so what is going to be the new points system?

This.

Anybody know why the Chase went away in the first place?
After trying and failing with little incremental tweaks over the years, after the 2013 season and Jimmie Johnson's 6th championship, His Excellency, High Chairman Brian Z. France, was faced with an impossible choice:

1) Allow Jimmie to catch and possibly pass Dale Sr. (and Richard Petty, but Sr. was the true concern) and win 7+ championships, creating Major Great Stain Implications if he won 7, and an irreversible Great Stain on the sport if he won more than 7

2) Stop Jimmie by injecting the sport with a slow-acting lethal poison - destroy the Chase, and go to a winner-take-all "playoff" format that Jimmie couldn't win every year

Brian bravely went with #2, with the hope that NASCAR would survive long enough to see Jimmie's retirement or transition to a part-time schedule, when an antidote that he knew he may not have been around to see could finally be developed and administered. Brian couldn't stop the Major Great Stain Implications, nor would he ultimately survive as High Chairman for long enough to see the antidote successfully administered at 3:30 p.m. yesterday, but his courageous actions successfully prevented the Great Stain. Mission accomplished.

Thank you, former High Chairman Brian Z. France, for your service and sacrifice. Praise be.
 
Here’s an article on the behind the scenes about what went into this format’s return. My take way was that NASCAR was ready to go back to a full season format to crown a champion, but the TV Overlords and Sponsor contracts negated that. NASCAR Honchos and especially the media kept using the word “compromise” yesterday. It makes sense now. TV has so much power as do the sponsors, the Pandora’s box was opened in 2004 and I don’t think there’s any going back. Also makes sense as to why there’s 16 drivers in this format. It’s still better than what we had the last 10 years or so, if they can navigate the points reset at 10 to go there’s more control in the drivers hand to win a championship than what there was. That’s a good thing.

Per Jordan Bianchi and the Athletic:


By Jordan Bianchi
Jan. 12, 2026Updated 2:33 pm CST




CHARLOTTE, N.C. — During the year-long process in which NASCAR conceptualized its next championship format, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell kept reminding himself that whatever system they settled on, he wanted to be able to explain it to someone in a straightforward manner. He even had a specific succinctness in mind.

“What we recognized through all this is if I can’t explain it to you in an elevator from the first floor to the 20th floor, we’ve got a problem,” O’Donnell told The Athletic.

If the idea was to have a more straightforward playoff system that more fairly determines who should be the premier Cup Series champion, then NASCAR’s new version of “The Chase,” unveiled Monday, delivers. Gone is the controversial multi-round elimination format NASCAR has utilized since 2014, replaced by one that emphasizes sustained excellence over 10 weeks. Of the 16 drivers that qualify for the Cup playoffs, whoever is atop the points standings after 10 races is the champion.

The new format has earned strong reviews, including from NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Mark Martin, who has been a frequent critic of NASCAR having any playoff format — especially the previous version, in which the championship was decided in a one-race finale.

The Chase, though, is something Martin says he fully supports.

“I love it,” Martin told The Athletic. “I think it’s a huge win for NASCAR. It’s a huge win for the competitors. No one loses. It’s a huge win for the fans. No one loses in this format.”

The old format had little support among many who considered themselves staunch NASCAR fans, like Martin, with the discourse forming a cloud over the past two playoffs.

Heading into the 2025 season, the league formed a committee to examine everything surrounding the playoffs, from the current format to potential formats, to even whether NASCAR needed a playoff at all. Nothing was off limits. Thirty-four people agreed to participate, representing several roles across the industry. (Included on the committee was The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck.) Many on the panel were specifically invited due to their dislike of the elimination playoff format.

“When this industry is at its best, it’s at its best because you’ve got a lot of voices from all areas of the industry having a dialog,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR executive vice president and chief brand officer, effectively the point person on the project.

The committee brought no guarantees of any changes, but its formation was the beginning of a path ultimately leading to Monday’s announcement.

“There was a lot of noise, and I think a lot of noise, even internally, regarding that one-race championship,” O’Donnell said. “It certainly creates drama, but when you look at the competitors and their viewpoint of, ‘Does one race really make sense based on the body of work for a full season?’ I think the noise was getting louder and louder.”

The first committee meeting in February 2025 revealed that NASCAR had a credibility problem regarding its championship structure. The one-race finale made it possible for a driver to win the title despite a season that may not normally be viewed as championship-worthy. Joey Logano winning the 2024 Cup championship despite a substandard regular season — his average finish was 17.1, the worst ever for a champion — was a tipping point.

“I think eventually this was a conversation that was always going to happen,” Clark said. “The timing probably changed a little bit with Joey’s championship.”

Shortly after the initial committee meeting, NASCAR sent a survey to the members soliciting feedback on various formulas. Only one person suggested NASCAR return to a full-season championship, where the driver who accumulated the most points across all 36 races is crowned champion, the format NASCAR used from 1949-2003.

That person was Martin.

“When I became convinced that the majority of the fans wanted something different, and also I didn’t disagree with it, I decided that I could be their voice,” Martin said. “I could scream louder than they could.”

As the process continued, NASCAR executives eventually determined they had four options on the table:

1) Leave the elimination format as-is;

2) Keep an elimination playoff but expand the final round beyond one race to lessen the odds of an “undeserving” winner emerging (this would become known as the 3-3-4 format, consisting of three races each in the first two rounds and four races in the final round);

3) A season-long championship;

4) The Chase.

With the continued backlash over the present format, it became clear a change was necessary. Something had to happen.

“Personally, I got to the point where no matter how big the drama was in the one-race final, I didn’t like it because I knew we were one step away from really challenging storylines,” O’Donnell said. “And it would be very hard to explain, not only to the media, but to our fan base and then to the competitors.”

NASCAR’s focus then turned primarily to the remaining three options. To help analyze all aspects, NASCAR tapped Racing Insights, its official statistical service, to run in-depth simulations on these formats, plus several others.

“We ran simulations of like 10,000 different seasons using past driver performance data,” said Russell Wenrich, Racing Insights’ managing director. “We tested everything you could probably think of, from off-the-wall things to the standard (season-long) to the 10-race thing to a 3-3-4 format, a 1-3-3, a 2-6, a 4-4-4. It was pretty wild some of the things we came up with.”

Additional committee meetings were held throughout the summer. Opinions shifted among the members. Gradually, Martin’s case for a season-long format was swaying some on the panel. Others began to voice their support, both publicly and privately.

“By the third meeting, people on the committee had started to see that, yes, it was on the table,” Martin said. “I could not believe it.”

But Martin’s preferred route faced sizable hurdles in the form of NASCAR’s media rights partners, who liked the drama a playoff presented, and data showing many fans supported a playoff of some kind. Selecting this system wouldn’t be an alternative to the elimination format, but a complete rebuke of NASCAR having any playoff.

Still, it was seriously considered — much more than league executives anticipated back in February.

“It did pick up momentum,” Clark said. “And when we ultimately made the final decision, it was very, very much part of the conversation. It was legitimately considered.”

By the fall, the drama surrounding the elimination format hit a fever pitch. Nearly every week, a debate seemed to ensue. It was decided that any new format would not be announced until after the season, so as not to discredit whoever won the 2025 championship.

Still, the format remained undecided. At this time, NASCAR favored shifting toward the 3-3-4 structure, believing a four-race final round would alleviate the chief criticism while also maintaining eliminations and the associated drama. The challenge here, though, was whether this fulfilled the mandate of having a system that was easy to understand.

“The 3-3-4 had a lot of energy, but were we solving the problem of making this easy to explain?” Clark said. “That’s where I think that one started to lose some steam.”

Beyond that, one of NASCAR’s marketing initiatives in 2026 is to showcase how the sport is returning to its roots, appealing to a segment of fans who may feel the sport they once loved has evolved into something different. NASCAR leadership realized the juxtaposition of a campaign saying one thing while still utilizing an elimination playoff, albeit in a 3-3-4 form, would open itself up to criticism.

“We felt like if you’re going to go with that positioning, which is the essence of who we are as a sport, then your format and your championship should match that,” O’Donnell said. “And we felt like the timing was right to change to match where we wanted to go as a sport.”

NASCAR wanted to blend its longstanding preference for sustained excellence with a late-season points reset that assured a compelling championship fight.

Enter The Chase.

“You will have to be blazingly consistent and consistently fast to be our NASCAR champion under this system,” Martin said. “I think it’s fabulous.”

Sixteen drivers will earn entry into the 2026 playoffs, as opposed to 12 who qualified in 2013. The number was settled on in part due to teams having contracts already in place with drivers and sponsors related to playoff bonuses, enacted under the elimination format that also had 16 playoff entrants. Sixteen qualifiers out of 36 (44 percent) is in line with the percentage of postseason qualifiers in other major professional sports leagues like the NFL (44 percent) and Major League Baseball (40 percent), Wenrich said.

Another difference is there are no wild-card slots; it’s entirely points-based to emphasize the importance of finishing well in each regular-season race. Though the “win-and-in” rule is out, NASCAR still wanted to encourage aggressive racing for wins, so the league upped the points awarded to a race winner to 55 from 40.

“This is the best of both worlds,” O’Donnell said. “I think for those who want just full-season points, no playoffs, you have points that matter. Every single race matters. And for those who want a playoff, you have a playoff now, but it’s points-based. Winning still really matters.”

The only question left is whether The Chase will resonate with fans.

Confidence is high within NASCAR that they struck the right balance. Racing Insights’ simulations showed the top-performing driver during the regular season would finish fifth or better in the playoffs a majority of the time, demonstrating that week-to-week consistency again carries great weight. And the sport still has a version of a playoff. Something for just about everyone to like at the end of a year of debate.

“What this format is,” Clark said, “is probably the best place to land that can employ a little bit of the benefits for all of those voices.”
 
Here’s an article on the behind the scenes about what went into this format’s return. My take way was that NASCAR was ready to go back to a full season format to crown a champion, but the TV Overlords and Sponsor contracts negated that. NASCAR Honchos and especially the media kept using the word “compromise” yesterday. It makes sense now. TV has so much power as do the sponsors, the Pandora’s box was opened in 2004 and I don’t think there’s any going back. Also makes sense as to why there’s 16 drivers in this format. It’s still better than what we had the last 10 years or so, if they can navigate the points reset at 10 to go there’s more control in the drivers hand to win a championship than what there was. That’s a good thing.
You mean the TV weasels at NBC who said in public any format is fine with them lied along with the backbone less Nascar executives? In fact their bright ideas were to try to create even more fake drama it looks like to me. I would like to think that our outcry about the mess they had created here and other places on the web contributed to the improvements in the sport's format. It isn't what I would like to see, but an improvement none the less.

I'm not impressed with having to go to multiple media places to see a race just so all of the greedy media weasels can get their hands on even more dollars out of the fans, but we stopped some of the game show drama B.S. they were pulling at least.
 
The fact that one race isn't going to be the reason someone wins or loses a championship. That alone makes it better. The fact awhole season's worth of work isn't going to be wiped out because some idiot causes a wreck at Talladega and you get eliminated.
Even if that doesn't produce attendance/TV numbers? Just on principle alone? I wonder what the TV numbers will do now. I think with the 36 race format, the fans would get bored. At least with the Chase, there is some renewed interest when it starts. There have been comparisons to F1 and Indy with season long championships, but NASCAR has a very, very long season. Casual fans would part out I think. I didn't mind the previous Chase, but honestly, I love every race, and have never gotten caught up in the format BS. Renewed my fall Phoenix tickets without that even being a consideration. Let's race!
 
Racing Insights’ simulations showed the top-performing driver during the regular season would finish fifth or better in the playoffs a majority of the time,

They ran tens of bajillions of simulations to come up with a system in which the top performing driver through most of the season will finish at least in the top five at the end. Er, most of the time.

The genius at work here is something to behold.
 
Even if that doesn't produce attendance/TV numbers? Just on principle alone? I wonder what the TV numbers will do now. I think with the 36 race format, the fans would get bored. At least with the Chase, there is some renewed interest when it starts. There have been comparisons to F1 and Indy with season long championships, but NASCAR has a very, very long season. Casual fans would part out I think. I didn't mind the previous Chase, but honestly, I love every race, and have never gotten caught up in the format BS. Renewed my fall Phoenix tickets without that even being a consideration. Let's race!

This canard persists more than two decades later. No, there is no "renewed interest" shown in viewership or other metrics when whatever version of the playoffs they are using that year starts. NASCAR interest and viewership have always followed the same path through the season. Highest for the Daytona 500, remaining relatively high through the spring, but persistently declining throughout the season and falling off a cliff during football season. That last part only became worse during the most frenzied and "dramatic" version of the playoffs used since 2014. That's how casual fans absorb the sport. They don't care in the slightest about resets and contrived close points battles.
 
They ran tens of bajillions of simulations to come up with a system in which the top performing driver through most of the season will finish at least in the top five at the end. Er, most of the time.

The genius at work here is something to behold.
I wonder how many times their "simulations" showed a "win and you are in" driver knocking a legitimate driver/team who busted their asses off all season out of the playoffs?
 
Even if that doesn't produce attendance/TV numbers? Just on principle alone? I wonder what the TV numbers will do now. I think with the 36 race format, the fans would get bored. At least with the Chase, there is some renewed interest when it starts. There have been comparisons to F1 and Indy with season long championships, but NASCAR has a very, very long season. Casual fans would part out I think. I didn't mind the previous Chase, but honestly, I love every race, and have never gotten caught up in the format BS. Renewed my fall Phoenix tickets without that even being a consideration. Let's race!
I never been one to care much about TV Numbers. That does the decide for me if I like something, if you need Numbers to tell you that, then I don't know what to tell you.

But one race shouldn't decide a champion. Especially when stuff outside of your control can cost you, which is what makes it different from other sports before one of those who like to bring up a 16-0 New England Patriots pops in here. They didn't lose because of some team not in the Super Bowl doing something dumb.

Point is, 10 is better than 1. 36 would be better than both, but it is what it is. Just glad win and your in is gone. Glad one race championship is gone. Idc about TV Numbers, I like what I like.
 
You mean the TV weasels at NBC who said in public any format is fine with them lied along with the backbone less Nascar executives? In fact their bright ideas were to try to create even more fake drama it looks like to me. I would like to think that our outcry about the mess they had created here and other places on the web contributed to the improvements in the sport's format. It isn't what I would like to see, but an improvement none the less.

I'm not impressed with having to go to multiple media places to see a race just so all of the greedy media weasels can get their hands on even more dollars out of the fans, but we stopped some of the game show drama B.S. they were pulling at least.
The tv weasels that vouched for a post season only to put said post season races on USA Network. You can’t make this stuff up, the sheer stupidity.
 
This canard persists more than two decades later. No, there is no "renewed interest" shown in viewership or other metrics when whatever version of the playoffs they are using that year starts. NASCAR interest and viewership have always followed the same path through the season. Highest for the Daytona 500, remaining relatively high through the spring, but persistently declining throughout the season and falling off a cliff during football season. That last part only became worse during the most frenzied and "dramatic" version of the playoffs used since 2014. That's how casual fans absorb the sport. They don't care in the slightest about resets and contrived close points battles.
Ah the casual fan. The ever elusive casual fan that drops you at the slightest hint of NFL season nearing…the worst decisions possible for this sport were made to capture that elusive casual fan.
 
This.

Anybody know why the Chase went away in the first place?
Because in typical 21st century NASCAR management, you make a change trying to fix something that wasn't broken, and when THAT fails to bring the desired results, you double down on what failed and come up with an even more absurd variation of it. Now that that idea has failed to gain traction, instead of going back to the last idea that actually WAS successful, you circle back the original failed idea that replaced the working idea. If NASCAR was publicly traded, EVERYONE would be on the street.
 
Because in typical 21st century NASCAR management, you make a change trying to fix something that wasn't broken, and when THAT fails to bring the desired results, you double down on what failed and come up with an even more absurd variation of it. Now that that idea has failed to gain traction, instead of going back to the last idea that actually WAS successful, you circle back the original failed idea that replaced the working idea. If NASCAR was publicly traded, EVERYONE would be on the street.
I can't leave out the media also. Sometimes I think they would be happier if Nascar was cancelled so they could show re-runs of the greatest catches in the NFL.
 
I would have loved to see the full season points format back, but I am so damn happy that the stupid Playoffs system with the one race championship and the win and you're in is gone! "Rest in Piss." I'm cool with this version of the Chase, I do wish it was 10 drivers though! Nothing ever perfect, but this is so much than the crap system that we had.

Since the trial settlement, it seems like things are cooking in the right direction for the first time in a long time. Hell, I see Tony Stewart is making a comeback to NASCAR for the Daytona truck race, that's a good sign. I wonder if we will see him more around the garage if Dodge make a comeback to the Cup Series.
 
2026 is looking to at least be a much needed breath of fresh air. Rounds, eliminations, win and you're in and single race championship are dead and buried, rotting in Hell. Every track under 1.5m is getting a modest, but welcome horsepower boost. And fingers crossed we see the tire wear from the second half of 2025 continue.

It's modest improvements, but...ffs, I'll take anything at this point.
 
2026 is looking to at least be a much needed breath of fresh air. Rounds, eliminations, win and you're in and single race championship are dead and buried, rotting in Hell. Every track under 1.5m is getting a modest, but welcome horsepower boost. And fingers crossed we see the tire wear from the second half of 2025 continue.

It's modest improvements, but...ffs, I'll take anything at this point.
I didn't see a whole lot wrong with the racing myself until they went to the playoffs. The playoff racing was hard to follow with the constant B.S. narrative going on. Looking forward to a better season in that area.
 
“Personally, I got to the point where no matter how big the drama was in the one-race final, I didn’t like it because I knew we were one step away from really challenging storylines,” O’Donnell said. “And it would be very hard to explain, not only to the media, but to our fan base and then to the competitors.”

NASCAR Honcho was not liking what he was seeing.
 
Because in typical 21st century NASCAR management, you make a change trying to fix something that wasn't broken, and when THAT fails to bring the desired results, you double down on what failed and come up with an even more absurd variation of it. Now that that idea has failed to gain traction, instead of going back to the last idea that actually WAS successful, you circle back the original failed idea that replaced the working idea. If NASCAR was publicly traded, EVERYONE would be on the street.
Well said. Listening to NASCAR Radio, and it is being discussed like it is a brand new idea. It is extremely strange with Mark Martin talking about fighting and winning to get this system. Really? Fighting? Winning?
 
2026 is looking to at least be a much needed breath of fresh air. Rounds, eliminations, win and you're in and single race championship are dead and buried, rotting in Hell. Every track under 1.5m is getting a modest, but welcome horsepower boost. And fingers crossed we see the tire wear from the second half of 2025 continue.

It's modest improvements, but...ffs, I'll take anything at this point.
Don't worry....in another week or so, bitching about the car will be back in fashion. Mark Martin will have a new crusade.
 
Well said. Listening to NASCAR Radio, and it is being discussed like it is a brand new idea. It is extremely strange with Mark Martin talking about fighting and winning to get this system. Really? Fighting? Winning?
Yeah really. They doubled down with basketball bracket B.S. if you were paying attention. It was a miserable failure. Soon even yourself will figure out our sport that we love is unique. It can't be made into stick n ball or a combination game show.
 
This canard persists more than two decades later. No, there is no "renewed interest" shown in viewership or other metrics when whatever version of the playoffs they are using that year starts. NASCAR interest and viewership have always followed the same path through the season. Highest for the Daytona 500, remaining relatively high through the spring, but persistently declining throughout the season and falling off a cliff during football season. That last part only became worse during the most frenzied and "dramatic" version of the playoffs used since 2014. That's how casual fans absorb the sport. They don't care in the slightest about resets and contrived close points battles.
Guess we are going to find out how many old school NASCAR fans actually exist.
 
Yeah really. They doubled down with basketball bracket B.S. if you were paying attention. It was a miserable failure. Soon even yourself will figure out our sport that we love is unique. It can't be made into stick n ball or a combination game show.
Oh I understand the uniqueness of our sport. I just don't get caught up in the bitching about everything program. I actually love this sport. It cannot be ruined. Not possible...as long as the motors crank....and yes, I said as long as motors crank.....non of that all electric BS....Hybrids, however, are long, long overdue.
 
Oh I understand the uniqueness of our sport. I just don't get caught up in the bitching about everything program.
You appear to be doing a pretty good job from my viewpoint. I do agree some are here to complain only. Takes all kinds. This point system awarding championships to one race lottery winners was an embarrassment to the sport of auto racing and ruined the legacy Nascar had built up over the years. Now at least we have a chance at non bogus Champions who win by consistency over a long period.
 
You appear to be doing a pretty good job from my viewpoint. I do agree some are here to complain only. Takes all kinds. This point system awarding championships to one race lottery winners was an embarrassment to the sport of auto racing and ruined the legacy Nascar had built up over the years. Now at least we have a chance at non bogus Champions who win by consistency over a long period.
Honestly, I am just glad that we are closer it appears to having something that more people like. I really don't mind the bitching too much....I just hope that those who do complain are finding some joy in this sport that they aren't talking about. It is so cool. I've got three Christmases booked, and I am looking at another. I love this stuff.
 
Honestly, I am just glad that we are closer it appears to having something that more people like. I really don't mind the bitching too much....I just hope that those who do complain are finding some joy in this sport that they aren't talking about. It is so cool. I've got three Christmases booked, and I am looking at another. I love this stuff.
In a pulling the wings off of butterfly's way I'm sure they do.
 
Don't worry....in another week or so, bitching about the car will be back in fashion. Mark Martin will have a new crusade.
To each their own, different opinions make the world go round and even fun etc...

But as for myself, Mark Martin is a first class racer and much more than just another bitcher. It is possible to see the imperfections while still loving.
 
I'm happy they got rid of win and in. But they shouldn't give the playoff teams huge bonus points for getting into the playoffs. They should keep everyone on the same point system throughout the year including the playoffs. That way teams can improve their final standing at the end of the year.
 
So whats the overall opinion like for this format?

I think its a good change.. never needed to change from it in the first place lol but yeah I like it.

Looking forward to this season even more now.

Been seeing some Logano hate in other places.. "he wont luck into one now" and other typical whiny crybaby bs like that.. but I saw a graphic that showed he would have 4 under this format 🤣
 
So whats the overall opinion like for this format?
It's not what I wanted but I think it's the best we could expect.

But they shouldn't give the playoff teams huge bonus points for getting into the playoffs. They should keep everyone on the same point system throughout the year including the playoffs. That way teams can improve their final standing at the end of the year.
Agreed. It would have been easy to simply declare the 16 drivers as championship contenders without altering the points standings. The networks already know how to highlight the contenders on the scoring pylons and tickers, so the casual fans would be able to pick them out.

As Robert Redford said in 'The Sting', "It's not enough ... but it's close!"
 
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