What’s Different about NASCAR’s New Chase Compared to Past Versions?
What’s Happening? In 2026, NASCAR is returning to a simplified, “Chase” format to crown its three NASCAR National Series Champions. The…
Starting in 2017, NASCAR awarded the top-seeded playoff driver with the regular-season championship at the conclusion of the playoff cutoff race. Now with a new format and vernacular in play for 2026, officials have confirmed this award will no longer be handed out after 26 races.
Though the NASCAR playoff system introduced under the Chase name in 2014 had its fair share of supporters, a common thread between these fans and those who opposed the format was a dislike for the “playoff” vocabulary.
The sport introduced the Playoff name to the multi-round elimination format in 2017, as well as other “stick and ball” lingo, such as the “regular season” or the 26 races prior to the ten-race playoff.
Alongside this introduction was the awarding of the regular-season championship, an award given to the driver who led the points entering the playoffs, something fans often joked was handed out as a consolation because the best driver could fall short of the championship by November.
This year, alongside scrapping the 2014 format, NASCAR also scrapped the Playoff terminology. However, fans were still wondering if the regular-season championship would be handed out at Daytona following the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Earlier this week, on his podcast Actions Detrimental, current points leader Denny Hamlin spoke about how the title would not be handed out this season, something that shocked some fans.
In response, NASCAR officials addressed this discussion during their weekly episode of Hauler Talk, with NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Communications Mike Forde saying that the scrapping of the regular season title is all part of the reintroduction of the Chase.
“Here’s where, I guess, NASCAR stands, in a way, I don’t think we care what anyone calls it, really,” Forde said. “I think we’re not going to call it a regular-season champion. We are not going to call it the playoffs.”
Forde then called back to the 2025 NASCAR Playoff Committee, a committee consisting of drivers, Hall of Famers, industry members, media members, and other stakeholders, assembled by NASCAR to help sort out a new championship format.
That committee helped NASCAR realize that while the format was one problem, the terminology was a widely unpopular and entirely different problem.
“From the very first meeting, day one, give credit to Mark Martin here, he said, ‘one of the things we should do is get rid of the term playoffs. We don’t play in racing. We don’t play racing. We’re racers, we race,'” Forde said.
Forde then added that the committee’s conclusion is that there is no need for a regular season champion as there is “only one champion.”
“There’s only one champion per season, that’s the one who takes home the big trophy. So don’t need that anymore either.” — Mike Forde
Even then, while there will technically be a regular-season champion, that driver will not receive a trophy and will only be dubbed the No. 1 seed in the Chase.
“There’s not gonna be a regular season trophy, regular season champion. I guess, in essence, there will be, it’s whoever finishes 1st in the regular season,” Forde said. “But we’re calling it the number one seed heading into the playoffs, the Chase number one seed, and that number one seed will last a week, depending on what happens, and then we’ll have the standings.”
Of course, the case could still be made that the No. 1-seeded driver does get an award, even though that award may not be physical.
At the conclusion of the 26 races leading up to the Chase, the points reset for the top 16 drivers will see the No. 1 seed with a 25-point advantage over second place, which is 15 points more than any other driver.
This advantage could go a long way in helping the best driver for the majority of the season hold their edge during the chase. Something that most past Chase/playoff systems mostly limited.
What’s Happening? In 2026, NASCAR is returning to a simplified, “Chase” format to crown its three NASCAR National Series Champions. The…
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