NASCAR Championship Format Announced for 2026 Season

NASCAR unveiled its new championship format for the 2026 season in its National Series on Monday afternoon, shifting away from its former Playoff format to a return of The Chase.

In the new format, 16 drivers will qualify for The Chase in the NASCAR Cup Series. Those 16 drivers will battle over the final 10 races of the season for the NASCAR Cup Series title.

“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.”

The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will also feature Chase formats for their postseason, consisting of the final nine and seven races, respectively. The Chase field will consist of 12 drivers in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and 10 drivers in the Craftsman Truck Series.

The driver with the most cumulative points following the Chase will be crowned the series champion for each of the three series.

There are also several accompanying changes with the new format. A race win is now worth 55 points, increased from the previous 40-point reward for a win. A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase. Points for other finishing positions, as well as stage points, remain the same.

The points leader entering the Chase will start with a 25-point advantage over second place. The points leader will start The Chase with 2,100 points, with second-place at 2,075 points, and the rest of The Chase grid scaling down to 2,000 points for 16th.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series seedings will carry the same values, just with cut-offs at 12 and 10 drivers, respectively.

The championship format change follows an extensive review with collaboration from team owners, drivers, OEMs, tracks, broadcast partners and fans.

-Photo credit: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

New NASCAR Championship Seeding for The Chase

1st: 2100
2nd: 2075
3rd: 2065
4th: 2060
5th: 2055
6th: 2050
7th: 2045
8th: 2040
9th: 2035
10th: 2030
11th: 2025
12th: 2020
13th: 2015
14th: 2010
15th: 2005
16th: 2000