NASCAR legend Mark Martin has weighed in on the implications of the new championship format for the 2026 season. He said it’s the “biggest win” he’s had with NASCAR.
2026 marks the return of the previously used (2004-2013) NASCAR Chase championship format, but with a few modifications. The elimination-style playoffs are no more. Instead, the top 16 drivers in the Cup Series will qualify for the playoffs based on regular-season points alone.
The points awarded for stage wins and race positions remain the same, but there will be no such thing as playoff points going forward. Reflecting on the same, Mark Martin said (via Dustin Long’s X):
“I think it’s a miracle we came this far because, honestly, NASCAR never listened to me when I raced. They listened to a few people, but that wasn’t me. So, for me, it’s the biggest win I’ve ever had with NASCAR.”
On the Cup side, the Chase format will span the final 10 races of the season. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series will have nine Chase races, while the Craftsman Truck Series will have seven.
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell, who was present at the NASCAR Production Center in Concord, North Carolina, on Monday, said in a statement:
“It’s 10 races, with every race mattering and still being very simple to explain to the fans. One set of points, easy to explain, and the best driver at the end of 36 races is ultimately going to win the championship if they can perform for those final 10 races.”
The 2026 regular season will kick off on February 15 with the 68th running of the Daytona 500. Fans can watch the crown jewel event live on FOX, starting at 2:30 on ET, or listen to radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
“No One Inside NASCAR Thought We Could Really Get to This”- Mark Martin Reveals What He Was Afraid of as a Member of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee
Mark Martin was on NASCAR’s playoff committee that was formed ahead of the 2026 season to brainstorm a playoff format that would be more rewarding and fairer to the drivers. In fact, President Steve O’Donnell mentioned that Martin was the first to vouch for a full-season points system.
Well, Martin was relieved at last. There were quite a few things that he was worried about, the winner-takes-it-all style championship format being one of them.
“I truly thought it would be a 4-4-3 or 3-3-4 (race format),” Martin smiled. “I actually was afraid it was a 4-4-3. That was what was floated by prominent people in the industry on the committee. No one inside NASCAR thought we could really get to this.”
All eyes are now on the first race of the 2026 season, the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray. Scheduled for February 1, the race will be televised on FOX, starting at 8 pm ET. Notably, the Cook Out Clash is not going to be a points event.
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