CONCORD, N.C. – With NASCAR announcing it will be returning to ‘The Chase’ format in 2026 in the Cup Series, O’Reilly Series and the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, it was tough not to immediately ask a couple of questions: 

1. Who the change could benefit moving forward? 
2. Who it would’ve benefitted in the recent past. 

RELATED: See every Hendrick Motorsports DAYTONA 500 victory

The latter is a fairly easy answer to find thanks to our friends at Racing Insights. And it would’ve been good news for Hendrick Motorsports. 

First, a quick refresher of Monday’s news. 

The Chase certainly presents a departure from the playoff system used over the last decade-plus. Instead of eliminations and three-race rounds, The Chase will include a 10-race postseason with the top 16 drivers in points over the first 26 races qualifying. From there, a champion will be crowned based on total points over the final 10 events. Also in the rule changes: race winners will now receive 55 points instead of 40 and the win-and-you’re-in rule is now gone.

While Hendrick Motorsports had its share of success in the playoff era, winning championships in 2016 (Jimmie Johnson), 2020 (Chase Elliott), 2021 (Kyle Larson and 2025 (Larson), The Chase could’ve led to even more success. Especially lately. 

RELATED: Atrium Health and Hendrick Motorsports launch partnership to drive performance and wellness

For starters, Hendrick Motorsports would be entering 2026 with three straight championships and Larson would be a two-time defending champ, adding a title in 2024. Prior to that, William Byron’s 2023 would’ve been good enough to earn a title as well with Larson finishing as the runner up that season and in 2022 as well. Byron would have been second in 2024. 

So, all of that should mean big things moving forward, right? 

Well, perhaps. Elliott was on hand at Monday’s announcement and spoke to just that: 

“I think if you based off historical performance, sure,” Elliott said. “But as we all know, performance and the way you performed last year might not play out the same way this year. If you’re judging off last year and the year before, yes, you could make that argument. But me, personally, if you looked back at last season, kind of the way we finished the year, I felt like we were getting into a place where I felt confident. 

RELATED: 2026 NASCAR Cup Series broadcast schedule

“But I do feel like you have a bigger sample set and more opportunities to string together more races and it not be so choppy.”

Certainly, the era of The Chase was a good one for Hendrick Motorsports and specifically, Johnson, who won championships in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013. From 2004-2013, Johnson claimed 60 of his 83 career victories and scored 24 of Hendrick Motorsports’ 32 wins during The Chase. Spearheaded by Johnson, the organization led all of NASCAR in championships (six), wins, top fives (128), top 10s (200) and laps led (9,044) in postseason races. 

While Elliott is himself a former champion, as well as the son of another champion, Bill Elliott, he’s also part of a generation at age 30 that was largely shaped by The Chase in terms of racing fandom. 

RELATED: See the best photos of 2025

“My jaw was on the floor, the fact that (Johnson) could win five straight championships and I think a lot of people pointed to the format being the reason for that,” Elliott said. “But to me, as time went on, you realized how good that format was and how much we wished we just had that back.”

And theoretically, there may be nobody in the garage the format shift benefits more than Elliott, whose knack for consistency and reliability has been right at the top of the sport in recent years. His average finish of 12.4 is the best in the Next Gen era (2022-present) where he also ranks third in top 10s (73), first in top 20s (115) and best in DNFs (10) among drivers who were full time in all four seasons. 

“I liked my odds before, but I like my odds now for sure,” he admitted. 

RELATED: Check out these rarely seen “Days of Thunder” photos!

Aside from personal preferences or how advantageous one system might be compared to another for his team and Hendrick Motorsports; Elliott also cited several other positives from NASCAR’s decision. First, it brings an end to the playoff era, a system that brought with it exciting moments in elimination races but arguably, may not have fit a 36-week racing season as well as other sports. 

Second, with elimination races now a thing of the past, Elliott believes it could signal a shift to more respectful racing with last lap divebombs and crazy late moves in the interest of advancing now likely coming up less frequently. 

“One mistake we’ve made … is trying to be like every other mainstream sport that’s out there and I think it’s super important to remember we’re not and that we’re not, and that’s OK,” Elliott said. “What we have can be really, really entertaining and really fun to watch. 

“There is such an art to what we do and it’s not throwing haymakers all day. There’s a lot of finesse and craft, just being a little bit better than the next guy and just these tiny little feels you have with the race car and with your hands and with your feet and, not just bulldozing somebody out of the way to get a spot in the last race or whatever. I hope this is more of a directional change. 

“I think it preserves the long-term integrity of what we do. I think the champion should be very, very proud of what we have here, and I think our fans should also be proud too and also be excited for it and let’s enjoy it.”  

Chili’s makes its 2026 debut in its home state of Texas at the March 1 NASCAR race weekend at Circuit of the Americas, the first of multiple dates on the No. 77.

“Our partnership with Spire Motorsports continues to grow as we see excitement build at the track and with race fans across the country,” said Chili’s Director of Media Tim Forman. “We both take our business seriously but are eager to embrace opportunities to have fun and show up in unexpected ways together. Last season, Carson took it to a new level, giving fans an authentic reason to connect with Ride the ‘Dente, and we can’t wait to continue that push this year.”

“The team at Chili’s has really become students of the game,” said Hocevar. “I think the Ride the ‘Dente look was one of the cleanest and most iconic schemes of the season, and it feels like we’re becoming one of the most talked about team and partner relationships in the garage. I’m really excited to build on that in 2026. Every race we were in the Chili’s colors, we were really fast, and our plan is to give back to their commitment by getting them a lot of TV time up front, and hopefully, in Victory Lane.”

Chili’s has expanded its racing footprint with Spire Motorsports with primary placement on Hocevar’s dirt late model and the High Limit Racing sprint car driven by fellow Spire Ascent driver Gio Scelzi. At this week’s Chili Bowl Nationals, Chili’s sponsors Scelzi’s midget and is the pre- and post-race show title sponsor for FloRacing’s coverage throughout the event.

“I am infinitely thankful for the relationship Spire Motorsports has built with Chili’s,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “From what started as a one- or two-race opportunity, to where we find ourselves in 2026 is a true testament to Chili’s commitment to this platform. We’ve built a solid NASCAR Cup Series program with Carson (Hocevar) and our No. 77 team and expanded the relationship to connect with our High Limit sprint car team and dirt late model project. We’ve had a pit road seat to their story too, so we truly appreciate how Chili’s has re-emerged as the go-to, casual dining destination across the country. We’re more than proud Chili’s has joined us on our mission to win races and compete for championships. We’ve enjoyed so much to this point and still have much to accomplish.”

Following up his NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year season in 2024 with a pair of runner-up finishes last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway,  Hocevar is poised for a breakout third season in the Cup Series. His authentic, lighthearted personality off the track and throwback bravado on it have made him a fan favorite with a rapidly growing fanbase.

More information about Chili’s primary race dates and design reveal for the March 1 weekend at Circuit of the Americas will be announced closer to the race, but for more information about Spire Motorsports, please visit spire-motorsports.com. 

About Chili’s® Grill & Bar      

Hi, welcome to Chili’s! A proud leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), Chili’s was named Ad Age’s 2025 Brand of the Year. Founded in 1975, Chili’s is known for serving Big Mouth Burgers®, Crispy Chicken Crispers®, and sizzling fajitas, while hand-shaking more margaritas than any other restaurant brand in the United States. Chili’s operates 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories with over 70,000 team members. With a purpose to make everyone feel special, Chiliheads take food, drink and service seriously – but not themselves. Chili’s was a proud winner at the 2025 MenuMasters Awards for Best New Menu Item for Nashville Hot Mozz, the breakout addition to the social media-famous Triple Dipper. For more than 20 years, Chili’s has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has raised more than $120 million for the organization through generous guest and team member donations. Find more information at chilis.com, follow on X or Instagram, like on Facebook, or join Chili’s on TikTok.    

About Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in High Limit Racing competition. 

SOURCE Chili’s Grill & Bar

The fan-favorite restaurant brand and ascending race team expand sponsorship of the No. 77 Chevy ZL1 driven by Carson Hocevar

DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — After a year of encouraging NASCAR fans to Ride the ‘Dente with a country music video, mechanical margarita shaker ride and headline-grabbing firesuits celebrating the brand’s world-famous Presidente Margarita®, Chili’s® Grill & Bar and Spire Motorsports are shaking up a multi-year extension that keeps the iconic red pepper on the No. 77 Chevrolet ZL1 driven by rising NASCAR Cup Series star Carson Hocevar.

Chili’s makes its 2026 debut in its home state of Texas at the March 1 NASCAR race weekend at Circuit of the Americas, the first of multiple dates on the No. 77.

“Our partnership with Spire Motorsports continues to grow as we see excitement build at the track and with race fans across the country,” said Chili’s Director of Media Tim Forman. “We both take our business seriously but are eager to embrace opportunities to have fun and show up in unexpected ways together. Last season, Carson took it to a new level, giving fans an authentic reason to connect with Ride the ‘Dente, and we can’t wait to continue that push this year.”

“The team at Chili’s has really become students of the game,” said Hocevar. “I think the Ride the ‘Dente look was one of the cleanest and most iconic schemes of the season, and it feels like we’re becoming one of the most talked about team and partner relationships in the garage. I’m really excited to build on that in 2026. Every race we were in the Chili’s colors, we were really fast, and our plan is to give back to their commitment by getting them a lot of TV time up front, and hopefully, in Victory Lane.”

Chili’s has expanded its racing footprint with Spire Motorsports with primary placement on Hocevar’s dirt late model and the High Limit Racing sprint car driven by fellow Spire Ascent driver Gio Scelzi. At this week’s Chili Bowl Nationals, Chili’s sponsors Scelzi’s midget and is the pre- and post-race show title sponsor for FloRacing’s coverage throughout the event.

“I am infinitely thankful for the relationship Spire Motorsports has built with Chili’s,” said Spire Motorsports Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “From what started as a one- or two-race opportunity, to where we find ourselves in 2026 is a true testament to Chili’s commitment to this platform. We’ve built a solid NASCAR Cup Series program with Carson (Hocevar) and our No. 77 team and expanded the relationship to connect with our High Limit sprint car team and dirt late model project. We’ve had a pit road seat to their story too, so we truly appreciate how Chili’s has re-emerged as the go-to, casual dining destination across the country. We’re more than proud Chili’s has joined us on our mission to win races and compete for championships. We’ve enjoyed so much to this point and still have much to accomplish.”

Following up his NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year season in 2024 with a pair of runner-up finishes last year at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway,  Hocevar is poised for a breakout third season in the Cup Series. His authentic, lighthearted personality off the track and throwback bravado on it have made him a fan favorite with a rapidly growing fanbase.

More information about Chili’s primary race dates and design reveal for the March 1 weekend at Circuit of the Americas will be announced closer to the race, but for more information about Spire Motorsports, please visit spire-motorsports.com. 

About Chili’s® Grill & Bar      

Hi, welcome to Chili’s! A proud leader in the casual dining industry and the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), Chili’s was named Ad Age’s 2025 Brand of the Year. Founded in 1975, Chili’s is known for serving Big Mouth Burgers®, Crispy Chicken Crispers®, and sizzling fajitas, while hand-shaking more margaritas than any other restaurant brand in the United States. Chili’s operates 1,600 restaurants in 29 countries and two territories with over 70,000 team members. With a purpose to make everyone feel special, Chiliheads take food, drink and service seriously – but not themselves. Chili’s was a proud winner at the 2025 MenuMasters Awards for Best New Menu Item for Nashville Hot Mozz, the breakout addition to the social media-famous Triple Dipper. For more than 20 years, Chili’s has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and has raised more than $120 million for the organization through generous guest and team member donations. Find more information at chilis.com, follow on X or Instagram, like on Facebook, or join Chili’s on TikTok.    

About Spire Motorsports

Spire Motorsports fields full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series and High Limit Racing.

The team, co-owned by longtime NASCAR industry executive Jeff Dickerson and TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss, earned its inaugural NASCAR Cup Series victory in its first full season of competition when Justin Haley took the checkered flag in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 7, 2019. Less than three years later, William Byron drove Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado to its inaugural NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win on April 7, 2022, at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The team’s most recent win came on May 30, 2025, when Rajah Caruth took the checkered flag in the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway.

In 2026, Spire Motorsports will campaign the Nos. 7, 71 and 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Nos. 7 and 77 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., organization will also field the No. 77 410 sprint car in High Limit Racing competition. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chilis-grill-and-bar-and-spire-motorsports-ride-the-dente-into-2026-with-multi-year-partnership-renewal-302660159.html

SOURCE Chili’s Grill & Bar

Phoenix, Ariz., (January 13, 2026) – Flying Lizard Motorsports Team Principal Darren Law will step back into the driver’s seat later this month, taking a break from team ownership to compete with Vintage Racing Company (VRC) in the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway.

Law will co-drive the No. 91 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS alongside Owen Trinkler and Dan Ammann in the Michelin Pilot Challenge endurance race, which serves as the season opener for the series. The race is scheduled to go green on Friday, January 23, at 1:45 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Peacock.

The Daytona start marks a special return for Law, who brings decades of experience and success at the iconic Florida circuit. A former overall winner at Daytona in the DP class with Brumos Porsche driving a Porsche DP Prototype, Law is joining VRC in their launch of the team’s first full-season effort in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.

“After having spent so many years driving Porsches, I am looking forward to getting back in one and competing at Daytona,” said Law. “I have a great deal of history and success at this track, and Daytona is a special place for me. This is a great way to begin the season.

“I want to thank Michael Eberhardt for asking me to join their effort, I was able to test with the team in December and spend valuable time with Dan and Owen. I have know Owen for many years and am excited to finally get a chance to drive with him. Both are very quick drivers, and we worked well together from the outset. This is a great event, as I always enjoy the challenge. It will be fun and hopefully we can deliver a strong result for the team.”

While Law’s primary focus remains leading Flying Lizard Motorsports’ multi-program efforts across North America, The Daytona appearance represents a unique opportunity to bring his proven experience and background, and contribute to the VRC effort as it embarks on its inaugural full-season campaign in the Michelin Pilot IMSA series.

The BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona will kick off a busy weekend of racing festivities at Daytona International Speedway, setting the stage for the Rolex 24 At Daytona later in the weekend. Fans can watch Law’s return to competition live on Peacock beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET on Friday, January 23.

About Flying Lizard Motorsports

Flying Lizard Motorsports is a premier motorsport team known for its unwavering commitment to excellence and success on the racing circuit. With a rich history spanning over two decades, Flying Lizard Motorsports has earned a formidable reputation as a powerhouse in the world of motorsports, boasting 24 championship titles and a legacy of podium finishes across North America and at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Fueled by passion, expertise, and a relentless drive for perfection, the team continues to push boundaries and set new standards of performance in every competition it enters. Through strategic partnerships and a dedicated team of professionals, Flying Lizard Motorsports remains at the forefront of motorsport innovation, delivering thrilling racing experiences and unforgettable moments for fans worldwide.

Apex Motor Club

Apex Motor Club is Arizona’s premier motorsports club located just 35 miles southwest of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and the only private motorsports club located within a major metropolitan area. APEX is the ultimate country club for automotive enthusiasts where car culture, racing and country club lifestyles converge. Enjoy an hour of track time in your latest acquisition, drive off track, into your privately-owned garage and join like- minded enthusiasts in the clubhouse for food, beverages, and activities.

APEX Motor Club features only the best in racing technology. The APEX phase one track is a 2.27-mile circuit with an additional 2.15-mile circuit in phase 2, beginning construction in 2023. APEX is paved using the latest techniques and premium materials, creating the smoothest and most durable racing surface, rarely found on most race tracks.

Furthermore, APEX incorporated extensive run off and installed an LED flag-lighting system to offer members a premium and safe racing atmosphere.

APEX has something for everyone from world-class racing circuits to private collection tours, as well as a clubhouse with amenities including a swimming pool, fitness center, restaurant and more. The APEX experience offers everything from the APEX Academy, which not only teaches members their new track, but provides the fundamentals in performance driving techniques, to private one-on-one coaching with industry experts and racing professionals. In addition, APEX features on-site fueling and offers concierge-level service for preparing your vehicle prior to as well as during lapping and racing sessions. The APEX off-track experience is just as valuable! APEX members enjoy special invitations to a variety of unique experiences throughout the valley and country all year long.

Website: www.apexmotorclub.com.

Source: Flying Lizard Motorsports

Age is truly just a number when it comes to chasing your passion: 48-year-old Henrik Peters is gearing up to join the Rookie Challenge and compete for the NASCAR Euro Series regularity time-attack title during the 2026 season. Following a successful test in the winter, the Kleinmachnow native officially signed with Marko Stipp Motorsport for what will be his first season in European NASCAR.

“I am absolutely thrilled to confirm my participation in the 2026 NASCAR Euro Series season,” Peters stated after putting pen to paper on his inaugural NASCAR contract. “Taking this next step means the world to me, and I am highly motivated to work relentlessly with the team to achieve competitive results. I’m eager for the season to start and ready for the challenges ahead. I want to sincerely thank Marko Stipp Motorsport for their confidence in me and this fantastic opportunity. My focus is sharp: to learn, develop, and give everything I have throughout the 2026 Season.”

Outside of racing, Peters, who privately drives a roaring, NASCAR inspired track setup Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, works as an Certified Financial Planner. He is no stranger to high-performance driving, having previously participated in track days, and he spends extensive hours honing his skills in his sim racing simulator. Everything related to motorsports fuels his drive, but he maintains balance by training in the gym and dedicating time to his family.

“We are delighted to bring Henrik Peters, our first MSM Discovery Day graduate, into NASCAR Euro Series,“ said Team Manager Chris Liemann. „The chemistry between us was right from the start, and we look forward to guiding Henrik step-by-step through the Rookie Challenge to prepare him for the OPEN next year.”

The 2026 NASCAR Euro Series grid is rapidly taking shape, and Peters will certainly not be the last fresh face across the three divisions. The 2026 Rookie Challenge will roar to life on April 17 at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. Peters’ official racing number will be announced by Marko Stipp Motorsport at a later date. The German long-team goal is to move up to OPEN in the near future.

NASCAR Euro Series PR

In a press conference late Monday afternoon, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell presented the series’ new system for selecting its season champion, beginning in 2026. It’s a modified version of a return to 2004’s “Chase for the Championship.”

The kinder, gentler playoff format will no longer eliminate 12 of the original 16 playoff drivers from contention. Currently, the series selects the “final four” drivers for that last race of the season, and the driver who finishes the race higher than the other three is crowned champion. The system seemed silly when it was announced, and that’s how it played out.

For O’Donnell and his team, returning to an old idea was the best new idea they could come up with. “We are going back to a format where, on the Cup side, the first 26 races will be based on a points system, and the final 10 races will make up the Chase.”

He said this version balances the emphasis some critics asked for: One side wanted the championship to be based on performance in all 36 races, and the other side was committed to some sort of late-season playoff. “We believe we’ve struck that balance,” O’Donnell said. “We’ve got the best of both worlds, where every race matters. We’ve talked to a lot of folks in the industry. We’ve run a lot of different models and believe this is the best place to land, to get back to who we are. That’s the core of NASCAR,” he said.

Here’s the new system in a nutshell: In the Cup Series, 16 drivers will qualify for the 10-race Chase based on the number of points they score during the 26-race regular season. Unlike in the current system, you no longer have to win a race to be one of those 16 drivers; those 16 spots will be based on points, and all 16 drivers are viable right to the end.

Might not the new arrangement revisit an issue that used to haunt NASCAR—the possibility that a consistent driver could win the championship without winning a single race all season?

That has been addressed in the new model by shuffling the number of points drivers are awarded to strongly support race wins. NASCAR will now award 55 points for a win, versus just 40 under the current system. Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same. The “Playoff” points that are currently awarded to help decide which drivers will be eliminated are gone, since the eliminations are gone, too. The new format makes it possible that the championship-winning driver may not dominate the final race. Which, this year, will move from Phoenix back to the Homestead-Miami track.

Season points will still be re-racked for the final 10 races, with the regular-season points leader starting the Chase with 2100 points, 25 more than the second-place driver and 35 more than the third-place driver.

These changes apply to all three NASCAR pro series. In the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts series, 12 drivers will compete in a nine-race Chase, while in the Craftsman Truck series, the championship for 10 drivers will be decided in the final seven races.

This is, by very rough count, about the 20th different system NASCAR has used since it launched in 1949, depending on what constitutes a “different system,” as opposed to a minor or moderate change to a system. The longest-lasting system was created, as the story goes, in 1974 by NASCAR publicist Bob Latford, who wrote down his concept of a proper points system on a table napkin at the legendary Boot Hill Saloon in Daytona Beach, with the help of tablemates Phil Holmer, a career Goodyear manager, and Joe Whitlock, a NASCAR writer and publicist. It was a relatively straightforward formula: Where each driver finished in each race earned them a certain number of points.

That system did not award the winner of the race a whole lot more points over second- and third-place finishers, which the creators figured would help keep the championship battle tight. Thus, it was theoretically possible for a driver to win a championship without winning a single race; Matt Kenseth almost pulled that off in 2003, by winning the season championship while scoring only one win. But he had 23 top-10 finishes, and that system favored consistency. NASCAR figured it was time for the most extensive revision of the championship model in its history.

NASCAR introduced the first version of the “Chase for the Championship” in 2004. In the final 10 races, only the top 10 drivers in points would be eligible to win the championship: The other drivers would still be racing, sure, but in a somewhat deflated state, a situation about which their sponsors weren’t enthusiastic. On the other hand, wins would mean more than they used to.

Ten years later, NASCAR’s top executive, Brian France, tweaked the Chase into the late-season, 10-race Eliminations system, in which the eligible drivers, now expanded to the top 16, would be whittled down to a final four, just like in, say, the teams in a college basketball tournament.

France and other NASCAR execs talked a lot about how that system should create “game 7 moments,” which baseball sometimes managed with the World Series, in which the championship might be won in the final inning of game 7. But there have been World Series swept in just four games, when one of the teams is especially dominant. A situation where one driver basically ran the table wouldn’t happen in NASCAR, France insisted. With Jimmy Johnson, it sort of occurred, but granted, it was rare.

To what extent the TV networks pushed this idea is significant: They’d see exciting championships in NCAA college basketball, in professional football with the Super Bowl, even in golf with the Masters. NASCAR’s new format would allow TV and radio announcers to still legitimately hype the drama in real time, just like they do with the other sports they carry, each of which involves some sort of ball.

Broadcasters were also excited about the then-new “stages,” which would automatically halt the racing for five minutes or so, two or three times per race. It was a guaranteed window for selling advertising, which was awkward when a race went virtually the whole distance under the green flag.

Dedicated NASCAR loyalists were aghast, but not as vocal as you might expect, over a NASCAR championship that wasn’t really based on the performance of a team and a driver over all of the 36 races but on the one last race of the year. A valid point, NASCAR would usually concede, but the Chase and then the resulting eliminations would be more exciting.

And sometimes it was, but the system was finally torpedoed by the 2025 season. In the NASCAR Xfinity series (soon to be the O’Reilly Auto Parts series), rookie Connor Zilisch won a record 10 races. He was one of the final four drivers in the last race in Phoenix, and in the winner-take-all format, he was beat by Jesse Love, who won three races, including this season’s finale. And since the current system gives the championship to the driver who does best in the final race, and not necessarily the driver who does best over all 36 races—well, the optics were especially lousy that year.

The next day, 44-year-old Cup driver Denny Hamlin was about to win his first championship when a caution flag flew for William Byron’s crash very late in the race, which Hamlin had thoroughly dominated. The top drivers all dashed to the pits for fresh tires; Hamlin took four, while his competition took two, which got them back out on track ahead of Hamlin. One of them, Kyle Larson, won the race for his second championship, costing Hamlin a title that even his detractors admitted he deserved.

That Cup race, coupled with Zilisch’s loss of the Xfinity championship, put the final bullet in the elimination format, and thus in the possibility to win a season championship by just doing well in the last race. NASCAR had been fiddling with a format change for a while, but suddenly the heat was turned up to boil, and they had to deliver meaningful changes before the 2026 season starts next month with the Daytona 500.

Many fans and NASCAR drivers are saying they did exactly that, for all three series. In Monday’s press conference, former Cup driver and current team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr., praised the return of a modified version of the Chase: “I was really excited to hear the news that we were getting a little closer to a full 36-race format. This is as close, in my opinion, as you can get without going all the way.

“What I believe it does is make it simpler for our fans to follow. I’m a fan of the sport, and now I’m compelled to plug in every single week because I know there’s a long-form objective for my driver to accomplish to be able to give himself the opportunity to win the championship. So even though my driver may have success early on in the season, it does not assure him success in post season.”

Earnhardt is a traditionalist, who liked it when the old system concentrated on performance over the entire 36-race season, but there’s no way NASCAR’s TV partners would have been interested in going back to that: There had to be a playoff element.

Retired and respected Cup driver Mark Martin, an outspoken critic of the current system, praised this new one in that same press conference. Martin considers himself the voice of traditional fans, and as such, he supported a 36-race championship, but he also knew that wasn’t going to happen. “I think that this is the most perfect compromise that you could ever ask for. It’s going to require our 2026 champion to be lightning fast and incredibly consistent, and that’s what we can all get behind.

“So I’m really excited. I think it’s fantastic. I would just appeal to the race fans, all the race fans, but especially the classic fans who say to me, ‘I don’t watch anymore.’ I say we need you. Come on back. We’re headed in the right direction. Come back and join with us, and we’ll keep making progress.”