Before NASCAR‘s best officially kick off the 2026 season with the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 15, cars take to the track at Bowman Gray Stadium for the Cook Out Clash on Sunday night (8 p.m. ET, Fox, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

With another season upon us, here are some of the most notable changes ahead of the 2026 campaign.

The ‘Chase’ format returns

NASCAR announced it is bringing a version of the “Clash” back after it was last used from 2004-13 following years of frustration from fans regarding the elimination-style bracket format

Instead of the ‘win-and-in’ and winner-take-all championship format, the top 16 drivers in points after 26 races will qualify for the 10-race “Chase.” From there, there will be no eliminations and the highest driver in points will be crowned the champion.

A 15-point increase for race winners is a reminder that winning still matters in the new format, as does consistency, with the No. 1 seed in the Chase set to inherit a 25-point advantage over second place. It may not be what every fan wanted, but it is a huge step in the right direction.

New title race among key schedule changes

To the delight of many fans, the championship race will return to Homestead-Miami Speedway, which previously hosted the event from 2002-2019. The 1.5-mile track, known for its high tire wear and racy surface, will end Phoenix Raceway’s run as host site from 2020-25.

After being revived to host the All-Star Race the last three seasons, North Wilkesboro Speedway will host its first points-paying race since Sept. 1996 on July 19. 

Other notable changes include Chicagoland Speedway’s return on July 5, replacing the Chicago Street Race, as well as a trip to San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado on June 21 and Dover Motor Speedway’s first All-Star event on May 17. 

Horsepower increase

Goodyear has introduced multiple tire compounds in recent years as a way to increase tire fall off and promote more passing. After mixed results, a horsepower increase is on the way for 2026.

For road courses and any oval that measures under 1.5 miles in length, the horsepower will be increased from 670 to 750. The ultimate goal is to create more off-throttle time for drivers and establish more passing opportunities, which has become less common with reduced horsepower.

Although it does not sound like a huge change should be expected, this will be something to monitor as the season goes on.

Connor Zilisch, Daniel Suarez highlight driver changes

Zilisch enters his first full-time season in the Cup Series after a historic O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season that featured 10 wins, 20 top-fives, 23 top-10s, eight poles and a record-breaking 18 consecutive top-fives. Although he fell short of the championship at Phoenix, Zilisch is one of the most hyped prospects in the sport’s history.

After five seasons at Trackhouse Racing, two-time Cup Series winner Daniel Suarez takes over the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports following a 29th-place finish in the 2025 standings. Maybe a fresh start on a team that appears to be getting stronger is exactly what he needs.

Kyle Busch gets new crew chief

After back-to-back winless seasons and career lows in top-fives (three), top-10s (10) and laps led (88), Richard Childress Racing brought in former O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship-winning crew chief Jim Pohlman to replace Randall Burnett atop the pit box.

Pohlman returns to RCR after his stint with JR Motorsports and will look to get the two-time champion Busch back to victory lane, where he has not been since 2023.