NASCAR is scrapping its elimination-style championship finale and returning to a 10-race playoff format similar to the one it used from 2004 to 2013.
The series announced Monday that 2026 will mark the debut of “The Chase,” where the eligible driver with the most points over the final 10 races claims the title. The change eliminates the one-race, four-driver shootout that has decided every champion since 2014.
At a Glance
- 16 drivers will qualify for the 10-race playoff based on regular-season points
- Race wins now pay 55 points, up from 40, with no automatic Chase berths
- Points reset once at the start of the playoff; no eliminations during final 10 races
- Why it matters: Fans and drivers have criticized the current format for reducing a season-long battle to a single, unpredictable event
How The New Format Works
The 2026 season begins with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15, on FOX. The first 26 races constitute the regular season, followed by the 10-race Chase that will air on NBC and Peacock (3 races) and USA Network (7 races).
Qualification is straightforward: the top 16 drivers in points after race 26 make the playoff. There are no bonus points for race wins and no way to lock in a spot early, a departure from recent seasons where victories virtually guaranteed a playoff berth.
Once the Chase starts, points reset once based on regular-season finish:
| Regular-Season Finish | Starting Chase Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 2,100 |
| 2nd | 2,075 |
| 3rd | 2,065 |
| 4th | 2,060 |
| 5th | 2,055 |
| 6th | 2,050 |
| 7th | 2,045 |
| 8th | 2,040 |
| 9th | 2,035 |
| 10th | 2,030 |
| 11th | 2,025 |
| 12th | 2,020 |
| 13th | 2,015 |
| 14th | 2,010 |
| 15th | 2,005 |
| 16th | 2,000 |
From there, the champion is simply the driver who accumulates the most points over the final 10 races. No drivers are eliminated and no bonus points are awarded for playoff wins.
Points System Tweaks
NASCAR is also tweaking its race-day scoring to place greater emphasis on victories:
- Race winners receive 55 points instead of 40
- Positions 2-40 still pay 35, 34, 33, etc.
- Stage points remain: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 to the top 10 in each of the first two stages
- A maximum of 75 points is now possible for a driver who wins both stages and the race
The increased winner’s payout addresses a long-standing complaint that 40 points did not sufficiently separate race victors from the rest of the field.
Why The Change?
Since 2014, NASCAR crowned its champion through an elimination format that whittled the playoff field from 16 to 12 to 8 to 4, with the final four drivers battling for the title in a single winner-take-all race. That system drew criticism for placing too much weight on one event where mechanical failures, pit-road mistakes or accidents involving other competitors could erase a season’s worth of excellence.
The return to a full 10-race championship mirrors the model used during NASCAR’s boom years of the mid-2000s, when the title was decided by cumulative performance rather than a single dash for cash.
What Stays The Same
Several elements of the current structure carry over:
- 36 points-paying Cup Series races
- Stage points and playoff points for stage wins
- Points paid down to 40th place
- The Daytona 500 kicks off the season
- Network partners FOX, NBC, USA and Peacock retain coverage
The announcement gives teams and fans nearly two full seasons to prepare for the reset, as the current elimination format will remain in place through the 2025 campaign.
Key Takeaways
- NASCAR is reverting to a 10-race playoff, last used in 2013, starting in 2026
- Sixteen drivers qualify on regular-season points alone; race wins no longer lock in playoff spots
- Race victories now pay 55 points instead of 40, increasing their value
- The champion will be the Chase driver with the highest point total after 10 races, ending the one-race finale format
