NASCAR surprised fans and experts when it reversed course and shifted from its usual, unpopular playoff system. It’s true that fans were expecting some sort of change, and it finally came in the form of the Chase format, something that NASCAR used from 2004 to 2013, before moving to the playoffs. While most fans have welcomed the change with open arms, most of the garage did too.

When the announcement was made by Steve O’Donnell, among Mark Martin and Dale Jr, one of the drivers sitting on the panel was Chase Elliott, the 2020 Cup champion. And his reaction shows why this new shift could prove to be the compromise the sport needed, especially in terms of wins and points.

Chase Elliott explains why the format works

Like most of the current NASCAR drivers, Chase Elliott shared positive feedback about the changed format. During one of his recent interviews, the Hendrick Motorsports driver indirectly mentioned how the format change saved NASCAR, not just for the fans, but also in terms of how it’s graded.

“I think from my perspective, winning mattered in the previous format that we had as well. But you could also have good points days too. And I don’t think that it’s totally gone. I don’t think either side of the fence is gone.”

Winning still mattered back then, and now, with the win points now increased from 40 to 55, drivers will push even more to fetch them. But apart from this, consistency and strong points days are still rewarded too.

“And to me, I think that’s kind of the whole point of this, right? You can go out there and have a great, a great stretch of top fives or top tens. And get stage points and do all those things. And you can still have good points days,” Elliott said in an interview, as per NASCAR on YouTube.

Under the changed system, both wins, and points are important in the championship. Earlier, the points mattered less, as the drivers with a win always ended up in the playoffs. From there on, they had to win a race to qualify for the next round.

Apart from the win position, the remaining positions and stage points pay the same, but Elliott is saying even if you can’t go for a win, you could still gain a lot with the points themselves.

Under the upcoming format, the Top 10 drivers in terms of points will qualify for the Chase. In the end, NASCAR will reset the points and determine the champion based on the points gathered in the final 10 races of the season.

“But certainly, the amount of points that you’re going to get for winning is eventually going to add up. So, look, I’ve always kind of been a believer that I think a lot of the formats and things that, a lot of times it’s going to come out in the wash. And to me, that was where as long as we had an opportunity for a format, to make it come out in the wash. I think we were doing the right thing. And to me, this format does that,” he further added.

The new format rewards consistency over time, not just one-off results. Elliott believes that while individual races may feel chaotic, the points system will eventually balance things out with time. The most deserving drivers will naturally come to the top.

The Chase is, therefore, NASCAR’s genius compromise move, as it doesn’t alienate either format and fulfills the long-term debate in the sport to reward consistency. The cons of the playoffs, like the luck factor and other things, are eliminated this way.

But how is Elliott’s own 2026 looking like?

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Chase Elliott confident going into 2026

Chase Elliott is confident ahead of the new season, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver looks to repeat his 2020 run. Speaking about whether he will be able to take it from Kyle Larson, here’s what the #9 driver had to say:

“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.”

Elliott had a decent year in 2025, not excellent, where he won twice but didn’t feel like a true championship contender. He was desperate for a win after his only win at Atlanta, and his second at Kansas finally shut down some critics who started questioning his form completely. That late-rise surely gave him some confidence moving into 2026.

“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.”

Now with the new format, it’s true that the field will be more open for the title. And Elliott stays optimistic about it.