The 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 updated version of the Chase, a historical example narrated by Steve Letarte shows that race wins still matter greatly.
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Former crew chief Letarte revisited Jeff Gordon’s 2007 season in a recent episode of Inside The Race to make that case.
“I had a 5.0 average finish in 2007 and lost to Jimmie Johnson, who won four races,” Letarte said. “We can talk about consistency all we want, but in those final 10 races, you have to have consistency, and you have to win races.”
I once had an average finish of 5.0 in The Chase and still lost the Championship…you have to be consistent AND win races to be crowned Champion in this format.
Inside The Race: https://t.co/2wM2dPm3Eg pic.twitter.com/WAi5RqTnPE
— Steve Letarte (@SteveLetarte) January 13, 2026
Letarte strongly believes that there is no way for a driver to become champion without winning multiple races in the Chase. Moreover, a single race win earns a driver 55 points, which makes it far more difficult to win a title without victories, especially against competitors who do find Victory Lane.
Gordon’s 2007 season remains one of the greatest title campaigns in modern NASCAR history. Paired with Letarte, he won six races that year. Even that was not the most impressive part of their resume. They recorded 21 top-five finishes and a record 30 top-10 finishes. So how did they still lose the title?
When the final 10-race Chase began, their ability to consistently win races dipped. They continued to post elite finishes and still won twice, but it was not enough to hold off Jimmie Johnson.
Johnson, a one-time champion at the time, won four of the final five races to capture his second title. The season serves as proof that simply qualifying for the Chase is not enough. To win a championship, drivers must combine consistency with race victories, making it a delicate balance. The disappointment of falling short that year still lingers for Gordon.
Gordon told Autoweek many years later in 2017, “Looking back on it, I still can’t believe we didn’t close out. I had never found myself in that position and wasn’t able to pull it off. We had some really elite teams during my career, and we always pulled it off.”
Now, the format that gave even Gordon a tough time has made its way back into the field. Things are bound to get more interesting from here on.
