NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NASCAR returns to 'Chase' format to decide champions in '26 and beyond

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Jan 12, 2026 3:49 PM ET

NASCAR on Monday announced that it will return to the "Chase" style championship format that it used from 2004-13 for the 2026 season and beyond.

The format replaces NASCAR's elimination-style playoff bracket that it has used since 2014 that includes multiple points resets and a one-race, winner-take-all finale to decide the title between the four drivers that make the championship round.

Sixteen drivers will make the Chase after 26 regular season races. The 'win-and-in' factor of the playoffs, which ensured drivers that won in the regular season a playoff berth, will no longer be in place, with the top-16 drivers in points after 26 regular season races making the postseason.

The No. 1 seed in the Chase will have a 25-point lead over the driver in second place, ensuring the "regular season champion" will still carry a notable advantage into the postseason. After the 10-race Chase, the Chase driver with the most points will win the title. There will be no points resets or eliminations during the 10-race postseason.

16 drivers. 10 races. No eliminations.

The Chase is back. pic.twitter.com/9EVY0VTel1
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) January 12, 2026

Winning a race in the Cup Series will now equal a 55-point payout, a 15-point increase from what it has been in years past.

How NASCAR chose new format

NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell said that winning "still had to matter" when deciding the new format, adding that the importance of consistency "was not lost on us."

"We also wanted our fans to know that we're listening," O'Donnell said during a Monday news conference. "We've got the best of both worlds."

NASCAR has used some form of a postseason since 2004, when the first iteration of the "Chase" was introduced. From 1949 to 2003, NASCAR, like IndyCar and Formula 1, determined its champion with a full-season format that gave the driver with the most points at the end of the season the championship.

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season will officially begin on Feb. 15 with the 68th running of the Daytona 500. The exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 1 will be fans' first glimpse of the 2026 Cup Series field.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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