After just two more regular-season races in New Hampshire and Daytona, the top 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series standings will be locked into the Chase. The gap in points between them, however, will be small after the reset. The format is one of NASCAR’s biggest changes for 2026, with the sanctioning body bringing back the Chase and moving away from the elimination-style playoff.
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The regular-season leader will carry an advantage into The Chase. However, there is still a sense of balance, something his teammate Chase Briscoe believes is exactly what NASCAR needs. One driver can erase a sizable deficit in a matter of weeks by getting hot at the right time.
“How the format is now, I think it’s perfect because it still rewards winning. Those 15 extra points make such a huge difference; you can eat such a huge gap really quickly, but you also have to be consistent,” Briscoe said on Denny Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental podcast.
“I think NASCAR has honestly nailed it with this format. I feel like you can be 16th and go win five races. The odds of that happening are pretty slim, but I do think if you get hot at the right time, you can still do it,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver added.
The #1 driver at the end of the regular season — which is currently Denny Hamlin heading into New Hampshire — will start the Chase with 2,100 points. Others behind will follow in descending order, with the points gap between the positions becoming smaller. The 16th place drive — Shane van Gisbergen currently — will begin the Chase with 2,000 points.
Currently, Hamlin holds a 402-point lead over SVG. However, that gap will be reset to just 100 points between the regular-season leader and the driver who barely makes the cut. While 100 points may sound like a lot, Briscoe believes it can disappear quickly once the Chase begins.
Winning carries more weight in 2026. Race winners now receive 55 points, 15 more than they did under the previous format. Second place receives 35 points, while the points then decrease by one per finishing position, down to one point for 36th through 40th.
Stage points have also added a bit of spice to the points system. The top 10 drivers at the end of each of the opening two stages receive points, meaning a driver can add to their tally even before taking the checkered flag. Someone who wins both stages and the race can collect as many as 75 points in a single event.
A driver entering the Chase 25 points behind another contender could wipe out that deficit with one strong weekend. Even a bigger gap can disappear quickly if the driver behind puts together a run of good results while the leaders struggle.
The points boost for race winners makes that even more important. A driver doesn’t need to dominate the entire Chase. Instead, they can build momentum by picking up a few wins while avoiding the DNFs that can quickly derail a championship run.
Briscoe pointed to Tony Stewart’s legendary 2011 championship run to back up his point. Stewart entered the 10-race Chase winless and ninth in the standings. But he turned things around completely, winning five of the 10 Chase races, including the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Busch, who led the regular-season standings, ultimately finished 12th in the championship.
The system rewards drivers for building a strong regular season. But at the same time, it doesn’t make the championship a forgone conclusion.
For Briscoe, that uncertainty is the entire point. The best regular-season driver gets rewarded. The hottest driver still gets a chance. And consistency remains essential throughout the 10-race Chase.