NASCAR champion Kyle Larson reveals how The Chase could make him even better

NASCAR News News Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 7:05 PM ET •By Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Cup Series champion Kyle Larson has revealed how NASCAR's new format could push him and his rivals to be even better drivers.

As it turned out, Larson's championship success at Phoenix in November was to be the last of the playoff era, with the old format having been scrapped by NASCAR this offseason.

It isn't quite the full 36-race points format some were hoping for. There will still be a regular season and postseason, with the championship set to be decided across a number of races at the end of the campaign in a return to The Chase.

Unlike the playoffs previously, there are no rounds or eliminations in The Chase. After the points reset, it is a straight 10, nine, or seven race fight for the championship, depending on which series you are racing in.

Kyle Larson on The Chase

Under the playoff format, the regular season didn't count for much, and you only really knew which drivers would be battling for the title towards the latter stages of the season.

However, that's all set to change with The Clash, with the regular season standings playing a huge part in qualifying for the post-season and giving drivers a handy advantage when The Chase begins

With that in mind, Larson was quizzed on whether or not finding new rivalries and competing all-season long in a championship battle of sorts could elevate his and his fellow drivers' performances.

“Yeah, I could for sure see that,” Larson told PRN. “There’s definitely drivers that still in the previous format would elevate you and push you to be better.

“But I think in a season-long battle, you know, week after week, you can kind of zone in on who you’re battling and that elevates you.

“So hopefully we’re one of those guys at the end that are trying to elevate themselves against your competition. Christopher’s [Bell] definitely been that guy though for me on dirt.”