A new NASCAR championship format is expected to drop on Monday, January 12. On that note, Cup Series driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. revealed what he thought would be different about it.
Stenhouse’s comments surfaced recently on FOX News Live. The 38-year-old is ahead of his 14th full season in the NASCAR Cup Series and his second for the newly rebranded Hyak Motorsports, formerly known as JTG Daugherty Racing. He finished the 2025 season 30th in points with one top five and three top-10s.
“NASCAR’s done a good job collaborating with drivers and teams and trying to come up with the best solution for competition and crowning our champions,” Ricky Stenhouse Jr. said (via Steven Taranto on X). “So I’ve been through different iterations of the format and the way things have worked.”
“I assume there’s gonna be more points-incentive type racing,” he continued. “Obviously you still want to win races and put yourself in the best possible position to be in the playoff. Come Monday I’ll probably have a little bit better idea of exactly what the format’s gonna be.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. currently drives the No. 47 Hyak Motorsports Chevy. He previously drove for Roush Fenway Racing (now known as RFK Racing) from 2013 to 2019. Stenhouse Jr. is a former Daytona 500 winner, winning the iconic crown jewel’s 65th running back in 2023.
“Man, this is unbelievable,” Stenhouse said after winning. “This was the site of my last win back in 2017. We’ve worked really hard. We had a couple shots last year to get a win and fell short. It was a tough season, but, man, we got it done. Daytona 500!”
2026 marks the 68th iteration of the race, scheduled for February 16. Fans can watch the 500-mile feature live on FOX Sports or listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, starting at 2:30 pm ET.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Explains Why Increasing Horsepower Will Not Be “Earth-Shattering” in 2026
One of the biggest rule changes that NASCAR aficionados have been anticipating for the 2026 season is the increase in horsepower for the Cup Series cars. However, if implemented, this increased horsepower will affect only road courses and tracks that are less than 1.5 miles in length.
That being said, NASCAR will host a five-hour test session at North Wilkesboro Speedway on January 13 to check if the increased horsepower can do any good to the existing short track package. Notably, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is one of the drivers who will take part in the January 13 test.
“I’m looking forward to the horsepower,” Ricky Stenhouse Jr. explained. “Hoping it’s in the right direction. I don’t think it’s going to be earth-shattering different. But I think it’s gonna be in the right direction.”
“We’re starting to see Goodyear get us more tire fall-off at places,” he continued. “At a Richmond, you throw some more horsepower in there, the tire wear is going to be more, I think the racing’s going to be better. All in all, everything we’re doing is in the right direction.”
Next up is the Cook Out Clash at Winston-Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium. Fans can watch the race live on FOX with live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
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