The return of the Chase format may have clarified the championship picture for fans and viewers, but from Chase Elliott’s seat, it does not fundamentally reshape how drivers approach the job inside the car. The Hendrick Motorsports standout believes the underlying mindset remains intact because the structure governing race points, stage points, and weekly execution has not been rewritten. Drivers will still chase wins, manage stages, and stack consistent finishes, just as they did before.
Advertisement
Consistency, in particular, has been Elliott’s calling card over the past several seasons. While the number of win totals has fluctuated, his presence near the front of the field has remained steady. For example, last season, Elliott won two races, logged 11 top-five finishes, placed inside the top 10 on 19 occasions, and led 454 laps across the year.
Again, in 2024, Elliott earned one win, posted 11 top fives, recorded 19 top-10 finishes, claimed a pole position, and paced the field for 431 laps. In both campaigns, he advanced to the Round of 8 through consistent execution.
That’s why he said in a recent interview, “I think no different than it was before (racing mentality). We made decisions and strategy as it pertains to stage points and things of that nature based on what we had going on in the points,” outlining how strategy has always flowed from context.
He added, “Certainly, as you got to the Round of 12 and the Round of eight, I don’t really see that being a whole lot. You’re just going to be making those decisions, not necessarily in the last two or three weeks. That’s when we’re going to start coming along… I think that’s the whole point of this deal is there’s enough time for it to sort itself out. And it’s going to be uh it’s going to be the same crowd it’s always been.”
To him, the Chase ultimately becomes a test of continuous execution among a familiar group. Six or seven teams will have a legitimate chance to string together the right results over a 10-race stretch. The challenge lies in stacking solid runs week after week, avoiding missteps, and delivering clean, repeatable performances rather than swinging for desperation plays.
However, he does have one complaint about the format: the playoff grid will still consist of 16 drivers, which, to him, is too many. The 10-race chase, the 10-driver piece of that, would have been really hard to get into and a tougher feat to achieve.
How does Elliott’s take on unchanged racing mentality despite the Chase Format make sense?
The 2026 Chase format leans toward a purer measure of performance by emphasizing a longer window, but that does not shrug off the competition. Every position still matters, and every lap still carries consequence. Hence, the revised system will not reward caution. Instead, it will reinforce the importance of maximizing each opportunity across the schedule.
Winning, in fact, will carry even more weight. The increase in points awarded to race winners from 40 to 55 has increased the incentive to race for the checkered flag more than protect a conservative points haul. That adjustment will ensure aggression remains baked into the process, keeping drivers focused on wins.
Some observers may assume that fewer eliminations soften the tone, but the points-over-10-races approach does the opposite. If anything, it will demand more attention every weekend.
Beyond format mechanics, aggressive habits form long before drivers reach the Cup Series. In divisions such as ARCA and Late Models, competitors learn to dive into gaps, lean on doors, and defend track position. Those instincts do not disappear when the championship rules change.
