NASCAR on Monday announced that it will return to the “Chase” style championship format that it used from 2004-13 for the 2026 season and beyond.
The format replaces NASCAR’s elimination-style playoff bracket that it has used since 2014 that includes multiple points resets and a one-race, winner-take-all finale to decide the title between the four drivers that make the championship round.
Sixteen drivers will make the Chase after 26 regular season races. The ‘win-and-in’ factor of the playoffs, which ensured drivers that won in the regular season a playoff berth, will no longer be in place, with the top-16 drivers in points after 26 regular season races making the postseason.
The No. 1 seed in the Chase will have a 25-point lead over the driver in second place, ensuring the “regular season champion” will still carry a notable advantage into the postseason. After the 10-race Chase, the Chase driver with the most points will win the title. There will be no points resets or eliminations during the 10-race postseason.