NASCAR changes playoff format again as it reverts back to the original 10-race Chase format

The Chase for the Cup is back in NASCAR.

The sanctioning body announced Monday that it was returning to its original postseason roots and getting rid of the multi-round format it had used since 2014. In 2026, the top 16 drivers through the first 26 races of the season will compete in the 10-race postseason. The driver with the most points over the final 10 races of the season will win the championship.

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NASCAR first implemented the Chase in 2004. Before 2004, NASCAR’s Cup Series had been decided by whoever earned more points over the entirety of the season.

The format from 2014 through 2025 eliminated four drivers in each of the first three three-race rounds. The final four drivers would then race heads-up for the championship in the final race of the season.

In 2025, Kyle Larson used a two-tire pit stop during the last caution to get off pit road first among the championship contenders and win his second Cup Series title. Larson did not lead a single lap during the final race as Denny Hamlin dominated but found himself behind Larson thanks to a four-tire pit stop ahead of the two-lap sprint to the finish.