NASCAR has finally revealed when teams and fans will find out the championship format for 2026.
The current system, a playoff format which whittles down the field until a final one-race shootout between four drivers, has long been criticized for failing to reward the best driver over the course of the 36-race season.
That system will be abolished for 2026, but what will replace it has been a mystery that many have speculated on.
NASCAR has now revealed that the announcement will come on Monday, January 12 at 3:30pm ET, and will be live streamed on NASCAR.com, NASCAR YouTube and The NASCAR Channel.
What will 2026 NASCAR championship look like?
It seems reasonably unlikely that the sport will ditch the idea of a postseason altogether in favor of the 36-race points format which was in place before 2004, although a number of former drivers have publicly supported that idea.
NASCAR could also choose to go back to a ten-race 'sprint' format it used from 2004 to 2013, or a modified '3-3-4' playoff, which brings the field down to eight drivers for a four-race championship round.
A number of other changes have been mooted – including eliminating the 'win and in' system which has seen some unexpected named punch their postseason tickets in recent years, including the likes of Josh Berry last year and Harrison Burton in 2024.
NASCAR will, ultimately, struggle to keep all of their fans happy regardless of the format they land on for 2026 and beyond. But the fact that they're making a chance at all if a huge win for fan power in the sport.
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