New championship format won't desire NASCAR drivers' desire to win

NASCAR's new Chase format no longer ensures drivers a playoff berth via a victory and will place more of an emphasis on consistency, but it won't diminish the inherent desire every driver has to win races.

"The mindset, I don't think is going to change for really most anybody," said Chris Buescher, driver of the No. 17 Cup Series Ford for RFK Racing in an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Monday. 

Consistency, race wins go hand in hand

While drivers will chase checkered flags with the same intensity and will to win, an emphasis on consistency isn't exactly the worst thing in the world for Buescher and RFK, who have been very consistent in recent years. Buescher's average finish of 14.3 ranked sixth among full-time Cup Series drivers in 2025. 

"I'll speak to our side of things, we're going to the racetrack to figure out how to win races," Buescher said. "We've said this from the beginning of time, we don't like points racing no matter what the format is. If we go to the racetrack and put wins up on the board, then we'll be fine on the other side of things."

Buescher enters 2026 on a 42-race winless streak, having not won a Cup Series race since he outdueled road course ace Shane van Gisbergen at Watkins Glen on Sept. 15, 2024. 

Quotes provided by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.