Denny Hamlin: Return of Chase puts NASCAR's title fight back in drivers' hands

The NASCAR playoff format used from 2014-25 burned several drivers during its time, but none more so than Denny Hamlin. 

Hamlin lost the 2025 Cup Series championship after a late caution came out while he was leading the championship race at Phoenix. One pit call and restart later, it was Kyle Larson who swooped in and stole the title from Hamlin. 

NASCAR remedied its championship format somewhat in the offseason, reverting back to the Chase system it used from 2004-13. Gone is "win and you're in," multiple points resets and a winner-take-all championship race. After the 16-driver Chase field is set following the regular season finale at Daytona, a 10-race dogfight awaits the championship hopefuls. 

The new format, Hamlin says, has put chasing a championship back into drivers' hands. 

Denny Hamlin speaks on Chase format

"The destination of where you want to go is more in your hands," Hamlin said Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. "The sample size is bigger. This thing could come down to a green-white-checkered at Homestead. We don't know. But at least there's many other races and restarts that happened that counted just the same; the nine races before that.

"I like it for that reason that, I don't think that one freak race or incident or one win just completely changes the outlook of your championship hopes."

For Hamlin, who is still chasing his first Cup title and could only have one more shot in 2027 to win one, the change has been a welcome one. With four victories on the season, Hamlin is the Cup Series points leader by one point over Tyler Reddick entering the 19th race of the season Sunday at Chicagoland.

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.