Overview
- The 2026 Cup Series will use a 10-race Chase with 16 drivers seeded by regular-season points, with the champion decided by cumulative points at Homestead on Nov. 8.
- Race winners will earn 55 points, stage points remain, and the Chase will start with a reseed at 2,100 points for the top seed with defined gaps through 16th.
- No driver will lock in with a single win and there will be no eliminations, with adapted Chases set for the O’Reilly Series (nine races) and Craftsman Truck Series (seven).
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the elimination era dulled weekly urgency and his own interest, praising the new structure for restoring a clear, season-long narrative.
- Jimmie Johnson backed the focus on consistency, discussed stage-racing pressures, and confirmed a 2026 Truck Series start with TRICON Garage on the San Diego street circuit.