Overview
- The 2026 format ends win-and-in and eliminations, sends the top 16 by points after 26 races into a 10-race Chase, and crowns the champion by total points at Homestead-Miami.
- Scoring tweaks raise a race win to 55 points with stage points retained, and the Chase reset starts the leader at 2,100 points with defined gaps through 16th.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. says the change brings back week-to-week urgency for fans after he felt the playoff era made races skippable and championships feel like potluck.
- Joey Logano expects fewer do-or-die moves, but Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain argue aggressive habits learned in development series will persist despite the reset.
- Ben Kennedy credited Mark Martin’s influence on the committee’s decision, while Jimmie Johnson confirmed a 2026 Truck Series start with TRICON at the San Diego street circuit.