NASCAR Reverts to Chase Format as Seven Drivers Secure Playoff Berths
With Richmond race concluded, the playoff picture clarifies as nine spots remain open with two regular-season races left.
NASCAR is reverting to The Chase postseason format for the 2026 season, abandoning the previous win-and-in system in favour of a structure that selects the top 16 drivers from regular-season standings. This field will compete in a 10-race mini-season characterised by points resets, with no eliminations during the stretch run.
Following the Richmond race, seven drivers have secured their places in the playoff field. Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott have all clinched spots. Hamlin holds a 103-point lead over Ty Gibbs in the contest for the regular-season title, while Reddick leads the series with five wins this season.
Seven other drivers are positioned well above the cutline and are in strong shape to qualify. Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Chris Buescher lead this group, sitting 143, 142, and 136 points above the cutoff respectively. Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Daniel Suárez, and Bubba Wallace also sit comfortably above the bubble, with Suárez noted as a potential surprise of the season given his performance with Spire Motorsports.
The cutline bubble is defined as being within 65 points of the playoff cutoff, a range currently occupied by four drivers. With 76 points being the maximum available in a single race, these competitors face a tightening window as two races remain in the regular season: New Hampshire and Daytona.
The points reset for the Chase will see the regular-season champion start with 2,100 points, with subsequent positions decreasing by five-point increments down to 16th place at 2,000 points. In other developments, Ty Gibbs is scheduled to drive the M&M's No. 54 car at Bristol in tribute to Kyle Busch, who died from severe pneumonia and sepsis.
