017, the advantage for a regular season champion increased – but often, the regular season champion didn't start in the No. 1 seed or started with a meager advantage compared to the 2026 format.

In 2025, Byron clinched the regular season title a whole race early but still started the playoffs tied with Kyle Larson, who finished third in the regular season and just three points ahead of Denny Hamlin, who finished sixth. To start the playoffs, Byron was also just 25 points ahead of Joey Logano and Ross Chastain, who finished 12th and 13th in the regular season.

Drivers within 25 points of the leader over the years:

In 2019, 2021 and 2024, the regular season championship came down to a margin smaller than the gap between the regular season champion and the No. 2 seed under the 2026 format (25 points):

NASCAR introduced the win-and-you're-in format in 2014 to encourage drivers to race hard for wins throughout the season to lock in. While it created thrilling late-regular-season races, like the summer Daytona race, it also meant a driver lower in points could snag a win in one of those races and steal a spot from a driver who performed better throughout the regular season.

It also meant the thrill of winning a prestigious race like the Daytona 500 was overshadowed by the larger reward of making the playoffs and racing for a championship, as acknowledged by Steve O'Donnell.

NASCAR introduced playoff points as a way to remedy a lack of reward for regular-season performance in the win-and-you're in format. However, it created an entirely separate points standings to follow throughout the season – something NASCAR wanted to simplify with the format.

In 2025, a driver like Bubba Wallace started the Chase strong but was kicked back in the playoffs because he didn't perform well enough in the regular season – negating his performance in the first three playoff races.

When a driver won and made the following round, they often weren't a factor for wins until the next round – slowing the hype that comes with a race win and the intensity of a championship battle.

A large enough field also keeps sponsors happy to tout that their team made it to the playoffs. It also puts up a huge incentive for teams, who strive to make the playoffs not only to win the championship but to earn millions more for their bottom line.

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