Overview
- NASCAR has finalized a 2026 format that advances the top 16 by regular-season points after 26 races, applies a single reseed, and decides the title by cumulative points over a 10-race Chase with no eliminations.
- Race wins will now pay 55 points, up from 40, while stage and finishing points remain in place to balance the value of victories with consistency.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. called the outgoing playoff system gimmicky and said the change rekindles week-to-week interest by restoring a season-long narrative.
- Reactions range from Chase Elliott describing the shift as a workable balance that still rewards strong points days to Connor Zilisch welcoming a move away from winner-take-all finales after his 2025 disappointment.
- Crew chief Billy Scott cautioned that early results at tracks like Daytona and Atlanta will matter more, and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chase Briscoe emphasized that every race counts without win-and-you’re-in or eliminations.