Nascar news

• Steve Letarte Falls Back on Jeff Gordon’s Title Loss to Break Down NASCAR’s Modern Chase Format

  14-01-2026 11:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  Jeff Gordon (left) and his crew chief Steve Letarte talk in the garage during Nextel Cup series practice at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, Friday, February 16, 2007 | Credits- IMAGO / Newscom WorldThe NASCAR Cup Series will return to the Chase format in 2026, moving away from the elimination-style system it has used for the past 11 years. While some may believe that consistent high-level performances alone will be enough to carry drivers to the finish line under this u
  
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• NASCAR’s Executive VP Claps Back at Critics with Bold Championship ‘Proof’ Amidst Shocking Fans Claim

  14-01-2026 06:54 via sports.yahoo.com
  CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 22: NASCAR Executive Ben Kennedy speaks during the NASCAR Awards and Champion Celebration at the Charlotte Convention Center on November 22, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) ©Getty ImagesNASCAR’s top brass has a message for fans and critics questioning their new championship format: the numbers don’t lie. As the series reverts to a Chase-style system, one executive is armed with what he calls ‘proo
  
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• Kenny Wallace Makes A Huge Case for Bigger Focus on Drivers During the Season

  14-01-2026 05:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  MADISON, IL - JUNE 04: Kenny Wallace speaks during the Kenny Wallace Live show on the midway before the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Enjoy Illinois 300 | Credits- IMAGO / Icon SportswireKenny Wallace has once again lined up behind Mark Martin, backing the veteran’s call for a fundamental shift in how NASCAR tells its stories. When the sport revealed its revised championship format, Martin used the moment to argue that the sport’s current biggest problem is not rules or points b
  
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• “I Was Falling Out of Love”: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Shocking Admission About Being A NASCAR Fan

  14-01-2026 04:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway | Credits- Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesDale Earnhardt Jr. has probably been one of the very few NASCAR drivers to remain so deeply involved in the sport even after hanging up the helmet. Retirement did not loosen his grip on the sport. Instead, it expanded his reach in a way. From co-owning a NASCAR team to offering straight feedback through his w
  
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• Kyle Busch Goes Against Fans, Issues Worrying Reality Check After “Charismatic” Leader’s NASCAR Exit

  14-01-2026 04:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  The NASCAR lawsuit concluded in December. But with its conclusion, a storm of changes ensued in the sport, like the introduction of permanent charters. However, among the changes was the resignation of a key executive, whose behavior and actions were under scrutiny during the lawsuit trial. But while most fans welcomed his separation from NASCAR, Kyle Busch offered an alternative train of thought.Kyle Busch thinks about the other side“I don’t know the ins and outs of all of what Phel
  
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• Mark Martin Demands Change From NASCAR Broadcasters and Media to Do Their Bit to Grow the Sport

  14-01-2026 02:26 via sports.yahoo.com
  LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 15: Former NASCAR, Motorsport, USA driver Mark Martin speaks to fans in the Neon Garage before for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff South Point 400 | Credits- IMAGO / Icon SportswireMark Martin has positioned himself as a bridge between NASCAR’s decision-makers and the grandstands, amplifying fan frustration over the playoff format and openly advocating for a return to a full 36-race points championship.Hence, when NASCAR unveiled its revised championship structure, Ma
  
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• NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart will race trucks at Daytona

  14-01-2026 02:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  Tony Stewart will be back behind the wheel at Daytona.The NASCAR Hall of Famer will compete in the Craftsman Truck Series on Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway. He will drive Kaulig Racing's No. 25 truck.Stewart is participating in Kaulig's new Free Agent Driver Program.NEW NASCAR PLAYOFF FORMAT:NASCAR returns to Chase format: How 2026 playoffs will work"I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for
  
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• Ken de la Bastide column: NASCAR takes step in the right direction

  14-01-2026 00:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  It appears that the powers that control NASCAR have listened to the fans and competitors in making changes to how champions will be determined.I have never been a fan of the Chase format where drivers were eliminated and with the “win and you're in” mentality of recent years.I have always believed that champions should be determined by points earned over the full 36-race schedule and not an elimination type format.It was announced by NASCAR that starting this year the champions in th
  
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• Jimmie Johnson Says “I’m Gonna Come Back” Amidst NASCAR’s Return to Chase to Poke Haters

  13-01-2026 22:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR, Motorsport, USA DAYTONA 500 Feb 16, 2025 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson 84 walks to the drivers meeting before the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xPeterxCaseyx 20250216_mcd_bc1_47 ©IMAGO/Imagn ImagesBeating Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Chase Format seemed almost impossible for the longest time. After a certain po
  
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• Catching Up With NASCAR Star Carl Edwards

  13-01-2026 20:56 via sports.yahoo.com
  [Editor’s note: This article is from The Spun’s “Then and Now” magazine, featuring interviews with more than 50 sports stars of yesteryear. Order your copy online today, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.]Carl Edwards stood moments away from NASCAR immortality.In the 2016 Cup Series championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he held the lead with 15 laps remaining and the title in hand before a questionable caution flag was thrown for
  
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• The pros and cons of NASCAR's new championship format for 2026

  13-01-2026 19:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoNASCAR has a new championship format for 2026, and the overwhelming reaction has been positive. But what exactly has changed with this latest iteration and why is it such a good thing? Let's take a look:Looking over the format, it is much better in regards to rewarding the best driver during each particular season. The eliminations and multiple rounds/resets are completely gone, replaced by a single reset after Race #26. The 16 title finalists will then have ten races to execute
  
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• Joey Logano Left Shocked After NASCAR’s Return to Chase Format, Vows to Change Strategy for 2026

  13-01-2026 18:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Practice Feb 12, 2025 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano 22 during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20250212_mjr_su5_010 ©IMAGO/Imagn ImagesJoey Logano has never been shy about thriving where chaos lives. A three-time Cup Series champion, Logano arguably became the fa
  
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• More horsepower, new faces as North Wilkesboro test brings offseason rumble

  13-01-2026 18:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — The quiet of NASCAR winter just received a rumbling bit of offseason thaw.A one-day organizational test provided that much-needed jolt Tuesday at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where Cup Series teams got back on track for their first unofficial laps of 2026. The sound of engines echoing through the Brushy Mountains that surround the revered 0.625-mile oval was a familiar signal of the approaching season, but also a nod toward the NASCAR-mandated horsepower bump for a m
  
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• Cleetus McFarland considered quitting NASCAR after Greg Biffle's passing

  13-01-2026 18:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoGarett Mitchell, better known as the popular YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, began his stock car racing career last year in the ARCA Menard's Series. He did so under the guidance of NASCAR legend Greg Biffle, who became close friends with Mitchell over the past 1.5 years.However, Biffle was among seven who lost their lives in December plane crash in Statesville, North Carolina. They were planning to meet up with Mitchell in Florida. In a newly released video, Mitchell revealed t
  
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• NASCAR legend Tony Stewart to drive in Truck Series race at Daytona

  13-01-2026 17:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  For the first time in a decade, Tony Stewart will be back in the driver's seat at Daytona. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, who left the series after the 2016 season, has agreed to take the wheel of Kaulig Racing's No. 25 Ram Trucks entry in the Craftsman Truck Series opener on Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway.Stewart, the NASCAR Hall of Famer who won the 2025 Top Fuel regular-season championship driving for Dodge in NHRA drag racing, will switch gears − so to speak
  
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• Tony Stewart returns to NASCAR in Ram Truck debut at Daytona International Raceway

  13-01-2026 17:43 via sports.yahoo.com
  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Tony Stewart will return to NASCAR competition for the first time since 2016 when he drives for Kaulig Racing in the debut of the Ram Truck at next month's season-opening race at Daytona International Raceway.Stewart, a three-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Fame inductee, last raced a truck in 2005 at NASCAR's national level. He drives for Dodge in the NHRA drag racing series and racing for Kaulig as it brings Ram trucks back into NASCAR was a perfect re-entry for t
  
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• Tony Stewart returning to NASCAR at Daytona and look what he's driving

  13-01-2026 17:31 via sports.yahoo.com
  The Dodge folks apparently aren’t messing around with their NASCAR comeback. While the 2026 return is limited to the Truck Series, Dodge has plucked a Cup Series legend off the sidelines for the season-opener Feb. 13 at Daytona.Tony Stewart, three-time Cup Series champ, NASCAR Hall of Famer and stock-car-racing retiree since 2016, will drive one of Kaulig Racing’s five Dodge Rams (the No. 25) suited up for the coming season.Kaulig and Dodge are setting aside one of the five truc
  
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• The Chase: Winners, Losers of the New NASCAR Championship Format

  13-01-2026 16:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  Peter Casey-USA TODAY SportsNASCAR delivered the news everyone around the sport had been waiting years to here, the old single-race championship is gone and “The Chase” is back for the 2026 season. Fans, drivers, racing legends and reports are all celebrating the new changes coming for the 2026 season and beyond, but not everyone will come out a winner from this move.Let’s dive into the winners and losers from the new NASCAR championship format.Winner: Denny HamlinGary A. Vasqu
  
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• NASCAR Legend Tony Stewart Announces Return To The Sport

  13-01-2026 16:29 via sports.yahoo.com
  It's been a decade since NASCAR icon Tony Stewart stepped onto a track for one of their races, but that streak is set to come to an end when NASCAR goes to Daytona in a few weeks. According to FOX NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass, Stewart is returning to NASCAR to compete for Kaulig Racing in the Freshman From Florida 250 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It will mark his first NASCAR race since 2016 and his first truck race since all the way back in 2005."Tony Stewart back in NASCAR for one nigh
  
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• 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart to run Truck Series race at Daytona

  13-01-2026 16:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  Tony Stewart will make his first Truck Series start in over 20 years in February. (Photo by Will Lester/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesTony Stewart is returning to NASCAR.Kaulig Racing announced Tuesday that the three-time Cup Series champion would drive for the team in the season-opening Truck Series race at Daytona on Feb. 13.Welcome to The Smoke Show. 🏎️💨@TonyStewart returns to @NASCAR with @KauligRacing and @RamTrucks! pic.twitter.com/
  
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• Tony Stewart to make surprise NASCAR return with first Truck start in 20 years

  13-01-2026 16:17 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoThree-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is back, at least for one race at the national level of NASCAR.Stewart will pilot the 'free agent' truck for Kaulig Racing and Ram in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. 'Smoke' hasn't started a NASCAR race since retiring from the Cup Series at the end of the 2016 season, and he hasn't run a Truck Series event since 2005.Stewart is also the winningest driver not named Earnhardt at Da
  
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• Chase Elliott Claps Back at Outspoken Fans With 5-Word Statement While Praising NASCAR’s Return to the Chase

  13-01-2026 15:58 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Playoff Media Day Aug 27, 2025 Charlotte, NC, USA Chase Elliott answers questions from the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at Charlotte Convention Center. Charlotte Charlotte Convention Center NC USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJimxDedmonx 20250827_jla_db2_049 ©IMAGO/Imagn ImagesWhile NASCAR announced a new championship format yesterday, it again reopened an old debate that never really went away. During
  
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• 'Everyone wins with this format': NASCAR community lauds return of The Chase

  13-01-2026 12:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  CONCORD, N.C. — Crowning a NASCAR champion will look different in 2026 than it did last season, and yet it will be strikingly familiar.The Chase returns to NASCAR in the new year, the sanctioning body unveiled Monday at the NASCAR Productions Facility in Concord, North Carolina. Sixteen drivers will vie for championship glory over the final 10 races of the campaign. There will be no eliminations nor any automatic berths granted to race winners; only points will determine the champions of t
  
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• Kaulig Racing taps Tony Stewart to drive All-Star truck at Daytona

  13-01-2026 11:00 via sports.yahoo.com
  Kaulig Racing is kicking off its Free Agent Driver Program in style in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by naming three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart as the first driver in the No. 25 Ram Trucks entry for the Feb. 13 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.The announcement was made on Tuesday and came as season preparations were well underway for Kaulig Racing, which is partnering with RAM to field five Truck Series entries this season. Daniel Dye (No. 10), Brenden “Butter
  
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• The Chili Bowl multitude of emotion on full display after Monday

  13-01-2026 09:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoOnly at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals could you see the expressions on the podium’s face after the preliminary feature and have it make sense.Kyle Larson won the race and simply climbed out of the car softly and waved to the crowd. It was kind of a muted expression. Briggs Danner finished second and was happier than the winner. Cannon McIntosh was third and looked as if he crashed out.In this race, expectations versus results create a dynamic attitude at the end of each n
  
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• NASCAR Executives Hail Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin for Massive Role in Bringing Changes in NASCAR

  13-01-2026 06:37 via sports.yahoo.com
  Denny Hamlin (L) and Mark Martin (R) | Credits- USA Today SportsNASCAR does not always appreciate drivers speaking out against the organization or its rules. It expects obedience and prefers that drivers walk a straight line that does not upset investors or sponsors, and teams often expect the same. At times, however, a situation becomes so dire that internal criticism is warranted, and you know it has merit when the top brass is willing to welcome it. That is why Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin we
  
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• Dale Earnhardt Jr. Explains Why Drivers Will Place Importance on Every Race Under the Chase Format

  13-01-2026 03:48 via sports.yahoo.com
  Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. | Credits- Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesDale Earnhardt Jr. was one of the icons seated beside NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell when he announced that the Cup Series would be returning to the previously used Chase format in 2026. His presence made it clear that he had a crucial role to play in the decision.Junior believes that drivers will pl
  
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• Chase Elliott Has Just One Complaint About NASCAR’s Return to the Chase Format

  13-01-2026 03:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  Aug 27, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Chase Elliott answers questions from the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at Charlotte Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesNASCAR announced on Monday that the Cup Series will be returning to a modified version of the previously used Chase format (2004-2013) for the 2026 season. The long-awaited move has drawn a range of responses from drivers, and while he is largely pleased with the change, 2020 champion Chase Elliott has
  
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• Fans Rally Behind Mark Martin as He Voices an Uncomfortable Truth About NASCAR’s ‘Compromised’ Championship Format

  13-01-2026 02:49 via sports.yahoo.com
  Via NASCAR ©Via NASCARIf the NASCAR playoff saga has taught us anything, it is that NASCAR fans can empathize and be reasonable within seconds. Despite calls for the return of the traditional playoff format, the revamped version appears to be gaining traction. Mark Martin, who has long supported fan voices, recently revealed details that have long been kept from the community. And now, as the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place, the NASCAR fans cannot help but take notice of the sac
  
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• NASCAR drivers, legends say new format is about legitimacy

  13-01-2026 02:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoThe return of The Chase for the Championship has immediately been pitched to NASCAR fans as a return to civility.This of course doesn’t mean a loss of intensity or consequence but those who were part of the announcement on Monday at NASCAR Productions believe that points racing will result in a product that is a little more professional.And in the process, everyone involved ultimately believes this is the key to winning back lapsed fans.
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• Tony Stewart: Ferrucci the 'only IndyCar driver with balls or passion to do Chili Bowl'

  13-01-2026 02:26 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoThere are plenty of drivers in the IndyCar Series that Tony Stewart believes could find success at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, but he hailed Santino Ferrucci as the only one with enough courage to do it.Stewart, a two-time Chili Bowl winner (2002, 2007) and three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion who also hoisted an IndyCar title 1997, is back at the Tulsa Expo Center for the 40th edition famous event for the first time in five years after being named as the grand marshal.&nbs
  
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• NASCAR President Quietly Owns a Costly Mistake as Jim France & Co. Scramble to Win Back Forgotten Core Fans

  13-01-2026 02:05 via sports.yahoo.com
  From Twitter ©From TwitterNASCAR is overhauling its controversial playoff system, but the question remains: Is it enough to win back the core fans it has alienated for the last decade? With heaps of complaints about the previous playoff system resurfacing, NASCAR had to decide for the 2026 season. As the fans waited for their cries to be heard, the governing body seems to have gone its own way, and now NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell is left explaining himself.Speaking on the officia
  
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• Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell run it back with big wins on opening night of the 2026 Chili Bowl

  13-01-2026 01:24 via sports.yahoo.com
  A feeling of déjà vu settled into the SageNet Center on Monday evening during the opening night of competition for the 40th annual Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink.For the second consecutive year, Kyle Larson stormed from fourth to first to win the first preliminary feature of the week and lock himself into Saturday‘s 55-lap championship feature for Midget car racing‘s biggest event.As if that wasn‘t enough to cultivate the feeling of déj&ag
  
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• NASCAR returns to Chase format: How 2026 playoffs will work

  12-01-2026 23:07 via sports.yahoo.com
  The "Chase" is on again for NASCAR, which will return to a 10-race postseason format in the Cup series in 2026 featuring 16 drivers battling for the championship as it steers away for the playoff format used the previous 11 years.The new format announced on Jan. 12 is aimed at rewarding consistency as much as winning. Based on points, the top-16 drivers after a 26-race regular season will advance to the Chase format similar the one introduced 22 years ago. A race win no longer assures a driver w
  
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• The evolution of NASCAR's championship format over the years

  12-01-2026 22:56 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoNASCAR's championship format has just undergone its latest change, but it's far from the first time the Sanctioning Body has tweaked the way it crowns a champion.At some point, stock car racing was awarding points based on prize money, race lengths, or even laps completed. In the modern age, the Chase or the playoffs have existed in some form since 2004, breaking the season up into parts and create unpredictable outcomes. Without getting too into the weeds of every little ch
  
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• NASCAR reverts back to 'The Chase' playoff format. Here's how it works

  12-01-2026 22:26 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR went back to its past in order to speed toward its future.On Monday, Jan. 12, it announced its new playoff format, which is actually just a reversion to an old way of crowning a champion called “The Chase.”The method will resemble the format used from 2004 to 2013, determining the champ based on cumulative points over the final 10 weeks of the season. No more four-round playoffs with the winner-take-all championship race that had been in place since 2014.“There were a co
  
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• NASCAR announces new championship format for 2026, return of The Chase

  12-01-2026 22:18 via sports.yahoo.com
  NASCAR announced Monday, Jan. 12 its new championship format for the 2026 season and beyond, bringing back the Chase for the Championship and emphasizing winning with a return to a full-season points system.NASCAR utilized the Chase format from 2004-2013 when it first introduced a postseason.The top racing series in the United States is looking to get past a turbulent offseason that culminated in a nasty federal antitrust trial that ultimately settled, but the company was accused of being a fami
  
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• NASCAR reverts to the Chase for the Championship format in 2026

  12-01-2026 22:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoStarting in 2026, NASCAR will revert to a variation of the Chase for the Championship format it used to crown its champions from 2004-to-2013.In other words, no more win and you’re in and no more multiple elimination rounds. Most importantly, the sample size to determine the champion is no longer a single race but a 10-race points race.However, unlike NASCAR’s first version of a playoff, which included 10 and then 12 drivers, this version will feature the expanded 16
  
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• “The Chase is Back”: Dale Jr Compromises as NASCAR Goes Public with New Championship Format

  12-01-2026 21:52 via sports.yahoo.com
  March 29, 2015 - Ridgeway, VA, U.S. - Ridgeway, VA - Mar 29, 2015: Denny Hamlin (11) celebrates his win of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, VA. NASCAR Motorsport USA 2015: Sprint Cup Series STP 500 Mar 29 - ZUMAa55_ ©imago images/ZUMA WireThe fated announcement has now come true. Just like the rumors suggested, NASCAR is bringing back the Chase format. In their official press release today, they have declared that the current playoff format will switch to The Chase again. T
  
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• New NASCAR Championship Format Revealed for 2026 Season, Details on Playoff Points

  12-01-2026 21:44 via sports.yahoo.com
  Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesAfter years of frustration from drivers, fans and many in the garage, NASCAR announced its new playoff format on Monday afternoon that will be implemented beginning in the 2026 season. The new NASCAR playoff format includes bringing back a form of the 10-race chase.In a live-streamed NASCAR Championship format announcement, president Steve O’Donnell shared that the sport is going back to the “Chase” format moving forward.Read More: NASCAR Power Ranki
  
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• NASCAR changes playoff format again as it reverts back to the original 10-race Chase format

  12-01-2026 21:36 via sports.yahoo.com
  PHOENIX, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 04:A detail view of the Bill France NASCAR Cup Series Championship trophy onstage prior to the 2025 NASCAR Awards Show at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on November 04, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Sean Gardner via Getty ImagesThe Chase for the Cup is back in NASCAR.The sanctioning body announced Monday that it was returning to its original postseason roots and getting rid of the multi-round format it had used since 2014. In
  
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• NASCAR's 'Chase' returns: What fans need to know about the 2026 format

  12-01-2026 21:33 via sports.yahoo.com
  CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR's nearly two-year study into an overhaul of its championship-deciding format concluded Monday with the reveal that in 2026 the stock car series will return to a 10-race version closely resembling the very first iteration introduced 22 years ago.The system will return to a 10-race format consisting of the top 16 drivers in the regular-season standings. There will be no driver eliminations every three races, winning will be incentivized and its name will return
  
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• Smoke is back at Chili Bowl and Larson v Bell takes center stage

  12-01-2026 21:08 via sports.yahoo.com
  Motorsport photoIn introducing the guests for the annual Monday morning Chili Bowl Midget Nationals press conference, event publicist Bryan Hulbert called the attending drivers Mount Rushmore caliber and heaped praise upon the city officials who make it happen.Tony Stewart is back after a five-year hiatus, the two-time event winner turned groundskeeper, now tasked with just being a fan this week under the guise of grand marshal.Smoke was joined by two of his modern contemporaries in three-time w
  
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• Ex-FOX Broadcaster Tells NASCAR Haters to Back Off as Dale Jr. Gives Ultimate Approval to Championship Format

  12-01-2026 19:32 via sports.yahoo.com
  Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch May 1, 2024 Columbus, OH, USA NASCAR, Motorsport, USA legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks to media following the Memorial Tournament Legends Luncheon at the Ohio Union. Earnhardt emceed the event. Columbus , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAdamxCairns/ColumbusxDispatchx USATSI_23161485 ©IMAGO/USA TODAY NetworkIn these past 12 years, the 10-race elimination-style playoffs have been the subject of criticism for many, as they claim
  
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• NASCAR Insider Reveals Growing Industry Anxiety After Greg Biffle’s Fatal Plane Crash

  12-01-2026 19:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  via Imago ©via ImagoGreg Biffle’s sudden demise sent ripples across the motorsport fraternity. The fans and experts from all over the world are still coming to terms with it, as they try to cope with the second-hand loss that they are experiencing. But right now, the question being discussed more than his death is ‘how’ he died.Plane crashes and NASCAR have some weird, unwanted connection. Over the years, so many drivers have lost their lives in air-borne travel, which jus
  
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• Chili Bowl results: How NASCAR drivers fared at the 2026 Nationals in Tulsa

  12-01-2026 17:13 via sports.yahoo.com
  The biggest midget car racing event in the world, the Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink in Tulsa, Oklahoma, always attracts some of NASCAR’s top stars. Which means millions of eyes this week will be focused on the 2026 Chili Bowl results.Leading the charge at this year’s Chili Bowl is Kyle Larson, who returns to the SageNet Center as the event’s defending champion after he scored his third Chili Bowl victory one season ago.Larson will be joined by a number of NAS
  
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• Tony Stewart Takes a Dig at the Daytona 500 With 7-Word Chili Bowl Verdict Amid Souring NASCAR Ties

  12-01-2026 17:06 via sports.yahoo.com
  credits: Sean Gardner/Getty Images ©credits: Sean Gardner/Getty ImagesTony Stewart has never been the type to soften his words, especially when it comes to NASCAR. Over the past few years, Smoke’s frustration with the sport has only grown louder. Whether it’s the charter system he’s openly criticized, the sponsor struggles that drained Stewart-Haas Racing, or NASCAR’s steady drift away from the roots he once helped define, Stewart has been vocal in voicing his opinio
  
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• Richard Petty’s Prized Memorabilia Goes Up on Sale 34 Years Later

  12-01-2026 15:44 via sports.yahoo.com
  MARTINSVILLE, VA - NOVEMBER 03: 7 time Cup Series champion Richard Petty talks with fans prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Playoff Race Xfinity 500 on November 03, 2024 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: NOV 03 NASCAR Cup Series XFINITY 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2411036868500 ©IMAGO/Icon SportswireTrue NASCAR fans know that Richard Petty’s career wasn’t just built on wins and championships. Rat
  
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• Insider Echoes Richard Petty’s Peer As He Quietly Exposes Long-feared Theory Of Racing Economy

  12-01-2026 14:30 via finance.yahoo.com
  MARTINSVILLE, VA - NOVEMBER 03: 7 time Cup Series champion Richard Petty talks with fans prior to the running of the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Playoff Race Xfinity 500 on November 03, 2024 at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. Photo by Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire AUTO: NOV 03 NASCAR Cup Series XFINITY 500 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2411036868500 ©IMAGO/Icon SportswireNASCAR isn’t the same anymore, and Richard Petty’s son, Kyle Petty, knows it all too well. Earlier
  
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• Why Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch, the Last Two Cup Champions for Jack Roush, Shared A Great Rapport

  12-01-2026 11:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  Matt Kenseth (L) and Kurt Busch (R) | Credits- Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesMatt Kenseth won one of the most hotly debated championships in NASCAR history in 2003, securing the Cup title with a season built on consistency rather than a pile of trophies. He reached the peak with only a single race win, a result that ignited debate across the garage and grandstands. One year later, the sport responded with a seismic shift, introducing the Chase format. Under that new system, Kurt Busch came out as cham
  
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