NASCAR Overhauls Championship Format, Changing Racing Dynamics

New points-based system aims to promote consistency over risky moves for wins

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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NASCAR has announced a revised championship format for the 2026 Cup Series season, moving away from the previous "win-and-in" playoff system. The new format will reward consistency over the entire 26-race regular season, with the top 16 drivers in points making the 10-race playoff "Chase" regardless of whether they have won a race. This change is expected to alter the on-track competition, as drivers will have less incentive to make overly aggressive moves or wreck rivals in pursuit of a single race win.

Why it matters

The previous "win-and-in" system had been criticized by some veteran drivers for encouraging unethical and dangerous racing, as drivers were highly incentivized to do "whatever it took" to win a race, even if it meant wrecking the leader. The new points-based format aims to promote a return to "the purity" of NASCAR racing by reducing the pressure to make reckless moves for a single victory.

The details

Under the new format, a single race win will still earn a driver a playoff spot, but it will no longer be a "season-altering moment." Drivers who have already clinched a playoff spot will have less reason to "swing for the fences" and take high-risk gambles, as points will now be more important than individual wins. Crew chiefs and analysts believe the change will discourage the "dumb moves on late restarts" that had become common in the previous system, as drivers will need to focus more on consistent finishes rather than desperate attempts to win.

  • NASCAR announced the revised championship format in January 2026.
  • The new format will be implemented starting with the 2026 Cup Series season.

The players

Ryan Blaney

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who believes the new format will "clean up a lot of the racing side of it and get back to the purity side of it."

Joey Logano

A three-time NASCAR champion during the "win-and-in" era, who acknowledged the mental challenge of deciding "what's acceptable" in terms of aggressive driving.

Chase Briscoe

A NASCAR driver who said under the previous format, drivers with a win "would just swing for the fences" without worrying about the consequences.

Rodney Childers

A longtime NASCAR crew chief who believes the new format will discourage drivers from "tearing a bunch of cars up for no reason" on late restarts.

Daniel Suarez

A NASCAR driver who crashed out of races nine times last season, attributing it to being "very reckless and tak[ing] chances" to try to win a race and make the playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“It's going to clean up a lot of the racing side of it and get back to the purity side of it. A little bit more of the beautiful art form that I grew up loving.”

— Ryan Blaney, 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion (NASCAR.com)

“Desperate people do desperate things, and it was a true test of what your morals are in the race car. It was a true challenge mentally deciding what you're OK with and what you weren't.”

— Joey Logano, 3-time NASCAR champion (NASCAR.com)

“Hopefully it gets rid of some of the dumb moves on late restarts we were seeing with the win-and-in, tearing a bunch of cars up for no reason. If you have a 10th-place car, try to finish seventh with it. But don't tear stuff up, don't wreck stuff. Collect all the points you can every single week.”

— Rodney Childers, Longtime NASCAR crew chief (SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

“We're going to continue to be a little reckless, because that's who we are, but we're going to have to pick and choose a little better.”

— Daniel Suarez, NASCAR driver (NASCAR.com)

“A win is so massive in life to win in the Cup Series, every driver who straps in on race day is willing to do whatever it takes. Any of them who say they won't try to win with everything they know how to do, I don't think is telling the truth.”

— Ross Chastain, NASCAR driver (NASCAR.com)

What’s next

NASCAR will monitor the impact of the new championship format throughout the 2026 season to determine if any further adjustments are needed to promote the desired style of racing.

The takeaway

NASCAR's shift away from the "win-and-in" playoff system is an attempt to return the sport to a more ethical and consistent form of racing, where drivers are incentivized to focus on accumulating points through solid finishes rather than resorting to desperate, dangerous maneuvers in pursuit of a single race victory. The changes aim to clean up the on-track competition and restore the "purity" of NASCAR racing.