As per reports, NASCAR is ready to unveil the new championship format on Monday, January 12, 2026. And not only fans but drivers are also eagerly waiting to hear the same. Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has certain assumptions and aspirations regarding the new framework, given that the decision was made through a lot of discussion with drivers and teams.
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Still, he grasps that winning races remains paramount regardless of format tweaks, as he shared his perspective on NASCAR’s looming playoff overhaul. He floated the possibility of greater emphasis on points accumulation alongside race wins when determining playoff qualifiers.
NASCAR’s announcement suggests the organization intends 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 penalizing sustained excellence. Meanwhile, Stenhouse Jr. offered his assessment of NASCAR’s collaborative approach to the redesign, saying,
“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.”
“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,” he said.
Stenhouse Jr. acknowledged that Monday’s reveal should reveal exactly what shape the format takes, giving competitors concrete information to work with as they map out their campaigns. The announcement is supposed to drop at 3:30 p.m. 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.
Till now, NASCAR has 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, then rounded out with drivers selected by points until capacity was reached.
The 10-race postseason fractured 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 racing 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.
