By Jerry Jordan, Editor

In a move that may come as a surprise, given the rumor and speculation surrounding NASCAR’s revamp of its playoff format, the sanctioning body is eliminating the elimination format and returning to the roots of the Chase for the Championship.

No longer will drivers be knocked out in varying rounds of the playoffs and no longer will a win automatically lock a driver into the postseason. That will also kill any chance of the first question asked of the driver who wins the 2026 Daytona 500, what they think about being locked into the playoffs.

The new Chase format will be 10 races and include the Top 16 drivers of the regular season. The points leader after the first 26 races will move into the Chase with a 25-point lead over second place. Along the way, however, wins in the regular season will be worth more, thus making them more important in the points positioning. Previously, wins only brought 40 points but a win under the new championship format will be worth 55 points.

As for the seeding of the Top 16 drivers, the points will start out at 2,000 and increase in five-point increments to third place at 2,065 points. The driver who is second in points will be seeded with 2,075 point and the winner of the regular season will be seeded Number 1, and receive 2,100 points.

“As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR President. “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.”

NASCAR’s desire to make the change came after intense scrutiny of the prior system and demand from fans, drivers and OEMs. Representatives said there was an extensive review of the championship format and NASCAR officials heard the fans loud and clear about what they wanted in the format selected for the 2026 season and beyond.

As for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the championship format will be essentially the same as the Cup Series but the Chase field will be set at 12 drivers and 10 drivers, respectively, with the corresponding points.