A New Era for the Cup Series
NASCAR has confirmed that the traditional regular‑season championship will be eliminated beginning in 2026, marking the most sweeping change to the Cup Series in over a decade.
The decision stems from a comprehensive review led by a committee that included active drivers, former champions and Hall of Famers, all of whom concluded that the term “playoffs” does not fit a racing environment.
Why the Change Matters
Under the new format, the driver who tops the points standings after the first 26 races will be designated the No. 1 seed in the Chase and will start the playoffs with a 25‑point lead over the second‑placed competitor.
Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, said the move reflects a desire for clarity, noting that “there is only one champion per season” and that the new seeding “will last a week, depending on what happens in the Chase.”
The restructuring also resets the points pool for the top 16 drivers after the 26‑race regular season, a shift that fans have long joked was merely a consolation prize when the points leader before the playoffs was effectively the season’s unofficial champion.
The revamped system builds on a timeline that began with the Chase’s introduction in 2014 and the formal adoption of “Playoff” terminology in 2017, but it pushes the series toward a single‑winner narrative that organizers say better aligns with the sport’s competitive spirit.