NASHVILLE, Tenn. – NASCAR 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: 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