The page, NASCAR Winston Cup Series Standings on X, keeps track of the current NASCAR Cup Series points standings by using the traditional Laford points algorithm after each race. Following the street race in Chicago, they posted a video tout what the points standings would look like if NASCAR reverted back to the previous algorithm, aka the Winston Cup algorithm. If NASCAR still used this points system, Chase Elliott would be the points leader, 51 points over teammate Kyle Larson and 68 points ahead of Christopher Bell.
It’s a fun statistic for fans to keep track of throughout the season. It also inadvertently caught the attention of NASCAR’s most popular driver in the history of the sport, Dale Earnhardt Jr. In his initial response, he deemed the post “entertaining”. This then led one fan, writing under the handle of @6lizzsane to respond. He stated that it’s not entertaining, that it’s how fans know who the “real” champion is. Junior clapped back, writing that it’s “very entertaining” to keep track of. He also agreed that this is his preferred championship points system.
It's very entertaining! Agree that it's the preferred method.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) July 7, 2025
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is something of a traditionalist when it comes to NASCAR. Therefore, it doesn’t really come as a surprise to learn that this is his preferred championship format. His comments did create a stir online, though. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of impact (if any) this has when it come to making a decision on the title format for 2026. Dale Jr., being one of the most influential voices in the NASCAR garage, typically has NASCAR’s ear.
As we all know, the championship format today is a win-and-you’re-in playoff system. If a driver wins at least one race each round in the Playoffs, they will find themselves in the championship 4, competing for a championship. This is regardless of how they performed in the regular season. The system was widely scrutinized following Joey Logano’s 3rd title win last year. The playoffs taken out of consideration, Joey Logano was 14th in the season-long standings, yet was crowned champion.
It’s hard to hate the player, but the game is fair play. Fans were vocal about wanting a different championship format after Logano’s win, perhaps louder than ever. NASCAR even stated that they were likely to change the format for the 2026 season. Only time will tell what the new format will look like. Will they revert back to a season-long format, or will they keep the playoffs and just alter the specifics of it? The current playoff format is the longest-tenured format since the “playoffs” (or Chase for the Cup) was introduced in 2004.
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