NASCAR has officially announced its championship format for the 2026 season and beyond. They’re introducing a format reminiscent of “The Chase,” eliminating their win-and-in format for the playoffs. The announcement was made after NASCAR took heat for the most recent format that saw Kyle Larson win the championship in 2025.

NASCAR today announced the return of ‘The Chase’ as its national series championship format beginning in 2026, hearkening back to the roots of NASCAR’s original postseason format that was in place fro...

Most importantly, the sample size to determine the champion is no longer a single race but a 10-race points race.