NASCAR’s championship format has just undergone its latest change, but it’s far from the first time the Sanctioning Body has tweaked the way it crowns a champion.

Red Byron winning the inaugural season in 1949, The King earning his first crown in 1971, Dale Earnhardt winning his seventh in 1994, Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five in-a-row in 2010, and Kyle Larson’s latest triumph in 2025 — all of these happened under different systems.

At some point, stock car racing was awarding points based on prize money, race lengths, or even laps completed. In the modern age, the Chase or the playoffs have existed in some form since 2004, breaking the season up into parts and create unpredictable outcomes. 

Without getting too into the weeds of every little change, here’s a simplified rundown of each system that NASCAR has utilized over its 77-year history, and how it has evolved since 1949.

1949: It’s all about the money

Vintage car of Red Byron, NASCAR’s first champion

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

In the early days of the sport, only the top 14 finishers scored points for most races, with the points awarded based on the prize money. If you think the modern systems have been confusing, try to imagine a points table that changed weekly. Winning a race that awarded $500 was worth as much as finishing 14th in a race that awarded $25,000, such as the Southern 500 at Darlington. This system existed for some time, but with changes.

1952: Altering the money-based points format

Points being attached to cash prizes continued until 1967, but in 1952, the system was altered to reflect growing field sizes and bigger purses. Points were awarded back to at least 25th place, and 200 points for the winner of a race paying $4,000 (or less) was the lowest rung. 

1968: Points based on race length, not prize money

Starting in 1968, the points awarded were now based on race length, not prize money. For races at 250 miles or shorter, the winner earned 50 points. For races between 250 and 399 miles, the winner earned 100 points. For races at 400 miles or longer, the winner earned 150 points. This new system also awarded points all the way back to 50th place. This continued for three years without changes.

1972 and 1973: Two systems at once

As NASCAR’s top level of competition became the Winston Cup Series in 1971 and entered the modern age, the championship format changed with it. In 1972 and 1973, there were actually two points systems. The primary system awarded points based on finishing position, no longer determined by race lengths or purse money. The race winner earned 100 points, and it dropped by two points with every position down to 50th. 

At the same time, drivers earned additional points for the distance they covered during each race. For every lap completed, the driver would earn 1/4th of a point at tracks shorter than one mile, half a point at tracks one mile in length, and continuing upward to 2.5-mile superspeedways where drivers earned 1.25 points per lap completed.

For 1973, the system was altered slightly to award 125 points to the race winner while keeping the rest of it the same, adding a bit more emphasis to winning. 

1974: Do the math

NASCAR changed the system yet again in 1974, but this new format only lasted a single year … and you can probably guess why after learning about it. It took the purse money, multiplied it by the driver’s total number of starts, and divided that by 1,000. Even next to the playoffs it was perhaps the most confusing system ever used. The points awarded also changed with every start, since the number of starts played a crucial role in the math.

1975: The Latford system decides the full-season champion

Richard Petty congratulates Dale Earnhard on his seventh championship

Photo by: NASCAR Media

Finally, NASCAR found some consistency in 1975. The Latford system, developed by Bob Latford, awarded 170 points to the race winner, and dropped five points per position down to sixth place. It then dropped four points for every position down to 11th place, and then three points per position down to last place.

It lasted longer than any other format, and was used for decades from the era of Petty to Earnhardt and Gordon. The points system even survived the early iterations of the playoffs and was in use through the 2010 season. The only change was in regards to points for the race winner, upping it to 180 points in 2004 and 185 points in 2007.

2004: The Chase for the Cup Version 1.0 

The final top-10 for the “Chase for the Championship”: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin

Photo by: Autostock

While the Latford system continued to be in use through the 2010, NASCAR introduced the Chase for the Cup in 2004, resetting the points partway through the season. It followed the final season with a full-season championship where Matt Kenseth won a single race in March and then used consistency to capture the crown.

With the Chase, the standings were reset for the top ten drivers in points after Race #26. There were incremental five-point drops between each driver to recognize their performance during the regular season, with the No. 1 seed granted 50 points. 

2007: Expanding the playoff field

The playoff field was expanded from ten drivers to 12, all while still using the Latford system. This version of the Chase also added an extra ten bonus points for every race win, which was added to a driver’s total after the points reset following Race #26.

2011: Introducing wildcards and abandoning the Latford system

For the first time since 1974, NASCAR did not use the Latford system to award points in 2011. This also followed Jimmie Johnson’s unprecedented five-year run of championships. They came up with a new system with hopes of simplifying things, awarding a single point per position. This version of the Chase also introduced two wildcards, which brought in two drivers between 11th and 20th in the standings with the most wins. A driving force behind this was the 2010 season of Jamie McMurray, where he won three races including the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 – but missed the playoffs.

In the first year with this system, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards actually tied for the championship with Stewart winning via the tiebreaker.

The final year of this system was 2013, and featured the SpinGate controversy, with Michael Waltrip Racing causing an intentional caution to try and secure Martin Truex Jr’s spot inside the playoff field. The fallout from that led NASCAR to add a 13th spot to the Chase, bringing Jeff Gordon back into the title hunt.

2014: Radical overhaul with eliminations and multiple rounds 

The four drivers for the 2014 Sprint Cup: Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Ryan Newman, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: NASCAR Media

Enter eliminations. In 2014, NASCAR dramatically changed the championship, throwing the ten-race Chase for the Cup aside in favor of something entirely new. To put it as simply as possible, NASCAR cut the final ten races up into four rounds. The playoffs now included 16 drivers, including a ‘win-and-you’re in’ feature where any driver inside the top 30 in points could win a race and automatically secure a playoff spot. If there were less than 16 winners, then the remaining spots would be filled by the top points-scorers. There were also bonus points for race winners as well, which were applied at reset. As for the playoffs, each three-race round featured resets, eliminating the bottom four drivers in points (unless they won one of the three races). This continued until only four remained, pushing them into a winner-take-all finale with points becoming irrelevant – the top finisher of those four in the season finale would become the champion. 

This format was all about winning, and yet the first champion was nearly a winless driver as Ryan Newman ended the season second in the championship to Kevin Harvick. This format also triggered chaos throughout the rounds, including a massive brawl between Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon at Texas Motor Speedway.

2017: The addition of stage points and playoff bonus points

The format remained the same, but the points around it changed a bit. NASCAR introduced stage breaks and with them, stage points. Most races were split into three stages with up to ten points being awarded to the top-ten runners at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2. This forced drivers to race hard from the start, and gave drivers the opportunity to limit damage from good days that didn’t end well. These stages also awarded a single playoff point to the ‘winner’ that would be added to their total when it became time for the reset.

These playoff bonus points were offered to race winners (now increased to five per win), but also the top ten drivers in the standings at the end of the regular season. The regular season ‘champion’ would earn 15 of these bonus points. 

While there were minor changes in the years that followed, this continued to be the foundational format for determining a champion until the end of the 2025 season. They even dropped the top 30 rule, so even a driver last in points could win their way into the playoffs. Growing disdain for this system  as the perceived ‘deserving’ champion fell short in the one-race finale and frustration over its unpredictability pushed NASCAR to overhaul its championship once again ahead of the 2026 season.

2026: The Chase returns, but with a larger field

2026 version of The Chase announcement

NASCAR’s new format isn’t actually that new, as it’s a return to the ten-race postseason we became accustomed to between 2004 and 2013. However, there are no win and you’re in wildcards, and the field will remain large at 16 drivers. However, it will simply be the top 16 drivers in points who qualify for the Chase.

NASCAR also increased the award for race winners up to 55 points, ensuring no driver can score more than them (via stage points) and putting a 20-point gap between first and second.

Additionally, the reset after Race #26 will not be based on bonus points accumulated during the regular season, but predetermined figured based on points position. For example, the No. 1 seed will have a 100-point advantage over the No. 16 seed. There are also 25 points between first and second at the start of the Chase, before dropping ten points further to third and then five points between each position.

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– The Motorsport.com Team

DETROIT — Michigan Central will become the ultimate destination for motorsports fans this month when Michigan Central Race Days revs up the innovation district from January 18-30, continuing the buzz of the Detroit Auto Show. Presented in partnership with Ford Racing, the  immersion brings the world of motorsports to The Station –  from Off-Road to Formula 1 –  for a hands-on experience for Detroit’s racing die-hards and newcomers alike. Ford Racing is celebrating 125 years of racing as America’s race team in 2026 across 34 different race series on six continents of the world.

For two weeks,The Station will become the place where Detroit’s deep roots in motorsports meet cutting-edge technology and dynamic community programming. Visitors will get an up-close look at the 2026 Ford Racing lineup, experience state-of-the-art simulators, and explore the ideas and technologies shaping the future of motorsports.

“We are thrilled to bring the excitement of Ford Racing’s official season launch to The Station– giving everyone an up-close and personal look at the cutting-edge cars and tech pushing the boundaries of performance,” said Catherine Kelly, head of brand and communications at Michigan Central. “Motorsports in Detroit aren’t just entertainment, they are in our DNA, and we want Michigan Central Race Days to bring this exhilarating sport to everyone.”

EXPERIENCE THE FAST LANE

Throughout Michigan Central Race Days, visitors can explore a range of complimentary must-see exhibits, interactive experiences, and programs, including:

• Vehicle Showcase: A rare public display of six premier Ford Racing vehicles, including the Oracle Red Bull F1 car in its new 2026 livery, marking Ford’s return to Formula 1 after a 22-year absence and featuring the inaugural Red Bull Ford Powertrains power unit. Additional vehicles include the Mustang GT4, Aussie Supercar, Dark Horse R, NASCAR Cup Car, and Bronco DR.

• Racing Simulators: Get into the driver’s seat in one of Ford Racing’s thrilling simulators or feel like a champion with a photo op on our winner’s circle podium.

• Heritage Exhibit: A curated selection of rare racing artifacts and memorabilia tracing Ford’s long history of racing-driven innovation. Check out original documents from the fabled Ford v. Ferrari rivalry, highlights of women in Ford Racing, and artifacts like 24k gold Le Mans cufflinks, documents as far back as 1910, GT program books from the 1960s and more.

• Exclusive Merchandise: The Shop at Michigan Central will feature exclusive race gear including collaborations with Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, Enchanté, designed and created by former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo, and Detroit-based Greyson Clothiers.

Exhibits will be open to the public during regular operating hours, Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Free admission except ticketed events on January 18 for Opening Day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., January 23 for Fridays at The Station 6 p.m.-10 p.m., and January 30 for the Final Lap 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

YOUTH ACTIVITIES TO INSPIRE FUTURE OF RACING

Racing is more than just fast cars; it is the research, development and people behind it. Michigan Central Race Days explore how motorsports innovation is driven by next-generation talent through the following experiences designed with youth organizations and universities.

• Innovation in Motion: The Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan will host a series of experiences for youth starting on January 18 related to engineering, software, autonomy, and design in the field of motorsports like live autonomous racing demos.

• The Science of Speed: In partnership with Michigan State University, the weekend of January 24-25 will explore both the “car machine” and the “human machine” behind elite motorsports. Future innovators and visitors alike will discover the research and development that goes into optimizing driver safety and performance at the Spartan Motorsport Performance Lab. Displays of MSU vehicles, including its Indy Autonomous challenge car, will also hit the floor with students from MSU’s SAE Formula 1 racing team ready to share the ways they keep problem-solving related to racing at the forefront.

• Playful Engineering: Michigan Science Center will extend its Detroit Auto Show programming into the second week of Race Days (January 26-30), inviting kids (and adults) to explore automotive innovation through interactive, imaginative activities, including select after-school experiences.

“As we prepare to open the Michigan Central Club in just a few weeks, we’re thrilled to give the community an early look at how young people can imagine themselves shaping the future of motorsports,” said Shawn H. Wilson, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan. “Through hands-on experiences during Race Days, we’re sparking youth curiosity and creativity that can continue to be nurtured in our soon-to-be-opened space at Michigan Central as we work together to drive the next generation of talent in mobility and beyond.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Music and culture are core to Michigan Central Race Days, adding energy, rhythm, and a distinctly Detroit identity to two weeks of motorsports programming. High-octane music will activate The Station throughout the event, blending track-side energy with Detroit’s rich musical heritage.

Opening day on January 18 will feature DJ Kid McFly spinning Detroit house and soul from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., while racing fans get their first look at the exciting exhibitions and demonstrations. Tickets for opening day are $10.

Michigan Central will host a special racing edition of its regular Fridays at The Station event series on Friday, January 23 from 6-10 p.m. The evening lineup features Detroit House Collective to fuel the dance floor and a live performance from Sean Blackman who will transport the audience around the world with his global flair.  Fridays at The Station tickets are $15.

On Friday, January 30, enjoy extended hours to experience the race cars and exhibits with the Final Lap as Race Days come to a close. LADYMONIX will put you in the fast lane with dance music from 6-10 p.m., and specialty cocktails will be available for purchase. Final Lap tickets are $15.

Tickets for the opening day, Fridays at The Station, and the Final Lap can be purchased at Michigan Central Race Days .

About Michigan Central

Michigan Central is a 30-acre technology and cultural hub in Detroit, where leaders, thinkers, communities and creators come together to accelerate bold ideas and technologies that shape our collective future. By providing access to world-class infrastructure, tools, and resources, Michigan Central inspires innovators and community members to collaborate on real, ground-breaking solutions to global problems. Since opening in April 2023, Michigan Central has grown into a diverse ecosystem of nearly 250 companies and startups working at the intersection of mobility, technology and society. Learn more at michigancentral.com.

Dynisma Ltd.® has signed an agreement to supply its high-performance DMG-1 driving simulator to Stellantis Motorsport, strengthening the group’s performance engineering capabilities across both the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The simulator will be installed at Stellantis Motorsport’s facility in Versailles, France, in Q1 2026. Once operational, the engineering and driver teams will benefit from the DMG-1’s low latency and high bandwidth capabilities, enabling highly accurate vehicle development, race preparation, and program optimization ahead of the 2026 season and beyond.

Stellantis Motorsport’s commitment to cutting-edge simulation aims to accelerate innovation across electric and hybrid racing platforms, where precision, correlation, and engineering speed are essential to competitive success.

Jean-Marc Finot, Head of Stellantis Motorsport, said:

“Simulation is a foundational tool in modern motorsport, especially in championships with extremely limited track time and fast-paced development cycles. The DMG-1 will give our teams a highly correlated, high-fidelity environment to prepare our drivers and advance our engineering programs for both WEC and Formula E. Dynisma is a leader in motion simulation, and we are pleased to formalize this partnership as we build towards the 2026 season.”

Jean-Eric Vergne, Stellantis Motorsport’s Driver (Formula E & WEC), said:

“Today, racing relies massively on simulator preparation, and the level of realism you get makes a huge difference to how quickly you can extract performance on track. The DMG-1 is incredibly responsive which gives us immediate feedback on handling, grip, weight transfer and energy deployment decisions, which is crucial in both WEC and Formula E. Being able to work through setups, tire behaviour and race scenarios in such a realistic environment means we can arrive at each event much more prepared and start closer to the limit from the first lap.”

Emmanuel Ohayon, Stellantis Motorsport Head of Simulation, Control Laws and Powertrain Dynos, said:

Our objective is to provide drivers and engineers with the most realistic and accurate simulation environment possible. The DMG-1’s bandwidth and latency performance is benchmark-setting, enabling true-to-life correlation and unlocking new opportunities in setup exploration, concept validation and driver training. This installation marks a major step forward for our technical capabilities.

Simon Holloway, Commercial Director, Dynisma, said:

“Dynisma’s mission is to create the world’s most immersive and highest-performing simulators. We’re proud to become the Official Simulator Partner of Stellantis Motorsport and to support their programs in both WEC and Formula E – two of the most demanding and innovative series in global motorsport.

The DMG-1 will enable Stellantis Motorsport’s drivers and engineers to prepare at an exceptional level of realism and accuracy, where every millisecond matters. We look forward to working closely with the team as the system is installed and commissioned in the next few months.”

Developed and built by a team of world-class engineers committed to pioneering breakthroughs in motion generation, Dynisma supplies leading motorsport teams and automotive OEMs around the world. Its simulators are available as turn-key solutions or custom-engineered to exact requirements, with the capability to integrate any production or prototype chassis for both motorsport and automotive applications.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will make his return to NASCAR in February at Daytona.

Stewart will race Kaulig’s No. 25 Ram 1500 in the Feb. 13 season-opening race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate,” Stewart said. “Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun.”

Kaulig’s “Free Agent” program will bring legendary drivers and rising stars to the spotlight. They will announce the driver before every race – and the announcement about Stewart comes a month before Daytona.

“We’re not just returning to the track; we’re rewriting the playbook. Bringing Tony in as the first Free Agent will generate a crazy amount of excitement, which is exactly why we created the program, allowing fans to watch an all-time favorite driver get back into the seat, but this time, it’s a Ram truck,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance, North America marketing and retail strategy, Stellantis. “This is about honoring a legacy. Tony represents grit, determination and the spirit of racing — pure adrenaline for the fans.”

Stewart is the fourth driver Kaulig has named to its Ram Trucks program. His teammates at Daytona will be Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, Justin Haley and the winner of the “Race for the Seat” reality TV show set to debut and air before the season opener at Daytona.

“Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” said Matt Kaulig, founder and owner of Kaulig Racing. “He’s a legend. His name alone brings energy to the sport. We couldn’t be more fired up to have him in our camp as we roll into Daytona for our first race. This is going to be a ride worth watching.”

Stewart has 19 wins at Daytona across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and IROC. Although he retired from full-time NASCAR competition in 2016, Stewart has continued his racing career in NHRA Top Fuel competition – winning in 2025 and contending for the title.

While Stewart’s last NASCAR national series start was in 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, his last scheduled start was in 2020 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, the COVID pandemic scrapped his plans to run the race – setting up his first race in nearly nine years this February at Daytona.

Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.

A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.

Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.

Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com

The Whelen Modified Tour is the oldest division in NASCAR racing.

It began in 1947, and while it has undergone many name changes over the years, from the Winston Modified Tour to the Featherlite Modified Series to the Whelen Modified Tour in 2005, when Whelen Engineering began sponsoring, it is the only open-wheel division that NASCAR sanctions.

It is a style of racing with great tradition and history, and history was made last year.

Northampton native Austin Beers became the Whelen Tour’s youngest champion at 22 years, seven months, and five days. He broke the record set by current NASCAR Cup Series driver Ryan Preece, who was 22 years, 11 months, and 25 days old when he won the title in 2013.

Beers, who grew up in a racing family (his father Eric competed in the series from 1997 to 2012) has earned his share of wins and championships while racing at local tracks.

But this is his biggest accomplishment so far and could be a stepping stone to bigger circuits and championships.

“For sure, this is my biggest,” Beers said. “It’s a 16-race series where you need to be super consistent all year. You can’t have bad races. It’s a long, hard-fought year, and it came down to the last race at Martinsville in Virginia, and I was going against a four-time champion in the series [Justin Bonsignore] and someone who is second on the all-time win list. We were able to do what we needed to do and finished second in that last race at Martinsville. That allowed us to have enough points to win the championship.

“To be the youngest champion ever in the oldest series in NASCAR means a lot. It was not only special for me, but also for my family, who sacrificed all of their weekends throughout the year to support me and for my car owner, Mike Murphy, who got his first championship.”

Murphy is a story in his own right. He is a 68-year-old Irish immigrant who, according to NASCAR.com, bought his first race car in the mid-1990s and underwent a lung transplant last January.

“This is the best year of my life. I got a second chance at life,” Murphy told NASCAR.com. “Hard work, I would say, is all it takes. This is a great country. A country of opportunity. The only thing that is going to stop you is yourself.”

Murphy and his KLM Motorsports team took a chance on Beers in 2021 when he was 18.

So, learning they won the championship was emotional for Beers and Murphy.

“He took a gamble on me, and it has been all good ever since,” Beers said.

It is Murphy who believes in Beers as much as anyone. He said, again to NASCAR.com, “I hope this is a stepping stone. He’s still young. He’s only 22. Hopefully, there is somebody out there watching and will see how good he is, and maybe they’ll offer him a ride somewhere along the way.”

Beers was a model of consistency throughout the year.

In 16 races, he never finished lower than ninth. He scored two wins along with 12 top-5s and 16 top-10s. He was the tour’s only driver to finish every led and led all drivers with a 4.6 average finish.

“Hopefully this helps me move into a bigger series, whether it’s the NASCAR truck series or the Xfinity series, but in NASCAR, like in all of racing, it comes down to funding and money,” Beers said. “This is definitely something that should be eye-catching on a resume, I hope. Obviously, it’s only been a couple of months, but hopefully it does catch some people’s eyes. We’ve sent out our resumes to companies, hoping it will attract some sponsorship, and hopefully they can see it and know what I am capable of.”

Beers said the tour championship didn’t sink in until a month after he won it, and he went to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and pulled the tape off, and got to see his name on the championship trophy.

“That’s when it truly sank in, and I got to go to the awards dinner with the higher-ups in NASCAR, and I got to meet the other champions as well,” Beers said. “I talked with them and got some advice from them. I talked to Brenden Queen, who is running full-time on the truck series for Kaulig Racing, and I asked him what I could do because he does a really good job on social media finding sponsorships. It was great to get his advice.”

Beers is getting another avenue to promote his name and boost sponsorship potential.

UFC CEO Dana White is backing an eight-part series called “Race for the Seat,” a new reality competition series featuring 15 aspiring drivers and giving them a chance to compete for a spot on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Kaulig Racing.

Beers is one of the participants in the series, which is sponsored by Ram Trucks. It was already filmed in November, and while Beers can’t reveal the results, he said it was an awesome experience and race fans should watch when it premieres on Fox on Jan. 25 on the day of the NFC Championship Game in pro football. Subsequent episodes will be on Ram’s YouTube Channel through Feb. 6, and the winner is expected to be on the Kaulig team for the Craftsman Truck Series opener Feb. 13 at Daytona.

“I was competing for a NASCAR truck series ride with 14 other talented drivers,” Beers said. “It was pretty special. It was an absolute blast, especially because of the people you’re dealing with. You are basically hanging out with 14 of your friends, and you get to drive race cars some days. For someone like me, that’s a dream. It was so much fun and an awesome experience. It was like a racecar boot camp. I think it will do something not only for my career, but also for the other 14 drivers. It will be huge for our racing careers. I am excited for it to come out and have everybody see it.”

Beers said he can’t go too in-depth on the series, but said it was about racing different types of cars and at different tracks.

“We were competing against each other to see who’s the best,” Beers said.

Meanwhile, Beers just hopes to keep getting better and looking for better and bigger opportunities.

“It’s just like a basketball player practicing 3-pointers or free throws,” he said. “The more laps you do, the better you’re going to get. Over these past two years, I’ve run over 50 races per year. On the asphalt side of racing, that’s a lot. I’ve just been trying to do as many races as possible, trying to perfect my craft and put myself in a situation where if I am in a certain situation, I know what to do because I’ve been in that scenario before. It becomes muscle memory and you know what to do with pit strategy and adjustments. The more laps you make, the better you’re going to get.”

But as good as he gets, you still need someone to notice.

“Winning a championship at a regional touring level is beyond what my dreams were when I started,” he said. “My dream was just to run the Whelen Modified Tour, and to have this kind of success has been amazing. I saw my dad get emotional, and that’s very rare. It meant a lot to my family and to my racing team. We kept building and building toward it. It’s not easy by any means. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours, and long days at the race track. I owe so much to my sponsors and my family.

“Racing is such a different type of sport. A kid can go outside and shoot free throws or go out and put the ball on the tee in golf. In this sport, it costs money just to go to these race tracks and get practice laps. It’s not something you can practice. You have to be on your ‘A game’ at all times. You have to have a lot of support behind you, funding-wise, just to be able to try to do it. But I love it and hope we can continue to be successful.”

1/13/26

Yesterday, NASCAR announced a return to The Chase format in crowning a champion in its three highest series. From 2014 through last season, NASCAR developed a playoff format that was largely met with a negative reaction amongst the most ardent NASCAR fans. The Chase was used from 2004 to 2013, and The Chase 2.0 has some tweaks in the format from the old format.

In the revamped Chase format, there will still be 16 drivers in the Cup Series, 12 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and 10 drivers in the Truck Series, but the win-and-in part of the playoffs is gone. Race winners receive 55 points for a win, up from 40 points. Playoff points are gone, and at the start of The Chase, the regular season points winner earns an additional 25 points. They will start The Chase at 2,100 points, second at 2,075, third at 2,065, and a five-point gap from fourth to 16th place. The Chase is 10 races in the Cup Series, nine in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and seven in the Truck Series. There are no points reset after a certain number of races, like in the playoff format, and the driver with the most points at the end of The Chase is the champion.

Fans have been opining for a new format, and this change has been met with a positive response. NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell said that “everything was on the table” regarding shaking up the format for determining a champion. The straw that broke the camel’s back was last November’s Championship Race weekend. Corey Heim in the Truck Series won 12 races, but needed a green-white-checkered finish to pull off the win for the Championship after having a dominant season. Connor Zilisch took the NASCAR world by storm with his record-setting year in 2025, but finished second in the Championship Race to Jesse Love, and despite winning 10 races, including The Pacific Office Automation 147 in Portland, didn’t win the championship due to a late restart. The final nail in the coffin came in the Cup Series race. Denny Hamlin, who had suddenly turned into a crowd favorite after news of his father’s deteriorating health, was leading with three laps to go. William Byron’s tire blew, and Hamlin’s three-second lead evaporated as the caution came out, and Hamlin couldn’t get by Kyle Larson in the last two laps to lose the championship.

NASCAR’s history is treasured by its fans more than any other sport or sports league. Fans embrace tradition and don’t welcome unnecessary change. NASCAR is also unique in the sense that it’s a family-run sport, with the France family still owning NASCAR. NASCAR took a leap of faith in bringing the glory days of the sport from the 1980s through the 2000s back into the modern sports cycle, but ultimately it didn’t work. The sport is still trying to create stars that can crossover into the mainstream culture like Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and others were able to do.

Listening to the fans’ complaints and considering their thoughts has been something NASCAR does pretty well at. They’ve made changes to the car (i.e., adding horsepower), attempting to build tires with more tire wear from Goodyear, and now the overhaul of determining a champion. Perhaps other leagues should take a look at the value of not pissing off their most ardent fans at the risk of blindly and wildly adding new ones.

NASCAR won’t be racing in the Pacific Northwest in 2026, but hopefully one of the series will head back. The Cup Series won’t head to Portland International Raceway, as the facilities aren’t up to their standards, but maybe a street race awaits the PNW. Seattle was a city that was brought up in preliminary discussions about future street races. With Amazon streaming five NASCAR races per year in the new media rights deal, maybe they can get a “home race” in the future.

Until then, PNW NASCAR fans will sadly watch from afar. At least there is a more legitimate championship format.

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