NASCAR is reportedly ready to unveil its new championship format on Monday, January 12, 2026. And all in the fraternity, from fans to stakeholders and drivers, are eagerly waiting to see what the future of the sport will be.
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Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has certain assumptions and aspirations regarding the new framework. He is hopeful of positive changes, given that the decision was made through a lot of discussion with drivers and teams.
Stenhouse Jr. understands that winning races remains paramount regardless of format tweaks, believing in the spirit and true essence of the sport. He, however, floated the possibility of greater emphasis on points accumulation alongside race wins when determining playoff qualifiers in the new format.
NASCAR’s announcement suggested that the larger intent of the changes is to reward season-long consistency over playoff volatility, echoing recommendations from Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, and veterans like Mark Martin. The shift could address fan grievances about the current elimination-style playoffs that have drawn criticism for not giving enough reward for sustained excellence.
Stenhouse Jr. then praised NASCAR’s collaborative approach to bringing about the changes. “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. So I’ve been through different iterations of the format and the way things have worked,” he said.
“And so it’s going to come out on Monday. I assume there’s going to be more points, incentive-type racing. Obviously, you still want to win races and put yourself in the best possible position to be in the playoffs. So, I’m going to start with trying to win the Daytona 500,” added Stenhouse Jr.
Here’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. talking about NASCAR’s new championship system on Fox & Friends:
“I assume there’s gonna be more points-incentive type racing. Obviously you still want to win races and put yourself in the best possible position to be in the playoff … Come Monday… https://t.co/sYzXsW2sjN pic.twitter.com/eLU48VANJa
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) January 10, 2026
NASCAR’s announcement of the changes will give the teams concrete information to work with while mapping out their campaigns. The announcement is supposed to drop at 3:30 p.m. ET during a special Inside the Race broadcast livestreamed from NASCAR’s Concord studios on NASCAR.com, YouTube, the NASCAR Channel on Tubi, and additional platforms.
NASCAR had operated under a playoff system since 2014 that funneled 16 drivers into a 10-race postseason battle for the title, while the remaining field continued to compete. The playoff grid was filled with winners from the season’s opening 26 races, and rounded out with drivers selected by points until the cutoff of 16.
The 10-race postseason was divided into four elimination rounds, with the first three rounds spanning three races apiece. After each segment, the bottom four drivers were eliminated based on points, leaving four finalists who squared off in the season finale for the championship.
Drivers could punch their ticket to the subsequent round by bagging wins or having enough points. But fans and drivers argued that it didn’t reward consistency, but rather just a driver’s luck in one race. Very few anticipate NASCAR reversing course entirely by returning to a 36-race points system that governed the sport for decades.
Instead, most assume the sanctioning body will strike a middle ground where playoff advancement aligns more closely with points won and rewards consistent performance throughout the season, rather than forcing everything into a handful of elimination rounds. In a way, NASCAR is currently attempting to thread the needle between maintaining playoff excitement and addressing legitimacy concerns about whether the current format truly crowns the sport’s most deserving champion.
