Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch expressed his doubts about NASCAR’s decision to bring back The Chase points format starting in the 2026 season. The driver for Richard Childress Racing, known for piloting the #8 Chevrolet, said he understands why NASCAR moved away from The Chase but remains unclear on the reasoning behind reinstating it.
NASCAR replaced The Chase format after the 2013 season with a 16-driver playoff structure featuring a 10-race elimination system. Under this system, four drivers are cut after every three races, continuing until the champion is decided. Busch explained in an interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that the original decision to abandon The Chase in 2014 had solid reasons, and he questions the logic of reversing that choice now.
I thought we got away from it for a reason in the past, so I’m not real sure why we went back to it. The reason why we sorta went away from it was obviously Jimmie Johnson’s dominance, number one. I feel like, number two, is there were times where guys, like myself, who would have one bad race or two that would then knock them out of the championship basically.
Busch criticized the potential harshness of The Chase format, where a single poor performance during its 10-race stretch could essentially end a competitor’s championship hopes. Despite his reservations, he also noted that the aggressive and unpredictable style of racing seen today, where drivers often clash on track, might alter how the format plays out.
You might see everybody, all 16 of us, have a bad race. If all of us have a bad race, then that can just be construed as your throw-away, and you’ve got to be good in the other nine [races].
Busch’s Take on Whether Winning Can Offset a Poor Performance
When asked if a driver could recover from a bad race in The Chase format by winning other races, Busch gave a frank opinion based on team competitiveness. Pointing out that maximum points per race can reach 76, he suggested winning helps but only if a driver is with a top-tier team like Hendrick, Gibbs, or Penske.
If you’re a winner. If you’re a Hendrick car, a Gibbs car, or a Penske car, yeah. Name me another team that wins races that’s outside of those guys.
Busch himself has experienced challenges, as he has not won a NASCAR Cup Series race since June 2023 at World Wide Technology Raceway and failed to qualify for The Chase in the previous two seasons despite his 63 career wins.
NASCAR’s Shift Back to The Chase for the 2026 Season
After using the 16-driver, win-and-you’re-in playoff system for 12 seasons, NASCAR is reinstating The Chase format in 2026. The top 16 drivers based on points accumulated during the initial 26 races of the regular season will make the field.
The 10-race Chase will determine the champion by total points at the end, but points standings will reset beforehand, with 25-point intervals separating the qualified drivers to heighten competition.
This change represents a significant return to NASCAR’s previous playoff setup, potentially reintroducing the heightened pressure and volatility that The Chase format is known for. How drivers like Kyle Busch and others will adapt remains to be seen, as does the impact this format will have on the championship battles ahead.
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