NASCAR has by no means been shy about altering up the best way it crowns its champion, and the format has undergone loads of adjustments since 1949.
Crimson Byron gained the primary NASCAR cup title in 1949, Richard ‘The King’ Petty earned his first crown in 1971, Dale Earnhardt’s seventh and closing crown in 1994, Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of 5 in-a-row in 2010, and Kyle Larson’s newest triumph in 2025 — all of those occurred underneath totally different programs.
Sooner or later, inventory automotive racing was awarding factors primarily based on prize cash, race lengths, and even laps accomplished. However NASCAR moved away from most motorsports in 2004 when the Sanctioning Physique determined that probably the most factors over the course of a whole season was now not one of the simplest ways to go about it.
This took them down a path the place the format modified much more incessantly, and in recent times, grew to become a multi-round win and also you’re in elimination-style showdown that had folks shaking their heads.
NASCAR has since taken a step again and simplified the championship format. In 2026, issues are a lot simpler for even probably the most informal followers to understand. Here is a take a look at the way it all works:
Scoring factors
The winner of a race will earn 55 factors, 20 greater than the runner-up finisher, who nets 35 factors. From that time onward, each place is price one level much less till we attain thirty sixth place. thirty sixth on again all rating one level every, so nobody goes house with nothing.
There are additionally two phases for many races, and if you wish to know extra about phases, we now have one other article for that. In these phases, a predetermined lap gives further factors to these operating inside the highest ten, and is accompanied by a contest warning. The chief earns ten factors, second earns 9, third earns eight, fourth earns seven, fifth earns six, sixth earns 5, seventh earns 4, eighth earns three, ninth earns two, and tenth earns one.
There’s additionally an extra bonus level on provide for the driving force who data the quickest lap. The one approach a driver past the race winner can rating probably the most factors is that if the winner earns no bonus factors, whereas second wins each phases and secures the quickest lap. Essentially the most factors a driver can earn on any given week is 76, aside from the Coca-Cola 600 (further stage) and Daytona 500 (Duel qualifying races award factors equivalent to a stage), the place they’ll rating as much as 86.
The Chase reset
The playoffs have been rebranded because the Chase, and it’ll extra intently resemble the unique Chase from twenty years in the past. There is no such thing as a win and also you’re in anymore, no extra rounds, and no extra bonus factors to maintain observe of.
On the finish of the twenty sixth race, the highest 16 drivers within the Cup championship factors might be made a part of the Chase. The factors are then reset with intervals primarily based on the place every driver ended the common season within the standings, as seen beneath.
1st: 2100; 2nd: 2075; third: 2065, 4th: 2060; fifth: 2055; sixth: 2050; seventh: 2045; eighth: 2040; ninth: 2035; tenth: 2030; eleventh: 2025; twelfth: 2020; thirteenth: 2015; 14th: 2010; fifteenth: 2005; sixteenth: 2000.
Then, the driving force who scores probably the most factors over the ultimate ten races might be topped the champion. Homestead-Miami Speedway presently hosts the season finale.
The format is equivalent for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Elements and Craftsman Truck Sequence, simply with smaller ‘Chase’ fields.
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