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NASCAR President Teases New Playoff System in Lower Series in 2026

Kauy Ostlien

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

During a recent interview, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell claimed that NASCAR’s search for a new playoff format is in its “final processes” and teased that officials are considering testing different formats across the three NASCAR National Series.

Among the many storylines of change during the 2025 NASCAR season, perhaps the most prominent is the sport’s open search for potential changes to its playoff format.

As part of this, NASCAR has gathered industry stakeholders, such as network partners, drivers, owners, and even Hall of Famers, for their opinions on the system as part of the NASCAR playoff committee. Though this committee will not make the final decision on the potential changes made to the playoff system, or point system as a whole, NASCAR has used it as a brain trust of ideas and review.

At first, the sport seemed hopeful that it would make any necessary changes by 2026. Recent reports suggest that NASCAR could hold off for another year while it continues conversations with TV partners and doesn’t want to rush such an important decision.

Some fans rejected this idea of holding off another year, while others supported it, saying that it’s better to get the idea right rather than rush to a conclusion that is just as unstable as the current format. But, during a recent interview with Eric Estepp of Out of the Groove, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said that the discussions around changing the system are winding down.

“We are kind of in the final processes,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve tried to talk to as many of the stakeholder groups as possible. We’ve got a couple more of those conversations to have.” O’Donnell then suggested that after the discussions wrap up, the process of implementing a new system might be a question of where rather than when.

“Do You Try Three Different Things?”

In an interesting twist, O’Donnell suggested that the sport could test a different format in one of its two lower national series, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (the new name for the NASCAR Xfinity Series) and the Craftsman Truck Series, or even try three different formats across all three series as early as next year.

”I think for us the decisions are gonna be, ‘Do you put something immediately in the Cup Series? Do you try something around next year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Trucks? Do you try three different things?’ ” — Steve O’Donnell

In the past, some fans have criticized NASCAR for being quick to implement changes, such as the Playoff elimination system in 2014 or the NASCAR Next Gen in 2022, without testing them in lower series or divisions like other major sports leagues do. O’Donnell even addressed this directly.

“Most sports will look at, ‘Hey, let’s try this in AAA baseball. And if it works, great, if we want to tweak it, okay, let’s make those tweaks and then put it to the next level.’ We’ve historically not done that. So we’re just going to try and beat up a lot of those things.” — Steve O’Donnell

If the sport went this route in 2026, it might be as confusing as it would be exciting. Still, prior to 2016, the Truck and Xfinity Series did not have a playoff or Chase System, meaning there was a 12-year period where the two lower National Series and the top National Series did not share this system.

Ultimately, O’Donnell did not rule out leaving the system as is for the future. He acknowledges that fans may not like this decision, saying, “If we stay the status quo and we don’t do anything in all three series, there’s got to be a pretty good explanation as to why, and to who we spoke to.”

Closing out the playoff topic, O’Donnell reiterated that NASCAR’s goal is to find a format that fans are proud of. “I can assure you what we want is, for the championship and the champion to be somebody that all our fans are proud of in terms of how it was determined.”

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Cup: Reddick Makes History, Goes 3 For 3 to Start 2026 Season

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

The checkered flag flew down in Austin, Texas, as Tyler Reddick made history by winning his third straight race to kick off the 2026 season. With this win, he starts the year with a massive points lead. No other driver is within 70 points of Reddick in the points standings.

Who would have guessed going into this race that SVG not only wouldn’t be the dominant car but also would only lead a handful of laps? The No. 97 team was just off in general, from a slower-than-usual qualifying effort on Saturday and a car that didn’t turn to SVG’s liking. Luckily for much of the field, it opened the door of opportunity for other drivers to pounce and dethrone SVG as King of the road, at least in Austin.

Here are the key things to take away from today’s Cup Series battle at Circuit of the Americas.

  • All eyes were on Tyler Reddick going into today’s race as he attempted to do what no driver has ever done before–win the first three races of the season. He was off to a good start, scoring the Busch Light Pole Award for the second week in a row. When the green flag dropped, he led the opening three laps before surrendering the lead to Ross Chastain. He remained in contention, though, showing to have one of the best cars, along with Ryan Blaney, late in the going as the two of them duked it out for the win. In the end, though, no one could keep up with Reddick as he went on to capture his third flag in third starts to kick off the 2026 season.
  • Shane van Gisbergen, the somewhat undisputed King of the Road, was the guy with the biggest target on his back heading into today’s race. There wasn’t a driver in the field today who didn’t want to see his reign of terror on road courses come to an end. Luckily for them, that No. 97 team was generally off today. They battled handling issues in practice and qualifying and the car wasn’t dialed into SVG’s liking. This hindered his chances to contend for the win and he had to settle for a 2nd place finish.
  • Connor Zilisch, who is known for his road racing skills in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, had a lot of work ahead of him today. He started deep in the pack and remained there for much of the first two stages. However, after the race wore on and cycles of green flag pit stops happened, he found himself solidly in the top 15, battling for a top 10 finish. He ultimately came home in the 14th position.
  • The first caution for the incident flew with 21 laps to go as Ross Chastain lost a tire. During the break for caution, Alex Bowman, who was complaining of being sick all race long, went into the garage area and got out of the car. Not having a ready replacement, Chad Knaus approached FOX pit reporter assistant and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular, Myatt Snider, to finish the race in the No. 48 Ally Chevy to salvage some points. Up to this point, Bowman was running well in the No. 48 ride. Snyder brought it home in 30th.
  • As we leave Austin, Texas, the NASCAR Cup Series heads west to Phoenix for an IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader. There, Tyler Reddick will attempt to do the impossible and win the first four races of the season.
  • Ross Chastain won the Xfinity Fastest Lap.

Cation Tracker
  • Lap 20: End of Stage 1
  • Lap 45: End of Stage 2
  • Lap 78: Ross Chastain Loses a Tire

Race Results

Points Standings (3 of 26)

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 01: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, leads the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on March 01, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

Cup: Mid-Race Report, Trackhouse Reigns Supreme at COTA Early

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

Two stages are now complete at Circuit of the Americas for the NASCAR Cup Series. In the first stage, the cream rose to the top in Austin, Texas as the entire top 5 finishers were all former winners in the Cup Series on road courses. Ross Chastain earned top honors in the opening stage with his Trackhouse teammate, Shane van Gisbergen, right behind him. The second stage crown went to Ty Gibbs. Here’s things to note as we gear up for the final stage through the finish.

  • Points earners in the opening stage include Ross Chastain (10), Shane van Gisbergen (9), Michael McDowell (8), Chris Buescher (7), A. J. Allmendinger (6), Ty Gibbs (5), Alex Bowman (4), Chase Elliott (3), Carson Hocevar (2), and Denny Hamlin (1). Chastain led the final four laps of the stage while Ryan Blaney, who opted to short pit along with Christopher Bell, led the most laps of the stage at 10.
  • Shane van Gisbergen was uncharacteristically mid-pack during yesterday’s qualifying session. Due to a Hail Mary of a lap in the closing moments of the session, he qualified his No. 97 Chevy in the 13th position. The team made adjustments to the car overnight and he methodically started to work his way through the field, rising all the way to second place.
  • The 20-lap opening stage was a clean affair that went green all the way through. No major on-track incidents occurred. Other drivers who led laps early include Tyler Reddick, Case Briscoe, and Shane van Gisbergen.
  • To start the second stage, Tyler Reddick was back out front. He led a handful of laps before turning the lead over to Ryan Blaney, who led a bulk of the stage. The leaders opted to short pit, making a play for the win of the race. This left Ty Gibbs out front to take the Stage 2 win. This earned him 10 points. Other points earners in the stage include A. J. Allmendinger (9), Daniel Suarez (8), Todd Gilliland (7), Tyler Reddick (6), Bubba Wallace (5), Ryan Blaney (4), Cole Custer (3), William Byron (2), and Shane van Gisbergen (1).
  • The second stage, like the first was relatively clean. There were a couple of drivers who went for solo spins. They include Noah Gragson and Josh Berry. Otherwise, it was a clean first half of the race.

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AUSTIN, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 28: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #45 Chumba Casino Toyota, drives during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series DuraMax Grand Prix Powered by RelaDyne at Circuit of The Americas on February 28, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

What to Watch Out for in the NASCAR Cup Series Race at COTA

by Cody Williams

What’s Happening?

For the third round of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, the greatest drivers in the world head down to the Lone Star state of Austin, Texas, to take on the renowned road course of Circuit of the Americas (COTA). 23XI Racing and Tyler Reddick are riding a wave of momentum heading into the third race of the season. No team has ever gone three in a row to start the year. Can they get it done? Well, a certain driver named Shane van Gisbergen might have something to say about that. Here’s what you need to keep an eye on in today’s race at Circuit of the Americas.

  • 23XI is having a strong start to the year. All four of their cars were in contention at some point in the season-opening Daytona 500, with the No. 45 of Tyler Reddick taking the win. They followed that up at Atlanta with more strong runs and Reddick going two in a row. Today, Team No. 45 tries to do what has never been done before–win the first three races to start the season. They got a great chance to do it. Tyler Reddick starts today’s race from the Busch Light Pole.
  • When it comes to road courses in the NASCAR Cup Series, everyone in the room turns to look at Shane van Gisbergen. He won 5 of the 6 last year and had a modest Playoff run because of it. Win and you’re in is now gone but SVG will be looking to collect trophies nonetheless. He has some work to do, though. SVG is rolling off 13th at COTA today.
  • Speaking of road course specialists, there are a number in the field today looking to dethrone SVG. One of them is his teammate, Connor Zilisch. SVG got the best of him in yesterday’s O’Reilly Series race. Can he bounce back? Other road course ringers looking to take down SVG are Michael McDowell, Daniel Suarez, and A. J. Allmendinger.
  • Kyle Busch nearly won this race last year. He went winless the last two seasons. Is today the day that he finally snaps that extremely long winless streak?
  • Coverage for today’s race in Austin, Texas begins at 3:00 PM EST on FOX. The stage breakdown is 20-45-95.

Startin Lineup

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