The return of the Chase Format changes the championship picture, tussle, and the narrative through the season for fans. But from how Chase Elliott sees it, this does not fundamentally alter how drivers approach the job inside the car.
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The Hendrick Motorsports star believes the mindset of a racer remains the same 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.
Consistency, in particular, has been Elliott’s calling card over the past several seasons. While the number of win totals has fluctuated, he has always been present near the front of the field. And he plans to continue exactly that.
“I think no different than it was before [racing mentality],” said Elliott in a recent interview, before elaborating on how strategy changes based on how things unfold through the season, but the core idea of racing and earning points and wins will remain intact.
“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.
“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. There’s enough time for it to sort itself out. And it’s going to be the same crowd it’s always been,” added Elliott.
For the 2020 Cup Series champion, the Chase Format ultimately becomes a test of continuous execution, fighting familiar rivals. He has been doing exactly that in all his campaigns.
For instance, last season, Elliott won two races, logged 11 top-five finishes, placed inside the top 10 on 19 occasions, and led 454 laps. In 2024, he earned a 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 in the playoffs.
And every year, six or seven teams will have a legitimate chance to string together the right results over a 10-race stretch. According to Elliott, the challenge lies in stacking solid runs week after week, avoiding missteps, and delivering clean, repeatable performances rather than swinging for desperation moves.
That said, Elliott does have a complaint about the format: The playoff grid will still consist of 16 drivers, which, to him, is too many. The 10-race Chase, and the 10-driver part of that, would have been really hard to get into and a tougher feat to achieve.
Does Elliott’s take on racing mentality make sense?
The 2026 Chase Format leans toward a purer measure of performance by emphasizing a longer window. However, every position still matters, and every lap still carries consequences. 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 jacked up the incentive to race for the checkered flag more than stay on course for a conservative points haul. That adjustment ensures aggression remains baked into the process, keeping drivers focused on wins.
Some observers may assume that fewer eliminations soften the tone of racing. However, the points-over-10-races approach does the opposite. If anything, it will demand more attention every weekend.
Aggressive habits are formed long before drivers reach the Cup Series. And it certainly has nothing to do with format dynamics.
In divisions such as ARCA and Late Models, competitors learn to dive into gaps, lean on doors, and defend track position. And those instincts will not disappear when the championship rules change.
