so what is going to be the new points system?

NASCAR Announces Return of ‘The Chase’ Championship Format

NASCAR National Series Champions Determined By Familiar Postseason Model

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 12, 2026) – NASCAR today announced the return of ‘The Chase’ as its national series championship format beginning in 2026, hearkening back to the roots of NASCAR’s original postseason format that was in place from 2004-2013 in the NASCAR Cup Series. The changes come after an extensive review that included collaboration between owners, drivers, OEMs, tracks, broadcast partners, and – most importantly – the fans.



“As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR President. “At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR’s storied history and the traditions that have made the sport so special. Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this format is designed to honor their passion every single race weekend.”



The enhanced format follows an exhaustive Playoff Committee and fan-feedback review that put forward three key recommendations:



  • A larger sample size for a championship
  • Bolster the importance of each race
  • Rewarding consistency while maintaining the importance of winning


NASCAR has implemented each of those cornerstone pieces of feedback by making the following changes for 2026 and beyond:



‘The Chase’ is back. NASCAR returns to the end-of-season championship format, maintaining the intensity and urgency that define postseason racing. Simply put, the driver with the most points after the postseason slate will be crowned the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion. The Chase will consist of the final 10 races for the NASCAR Cup Series; the final nine races for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; and the final seven races for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – a similar proportion and calendar timeline between regular season and postseason races for each series.



‘Win and you’re in’ is gone. A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase, increasing the importance of every event on the schedule. Winning is still valuable, but drivers must continue to perform at a high level throughout the regular season.



Race winning drivers earn more points. A win will now earn the race-winning driver 55 points. Previously, a win paid 40 points. The goal is to reward drivers who go for wins, not just strong points days, and ensure aggressive racing and strong team performance remain central to each weekend. Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same.



The Chase will feature the top drivers in regular-season points. Returning to a points-based qualification system reinforces the value of consistent, season-long performance and ensures the drivers who execute across the full schedule earn the chance to compete for a championship. The Chase in the NASCAR Cup Series will feature 16 drivers; the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series field will be set at 12 drivers, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field at 10.



The points leader after the regular season will receive a meaningful advantage. As recognition for sustained excellence, the top driver at the end of the regular season will earn a 25-point cushion over the second seed.



Here is how the Chase seedings will be set for the NASCAR Cup Series (Note: The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series seedings will be the same, except cut off at 12 and 10, respectively.):



1st: 2100

2nd: 2075

3rd: 2065

4th: 2060

5th: 2055

6th: 2050

7th: 2045

8th: 2040

9th: 2035

10th: 2030

11th: 2025

12th: 2020

13th: 2015

14th: 2010

15th: 2005

16th: 2000





About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Euro Series, NASCAR Mexico Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.



For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
 
Blaze said:
16 drivers seems like to many.
Click to expand...
DaleJrFan2003 said:
I'll take it. Still think 16 drivers is too many.
Click to expand...
I agree, but their re-seeded points value will be so low they may as well not be there anyway. They’ll have to overcome just about a full 2-race deficit within 10 races to catch the top seed.

All things considered, this seems like a relatively healthy compromise. I look forward to seeing how it plays out.
 
kkfan91 said:
Oh and I don't care if you people laugh at my post above. I love this sport more than most of you people ever will. You people have hurt it and you people are who I will hold responsible.
Click to expand...
Four 'you people' in one post. Impressive (the count, not the position).
 
kkfan91 said:
Oh and I don't care if you people laugh at my post above. I love this sport more than most of you people ever will. You people have hurt it and you people are who I will hold responsible.
Click to expand...
Sure you do. Sure you do. You got this mind set that you can never ever question NASCAR, and that you got to love everything they do or you hate the sport. That's ridiculous. People can love something but still want change. We haven't hurt ****.
 
I’m happy with the format. Agree 16 drivers a bit too many but it’s a reward for drivers and the networks. Assume stage points will still apply, which I think may be the ultimate wild card factor. BUT, can’t argue that those stage points don’t impact how hard those drivers work to win them…so they do promote racing within the race.
 
kkfan91 said:
Oh and I don't care if you people laugh at my post above. I love this sport more than most of you people ever will. You people have hurt it and you people are who I will hold responsible.
Click to expand...
I love it alot to the point I spend money and time going to races each year. I love it so much I spent 2 grand on tickets to bring my family, friends of the family and customers to a race for Chicagoland Speedway's return next year. So I think I can say the points system from 2014 until last year was an abomination and a clown show 101 on how to crown a champion. It's unfortunate for you its going away and that you liked it, but this format is a great compromise that I think most in the fanbase will enjoy.
 
I don't know why so many people in the chat keep commenting on stages. This was always about how the championship is decided, not how individual races are scored or how those points are awarded.
 
Conover said:
I’m happy with the format. Agree 16 drivers a bit too many but it’s a reward for drivers and the networks. Assume stage points will still apply, which I think may be the ultimate wild card factor. BUT, can’t argue that those stage points don’t impact how hard those drivers work to win them…so they do promote racing within the race.
Click to expand...
Btw with 55 points for a race win it's now guaranteed that the race winner will get the most points each race.
 
HoneyBadger said:
‘Win and you’re in’ is gone. A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase, increasing the importance of every event on the schedule. Winning is still valuable, but drivers must continue to perform at a high level throughout the regular season.
Click to expand...
The Austin Dillon/Harrison Burton/SVG rule.
 
giphy.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom