It's official: The Chase is back. No, not the quiz show, the NASCAR championship format from 2004-2013!

The Cup Series will feature a 10-race shootout for the championship, as confirmed on Monday afternoon (the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Truck Series will run their Chases for nine and seven races respectively).

The announcement has been hailed by a number of fans who had been impressing upon NASCAR the need to move away from the playoff system of the last decade plus, regarded as the best that could reasonably be expected outside of a return to a 36-race points format – which would have raised issues around recently-signed TV contracts.

NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell said in a statement: “As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race.

"At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR’s storied history and the traditions that have made the sport so special. Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this format is designed to honor their passion every single race weekend.”

What follows is NASCAR's official listing of the changes to their championship formats, beginning next month at Daytona.

All the changes to NASCAR's championship format

‘The Chase’ is back.

NASCAR returns to the end-of-season championship format, maintaining the intensity and urgency that define postseason racing. Simply put, the driver with the most points after the postseason slate will be crowned the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion. The Chase will consist of the final 10 races for the NASCAR Cup Series; the final nine races for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series; and the final seven races for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series – a similar proportion and calendar timeline between regular season and postseason races for each series.

‘Win and you’re in’ is gone.

A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase, increasing the importance of every event on the schedule. Winning is still valuable, but drivers must continue to perform at a high level throughout the regular season.

Race winning drivers earn more points.

A win will now earn the race-winning driver 55 points. Previously, a win paid 40 points. The goal is to reward drivers who go for wins, not just strong points days, and ensure aggressive racing and strong team performance remain central to each weekend. Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same.

The Chase will feature the top drivers in regular-season points.

Returning to a points-based qualification system reinforces the value of consistent, season-long performance and ensures the drivers who execute across the full schedule earn the chance to compete for a championship. The Chase in the NASCAR Cup Series will feature 16 drivers; the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series field will be set at 12 drivers, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field at 10.

The points leader after the regular season will receive a meaningful advantage.

As recognition for sustained excellence, the top driver at the end of the regular season will earn a 25-point cushion over the second seed.

Here is how the Chase seedings will be set for the NASCAR Cup Series (Note: The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series seedings will be the same, except cut off at 12 and 10, respectively.):

1st: 2100
2nd: 2075
3rd: 2065
4th: 2060
5th: 2055
6th: 2050
7th: 2045
8th: 2040
9th: 2035
10th: 2030
11th: 2025
12th: 2020
13th: 2015
14th: 2010
15th: 2005
16th: 2000

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season starts on Sunday, February 15 with the 68th running of the Daytona 500.

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