NASCAR has never been shy about changing up the way it crowns its champion, and the format has undergone a lot of changes since 1949.
Red Byron won the first NASCAR cup title in 1949, Richard ‘The King’ Petty earned his first crown in 1971, Dale Earnhardt’s seventh and final crown in 1994, Jimmie Johnson’s historic run of five in-a-row in 2010, and Kyle Larson’s latest triumph in 2025 — all of these happened under different systems.
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At some point, stock car racing was awarding points based on prize money, race lengths, or even laps completed. But NASCAR moved away from most motorsports in 2004 when the Sanctioning Body decided that the most points over the course of an entire season was no longer the best way to go about it.
This took them down a path where the format changed even more frequently, and in recent years, became a multi-round win and you’re in elimination-style showdown that had people shaking their heads.
NASCAR has since taken a step back and simplified the championship format. In 2026, things are much easier for even the most casual fans to comprehend. Here’s a look at how it all works:
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Scoring points
The winner of a race will earn 55 points, 20 more than the runner-up finisher, who nets 35 points. From that point onward, every position is worth one point less until we reach 36th place. 36th on back all score one point each, so no one goes home with nothing.
There are also two stages for most races, and if you want to know more about stages, we have another article for that. In these stages, a predetermined lap offers additional points to those running inside the top ten, and is accompanied by a competition caution. The leader earns ten points, second earns nine, third earns eight, fourth earns seven, fifth earns six, sixth earns five, seventh earns four, eighth earns three, ninth earns two, and tenth earns one.
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There is also an additional bonus point on offer for the driver who records the fastest lap. The only way a driver beyond the race winner can score the most points is if the winner earns no bonus points, while second wins both stages and secures the fastest lap. The most points a driver can earn on any given week is 76, except for the Coca-Cola 600 (additional stage) and Daytona 500 (Duel qualifying races award points identical to a stage), where they can score up to 86.
The Chase reset
The playoffs have been rebranded as the Chase, and it will more closely resemble the original Chase from two decades ago. There is no win and you’re in anymore, no more rounds, and no more bonus points to keep track of.
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At the end of the 26th race, the top 16 drivers in the Cup championship points will be made part of the Chase. The points are then reset with intervals based on where each driver ended the regular season in the standings, as seen below.
1st: 2100; 2nd: 2075; 3rd: 2065, 4th: 2060; 5th: 2055; 6th: 2050; 7th: 2045; 8th: 2040; 9th: 2035; 10th: 2030; 11th: 2025; 12th: 2020; 13th: 2015; 14th: 2010; 15th: 2005; 16th: 2000.
Then, the driver who scores the most points over the final ten races will be crowned the champion. Homestead-Miami Speedway currently hosts the season finale.
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The format is identical for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts and Craftsman Truck Series, just with smaller ‘Chase’ fields.
Read Also:
Everything you need to know before watching a NASCAR race
What are stages and how do they work in NASCAR?
What happens during a NASCAR pit stop?
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