Championship formats NASCAR could choose as 2026 decision looms

NASCAR will announce its new Championship format for 2026 and beyond at 3:30 p.m. ET Monday — a move that, at the very least, will generate plenty of buzz from fans. 

Since 2014, NASCAR has used an elimination-style, bracket-style playoff format to determine its champion. Sixteen drivers make the postseason either by winning a race or by being one of the highest-ranked drivers in the points standings without a victory. From there, drivers are eliminated in groups of four until the Championship race, in which the highest-finishing of the four eligible drivers claims the title. Drivers also accrue playoff points by winning races and stages that help them advance from round to round.

NASCAR has used some form of a postseason format since 2004, after using a full-season format with no postseason since its inception in 1949.

NASCAR appointed a designated playoff committee to reach an agreement on a new championship system for 2026. That committee met for the final time in September before the decision was turned over to NASCAR leadership.

Here are the four most realistic options for the new format, one of which NASCAR will likely choose.

Full-season format with no postseason or points resets

Given that the shortcomings of this format  — most notably the fact that a driver could clinch the championship weeks before the season finale — led NASCAR to create a postseason in the first place, this seems like the most unlikely choice. But it’s a format that ties itself to NASCAR’s peak in popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, and one in which some of the sport’s greatest drivers — Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon — won their championships.

This is an old-school format, but NASCAR has proved in recent years that it's not afraid to go back to its roots when necessary. 

The current playoff format stays the same

Fans have long expressed frustration with the current format, which frequently doesn’t reward the best driver over the full season, but there remains a small possibility NASCAR stays the course.

The sport's popularity has dipped considerably over the 11 years in which the current format has been used, but executives still praise it, and to its credit, it creates excitement, drama and storylines that wouldn't happen without it. 

But given how much discourse there has been regarding its major flaws, it seems relatively unlikely that NASCAR sticks with the format that forced the exploration of a new one. 

A revised elimination format

What exactly would a revised version of the current format look like? A smaller playoff field to start, potentially 10 or 12 drivers rather than 16. There's also the possibility of a championship round rather than a single winner-take-all championship race, as well as a win not guaranteeing a playoff berth. 

If NASCAR wants to strike a balance between the drama that comes with playoff eliminations but narrow the field and reward consistency, this could be what they choose.

A return to the 'Chase' 

From 2004 to 2013, NASCAR used the Chase format — a 10-race postseason originally consisting of 10 drivers and later expanded to 12, with the 10 highest drivers in regular-season points qualifying. Later, a wild-card system was introduced to reward drivers outside the top 10 in points who had the most wins.

NASCAR hit its peak in popularity from 2004–2005 with this format, and it is the most similar to the full-season approach that many fans are clamoring for while still keeping some form of a postseason intact.