By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s nearly two-year study into an overhaul of its championship-deciding format concluded Monday with the reveal that in 2026 the stock car series will return to a 10-race version closely resembling the very first iteration introduced 22 years ago.
The system will return to a 10-race format consisting of the top 16 drivers in the regular-season standings. There will be no driver eliminations every three races, winning will be incentivized and its name will return to “The Chase.” The driver with the most points at the Nov. 8 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be the champion.
“As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race,” NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell said. “At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR’s storied history and the traditions that have made the sport so special.
“Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this format is designed to honor their passion every single race weekend.”
The changes come amid fan complaints to periodic tweaks of a system that was largely unchanged from its 2004 introduction to 2013, when Jimmie Johnson won six of his record-tying seven championships.
Changes slowly followed, with eliminations, an expanded field, a win-and-in guarantee and finally a winner-take-all season finale.
Fans had grown weary of the changes. Regular-season victories guaranteed a slot in the 10-race playoffs, a win in any of the first three three-race rounds advanced a driver into the next round, while the bottom three drivers at the end of each round were eliminated.
Finally, the winner was simply the highest-finishing driver among four remaining title contenders in the season finale.
THE TIPPING POINT
That system reached its breaking point in November when Denny Hamlin dominated the race until a late caution changed the final sequence and Kyle Larson won his second title by simply finishing ahead of Hamlin despite Larson not leading a single lap at Phoenix Raceway while mired in a 25-race losing streak.
Hamlin had won two playoff races – a Cup Series high six victories on the season – and led 208 of the 319 laps at Phoenix. He was the leader with three to go when a late caution changed the outcome and sent the race into overtime; Larson finished third, two spots ahead of Hamlin, to automatically claim the championship.
It wasn’t the only race on the final weekend of 2025 that didn’t finish as expected.
Corey Heim had 11 victories at the start of the Truck Series finale at Phoenix but needed to dip his truck low in an outrageous seven-wide scramble in overtime to secure the title. He did pull out the win and NASCAR dodged the controversy of the most consistent driver being denied a championship because of a gimmicky format.
NASCAR wasn’t so fortunate the next night in the Xfinity Series when 10-race winner Connor Zilisch lost the championship because Jesse Love won the race. Love opened the season with a win at Daytona and closed it with a win at Phoenix – his only two victories of the season but good enough in that format for a championship.
Fan discourse – which had been building for several years and intensified after Joey Logano won two titles in three years including in 2024 when he advanced on another’s driver elimination – exploded after Hamlin.
The changes announced Monday were already in the works and came after an extensive review that included collaboration between owners, drivers, automobile manufacturers, tracks, broadcast partners, and fans.
“Going into Phoenix was a hold your breath moment,” O’Donnell said. “We recognize someone winning the championship, absolutely they won it by the rules. But was it the best format that we could go with? The tide had turned in the garage.”
The new format is designed to bolster the importance of each race and reward consistency while maintaining the importance of winning. It will be known as its original name, ‘The Chase,’ with an also accepted use of ‘postseason,’ NASCAR is eliminating the vernacular ‘playoffs’ and ‘regular-season champion.’
NASCAR’S NEW FORMAT
Moving forward, the driver with the most points after the postseason finale will be champion in all three NASCAR national series. The Chase will comprise of the final 10 races for the Cup Series.
NASCAR has eliminated the automatic berth into the playoff field earned by winning during the regular season, a move designed to increase the importance of every event on the schedule and emphasize consistency throughout the regular season.
A race victory win will now earn the winning driver 55 points, up from 40 points, to reward drivers who battle for wins instead of settling for a solid points days. NASCAR hopes it encourages aggressive racing and strong team performance.
Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same.
The points leader after the regular season will receive a 25-point cushion over the second seed as the points will be reset for the 16 Chase drivers. A win in a playoff race no longer earns the automatic advancement into the next round – a move NASCAR says prevents teams from using the remainder of that particular round as preparation time for the finale.

NASCAR’s announcement on Monday of the third iteration of the championship playoff format in the last 22 years – and with a return to the original moniker of “The Chase for the Championship” – basically boils down to four words.
“Back to the basics.”
After more than two decades of racing in two distinct formats that alienated many fans or cost drivers championship trophies, NASCAR may finally have hit upon the best format of all.
Like the old wedding saying – Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue – NASCAR’s new playoff format borrows from the past while also modernizing the old with a few new twists and tweaks.
That leaves us with three key questions:
One, how will NASCAR fans respond?
Two, will fans like the new, more basic and streamlined format?
And third, will the new format bring back old fans who left the sport because they disliked the playoff system, and will it attract new fans – something the sport has desperately needed a significant boost in for nearly 20 years after the 2007 through 2009 fallout due to the global economic recession?
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The new format will be easy for fans to understand and like
On the surface, the new format appears to be a winner. It simplifies qualifying for the playoffs and also takes away the old “win and you’re in” system where any driver who wins in the first 26 regular-season races automatically qualifies for the playoffs.
But more importantly, it eliminates arguably the biggest thorn in NASCAR’s side in sticking with the playoff format all these years: elimination rounds.
That’s right, no longer does a team that qualifies for the playoffs find itself knocked out from further advancing in any of the first three playoff rounds. And it also eliminates the one-race Championship Four final round.
Instead, the new format – which NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell said took nearly 1 ½ years to whittle down several choices and to finally settle on just one system – will reward drivers even more for wins throughout the 36 points-paying races, increasing points earned for a win from 40 to 55 points (points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same).
And in so doing, we’ll finally be able to see drivers who were previously eliminated after, say, a bad first, second or third round be given a chance to bounce back in the subsequent races that remain in the 10-race playoffs.
A perfect example of that was last season when Shane van Gisbergen won five races – all on road courses – with four of those races coming during the 26-race regular season. Because SVG struggled in the first round of the playoffs, he was prevented from further advancement into the subsequent three rounds.
Now, if SVG once again wins multiple races in the 2026 regular season, he’ll still have a chance to collect points and perhaps finish in the top five by season’s end rather than 12 like he did last season.
The old format had run its course; it was time for a new format
As I watched the live announcement, I was struck by one thing: the original Chase format had basically run its course after its 10-year reign from 2004 through 2013, which prompted NASCAR to change the format, increase the field to 16 drivers, and add elimination rounds, all in an effort to inject more excitement and attract both new and old fans to the sport.
Now, after its 12-season reign – what I like to call Chase 2.0 – has now become Chase 3.0 as of Monday.
“We felt like this was a great balance,” said O’Donnell. “It’s simple: there’s no playoff points and all those things.
“We all understand what the objective is. It’s simpler, easier and more cut-and-dry. It’s the full body of work. … We’ve got the best of both worlds, where every race matters.
“We did a lot of listening, a lot of talking and looked at a ton of ideas, modeled a lot of different things.”
Some fans may still not be happy with the revised format, and there may be some validity to their viewpoint. Many will say that NASCAR continues to make a big mistake by sticking with any type of playoff format, when such a format really doesn’t seem to fit with NASCAR’s focus on winning races and consistency.
“Not everyone’s going to love it,” O’Donnell acknowledged. “We don’t expect everyone to just go out and love it. We don’t expect this to be the magic wand we wave from a NASCAR standpoint and say everything’s now great. We’ve got a lot of work to do from our standpoint, relationships in the garage, getting back to those, getting back to who we are. And that’s hardcore racing.”
Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are on board
Even though early on in the selection process, he favored going back to the system where the driver with the most points wins (as it had previously been from 1975 to 2003), NASCAR Hall of Famer and EssentiallySports contributor Mark Martin, who was part of the industry focus group that came to Monday’s decision, likes what he sees in the new format.
“I think that this is the most perfect compromise that you could ever ask for,” Martin said. “It’s going to require our 2026 champion to be lightning fast and incredibly consistent. And that’s what we can all get behind.
“So I’m really excited. I think it’s fantastic. And I just appeal to the race fans, all the race fans, but especially the classic fans who say to me, ‘I don’t watch anymore,’ I say, ‘We need you. Come on back. We’re headed in the right direction. Come back and join with us and we’ll keep making progress.’”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. concurs with Martin.
“I was really excited to hear the news that we were kind of getting a little bit closer to a full 36 race format,” Earnhardt said. “This is as close, in my opinion, that you can get without going all the way.
“But what I believe it does is it makes it simpler for our fans to follow. I’m a fan of the sport, and now I’m compelled to plug in every single week because I know there’s a long-form objective for my driver to accomplish to be able to give himself the opportunity to win the championship.
“With the way that they’re going to stack the bonus points and everything else, it’s critical that these drivers have success every single week. Every single race, every single lap will have more importance. I think that’s fun for the drivers to have a more clear objective to how to get to the championship and easier for our fans to follow.”
Not everyone is going to like the new format
Martin is right when he says the new format is the best compromise – but also added, “It’s not going to be enough for some. You just can’t make everyone happy (but) I think that it is the best possible scenario that you could have asked for.
“Everyone wins with this format. Everyone. The fans win. They were heard. They win. The drivers (and) the teams win. NASCAR wins. Everybody wins. You can’t always have everything you want. And I want it at all. But I’m sure happy. This is great for our sport.”
Time will tell if that is truly the case, but for now, any change is better than no change at all.

NASCAR is overhauling its controversial playoff system, but the question remains: Is it enough to win back the core fans it has alienated for the last decade? With heaps of complaints about the previous playoff system resurfacing, NASCAR had to decide for the 2026 season. As the fans waited for their cries to be heard, the governing body seems to have gone its own way, and now NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell is left explaining himself.
Speaking on the official NASCAR YouTube channel, the championship format announcement gripped the fan base. And Steve O’Donnell wasn’t playing around while revealing the reworked version of the playoffs.
“At the end of the day, it’s growing the fan base, but it’s not just chasing new fans,” O’Donnell said. “We need to be with the folks who brought us to the dance, make sure they believe in us, where we’re going. New fans will come along because they’re going to see that this is a cool sport to be around.”
That candid admission from the NASCAR president signals a major shift in how the series plans to approach its championship format. For years, a large portion of the NASCAR community has been openly frustrated with the playoff system that has dominated the sport since 2014.
Many longtime fans felt that the elimination rounds and win-and-you’re-in quirks turned what should be a season-long test of consistency into a series of artificial checkpoints, where one bad race could undo months of effort and unpredictability could overshadow true performance.
Longstanding complaints led fans to demand a return to a traditional points championship, but the new format appears to be a compromise that not everyone wanted.
NASCAR has reworked its postseason for 2026, returning to a modernized version of the historic Chase format that many fans once loved.
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So, what does this return to the Chase actually look like?
Under the new structure, the top 16 drivers will be determined by regular-season points rather than automatic race wins. Elimination rounds are gone, and the championship will be decided by cumulative points over a 10-race chase.
This approach removes some of the more controversial aspects of the previous system while still keeping a playoff-style climax that rewards both consistency and performance across the entire year.
O’Donnell is also focused on the future, aiming to attract new fans.
Wanting to expand NASCAR to newcomers seems to be his main goal, and he has also acknowledged that there are still vocal factions on both sides of the debate.
“Just looking at both of those, there are a lot of fans, yes, there are a lot of vocal fans on social media,” said O’Donnell. “Those aren’t all of our fans, and there are a lot of fans who like Playoffs or liked a Playoff format as well. So we felt like this was a great balance.”
While O’Donnell presented the change as a balanced compromise, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, a vocal critic of the old system, offered a more candid look at the passionate debates that led to this moment.
Mark Martin credits yelling for bringing the Chase format back
Mark Martin, who has pretty much been the voice of the core fans of NASCAR, can finally kick his feet up.
His persistent push for change has paid off. The NASCAR Hall of Famer was on hand Monday as president Steve O’Donnell announced the end of the 3-3-3-1 playoff format, bringing back an updated version of the former Chase.
O’Donnell called Martin “the first guy in the room to stand up and say, ‘I want to go back to full season points.’” He added, “There were a lot of folks who wanted to throw Mark out of the room initially, but what Mark did was caught as a position where there was the right balance and the balance between those who would like to play off and those who like the full season points. And we believe we’ve struck that balance. We’ve got the best of both worlds where every race matters.”
The new Chase format resembles the system used from 2004 to 2013. The 16-driver playoff field will now be set based on points accumulated throughout the regular season, moving away from the ‘win-and-you’re-in’ system, with race wins earning 55 points, up from 40.
Reflecting on the change, Martin couldn’t help but joke.
“Well, the fans were yelling at me, ‘We want full-season points.’ So I yelled even louder and almost got thrown out, as Steve said. I think that this is the most perfect compromise that you could ever ask for,” he said.
When the chase begins, points will reset. The new structure eliminates the sudden-death nature of the previous playoffs. By resetting points with a tiered seeding (2100 for the leader, 2075 for second), the system rewards regular-season success while ensuring the 10-race Chase remains a competitive battle, not a lottery.
While the return to a Chase-style format is a clear concession to its traditionalist base, NASCAR is betting that this hybrid model can satisfy old-school loyalists without sacrificing the drama needed to capture a new generation of fans. The 2026 season will be the ultimate test of that gamble.

For Tony ‘Smoke’ Stewart, the Chili Bowl Nationals is home. His return as the event’s grand marshal is a true homecoming, and the 3-time NASCAR champion is openly embracing his dirt track roots once again.
To say Stewart is overjoyed would be an understatement. In a recent interview, the veteran’s eyes lit up.
“I can’t remember how many years consecutive we were doing track prep, so it’s nice this year to come and actually be able to come visit… It’s great to be back. I’ve always said it every year. This is probably one of the most special races every year for me, no matter what form of motorsports it is. This tops it all.”
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And why would it not be special for Stewart? The Indiana native’s relationship with the Oklahoma event reads like dirt track folklore.
A two-time winner of the event, he conquered the indoor Tulsa clay in 2002 and again in 2007, carving out a resume that includes multiple podiums, consistent top 10 finishes, and a reputation for thriving when the track gets tricky and the pressure cranks up.
However, the veteran hasn’t competed in the A-Features since 2013. But even during the years he wasn’t racing, Stewart remained deeply involved, often helping with track preparation and lending his expertise behind the scenes.
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His return now, as the grand marshal, feels less like a ceremonial appearance and more like the reunion of a legend with the event that helped define his racing soul.
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What makes the Chili Bowl Nationals even more special is how the 54-year-old stacks it up against motorsport’s biggest stages. For him, the race stands in rare air.
“For NASCAR, obviously, the Daytona 500 is the pinnacle, and then short track racing, especially on the midget side, nothing comes close to the Chili Bowl,” he admitted.
Coming from a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and an IndyCar winner, that comparison speaks volumes about the gravity of this event.
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The Chili Bowl Nationals isn’t just a race, it’s a week-long motorsport festival that takes over Tulsa every January.
While Stewart is soaking in the Chili Bowl atmosphere, another storyline is quietly gaining traction in the background.
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Stewart is rumored to make a Daytona return in 2026
Kaulig Racing and RAM Trucks already have their 2026 vision in motion as they prepare for the long-awaited return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
That intrigue centers on the team’s fifth truck. A planned ‘All-Star’ entry with a rotating cast of big-name drivers, which has fueled speculation about a potential Tony Stewart return. However, that leaves one final opening, and it is easily the most intriguing of the bunch.
While nothing has been officially confirmed, Kaulig Racing president Chris Rice spoke to the bigger picture behind the move, saying the goal is to pull far more fans back into the sport by giving them a reason to watch again.
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“Going to re-engage some people that I think were passive NASCAR fans, maybe get re-engaged now because they’re going to see some of their heroes come back and drive.”
The rumors gained even more traction when a well-known Kaulig insider reacted to the team’s announcement with a GIF of Smoke, a not-so-subtle nod to Stewart’s legendary nickname.
And while Stewart’s return remains unconfirmed, the speculation aligns perfectly with the stated mission. The No. 25 isn’t about chasing points but about creating moments, celebrating personalities, and recreating fan passion around Kaulig Racing and the Ram brand.

If the NASCAR playoff saga has taught us anything, it is that NASCAR fans can empathize and be reasonable within seconds. Despite calls for the return of the traditional playoff format, the revamped version appears to be gaining traction. Mark Martin, who has long supported fan voices, recently revealed details that have long been kept from the community. And now, as the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place, the NASCAR fans cannot help but take notice of the sacrifices behind the scenes.
Mark Martin didn’t hesitate to lay down the facts.
“Steve won’t say it, but there are contracts with sponsors, [TV], etc. It’s a lot more complicated than fans realize…the jump from 10 to 36 is easier than playoffs to 36,” he said.
This comment from NASCAR veteran Mark Martin isn’t just bravado; it reflects a deep business reality in modern NASCAR.
The championship format isn’t decided solely by what fans want or what makes the most competitive sense; it is tied to large-scale financial deals with TV partners and sponsors that shape how the sport is presented and monetized.
NASCAR’s latest media rights agreements, which should run from 2025 through 2031, underscore how crucial broadcast partners are to the sport’s revenue and exposure.
The Cup Series race will be shared among FOX Sports, NBC Sports, Amazon’s Prime Video, and TNT Sports as part of a $7.7 billion package that reportedly generates an average of about $1.1 billion per year, roughly a 40% increase over the previous deals.
That sort of investment doesn’t happen in a vacuum; networks want consistent, dramatic storylines such as playoff eliminations and championship cutdowns because they help sustain leadership across a long season.
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However, NASCAR wants to keep its fans happy, even though the sanctioning body didn’t return to the much-desired 36-race championship format.
Those business pressures help explain why moving back to a true 36-race-point championship could be harder than it sounds. Playoffs for maths, even if controversial among traditional fans, create natural narratives that broadcasters can build over weeks, which helps sell advertising and retain audience attention.
However, Steve O’Donnell has finally settled on a concept that keeps both the partners and the NASCAR community satisfied.
“Just looking at both of those, there are a lot of fans, yes, there are a lot of vocal fans on social media. Those aren’t all of our fans, and many fans like Playoffs or liked a Playoff format as well. So we felt like this was a great balance,” he admitted.
By introducing a modified chase format, the winner-take-all format that has long been scrutinized is eliminated, and the format rewards consistency while also delivering dramatic finishes.
NASCAR’s attempt to thread the needle between fan preference and contractual obligations is what stands out and what Martin hints at. And now, the fans also seem to be riding the high.
Fans get comfortable with bold playoff changes
NASCAR’s announcement of the revamped playoff format has sparked a mix of intriguing realism among fans, many of whom immediately recognize the business realities behind the change thanks to Mark Martin.
“It sounds like, from reading the articles, that it never really had a shot of being a full season due to media partners. And it looks like the only reason we are on 16 drivers is that the teams had contracts with sponsors based on a 16-team playoff format,” one fan noted.
The comment highlights the delicate balance. NASCAR must maintain competitiveness and fairness between its partners.
Others saw the move as a strategic placeholder rather than a permanent shift.
“Never really had a shot for 2026 anyway. Seems like he’s leaving that door just wide open enough to make everyone think about it a few years down the road, depending on if/how much the media partners and sponsors are willing to wiggle,” one fan wrote.
Another echoed appreciation for the Candor displaced during the announcement.
“I honestly appreciate him being so candid with this statement. OD was beating around the bush and giving the political answer, and Mark jumped in and told it like it is. I appreciate the honesty and transparency. Teams and media have contacts dictating a playoff format. Just say it instead of hemming and hawing around,” they said.
Many fans also expressed understanding of the practical considerations behind the decision.
“This makes sense. You don’t want to put teams in a position to renegotiate or violate contracts, nor do you want to do the same to your media partners. Use the Chase as a transition step, get the sport’s affairs in order, let the teams do the same, and then go back to a full 36-race season. Not saying it will 100% happen that way, but it makes sense,” they wrote.
Others kept it short and appreciative.
“Makes sense,” and “It was really good to have Mark there,” reflecting a sense of approval that the decision was both honest and voted in the sport’s long-term stability.
For now, an olive branch seems to mend the cracks between the fans and NASCAR.

The final 10 races of the 2026 NASCAR season will see the top-16 drivers in the Cup Series points standings after 26 regular-season events fight it out to determine the champion under the new Chase format, which NASCAR used from 2004-13.
The format features zero eliminations or points resets, with the champion being determined by which Chase driver collects the most points through the 10-race postseason.
But the 2026 Cup Series schedule looks much different from it did during the first iteration of the Chase in 2004 and its last run in 2013. Here’s how the Chase schedules of those three seasons compare.
2004
New Hampshire
Dover
Talladega
Kansas
Charlotte
Martinsville
Atlanta
Phoenix
Darlington
Homestead-Miami
2004’s Chase schedule featured four 1.5-mile tracks, three one-mile tracks, one superspeedway, another intermediate track in Darlington and the half-mile of Martinsville. Six different drivers won the 10 Chase races, with Jimmie Johnson winning four of the 10. Johnson’s success at intermediate tracks, which were prevalent on the Chase schedule in the 2000s, was a big part of his run of five consecutive championships from 2006-10. Despite his incredible 2004 Chase performance, Kurt Busch won the championship over Johnson in 2004.
2013
Chicagoland
New Hampshire
Dover
Kansas
Charlotte
Talladega
Martinsville
Texas
Phoenix
Homestead-Miami
This was another season with a heavy dose of intermediates (five) in the Chase, which, interestingly enough, led to Johnson winning his sixth title in 2013. There were once again three one-mile ovals, as well as one short track (Martinsville) and one superspeedway (Talladega).
Both Chicagoland and Texas found spots on the playoff schedule, while Darlington and Atlanta moved back into the regular season.
2026
Darlington
Gateway
Bristol
Kansas
Las Vegas
Charlotte Roval
Phoenix
Talladega
Martinsville
Homestead-Miami
The 2026 schedule is arguably the most diverse ‘Chase’ schedule in NASCAR history. There are only three 1.5-mile tracks, though both Darlington and Gateway fall into the intermediate category. One superspeedway race at Talladega remains, as does a one-mile oval in Phoenix, but there are now two short track races (Bristol, Martinsville) and a road course race at the Charlotte Roval. Homestead-Miami remains the finale in the Chase era — it returns to its finale spot for 2026 after Phoenix hosted the finale from 2020-25.
With a more diverse regular season and postseason schedule than its Chase predecessors, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is sure to be an exciting one as drivers and teams adjust to the new points format.
The 2026 Cup Series season will officially begin with the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

This did not age well for Kyle Larson. As the NASCAR champion enters the new year, ready to add yet another legendary chapter to the Christopher Bell-Kyle Larson rivalry at the Chili Bowl, his threats against the Joe Gibbs Racing driver seem to have come crashing down. Looking to beat the three-time Golden Driller, the Monday Heat 6 race unraveled his plans.
Right before the events started, the Elk Grove native made a bold claim about wanting to beat Christopher Bell.
” Like right now, I don’t know, I don’t really think about the Swindells, I just, you know, Christopher and I have had a lot of battles, you know, in this building, but also outside of it, I would really like to just pass him and then worry about the Swindells, but no, so yeah, I haven’t really thought past much of just trying to get one more than him,” he said.
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However, that challenge fell flat as Kyle Larson headed onto the battlefield this Monday. Heat 6 at the Chili Bowl Nationals delivered drama and standout performances, but all eyes were on the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup champion got tagged in the right rear entering Turn 1, a terrifying moment that nearly sent him flipping. Yet Larson’s quick reflexes kept the car upright, avoiding a bigger wreck and allowing him to stay in the hunt.
From there, he fought his way back to 6th in the opening segment and third in the second, earning 101 points. After six of nine hits, he sits ninth overall, a reminder that even the best drivers can be tested on Tulsa’s short-track chaos.
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For Larson, it wasn’t the clean start he hoped for, but his recovery underscores why he is a threat even when the odds are stacked against him. With three heats remaining, every point matters, and the leaderboard is far from settled.
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And while Larson was left licking his wounds in the ultimate Bell-Larson showdown, Jake Andreotti was the night’s biggest mover. He climbed from eighth to second and earned 123 points, just behind McIntosh’s 125.
His drive turned a pack start into a major points haul, shaking up the leaderboard. Gary Taylor Jr. moved from 3rd to win his heat, taking 110 points and placing sixth overall. However, this doesn’t mark the end of Kyle Larson’s Golden Driller ambitions.
With the Chili Bowl event just getting started, a lot can change. But in the midst of it all, Christopher Bell revealed that he is more than stressed out this year.
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Christopher Bell sounds off on his stressful Tulsa attempt
Over the years, Christopher Bell hasn’t really been a stranger to the Tulsa event, winning three consecutive times, matching a feat of only three other drivers. But in 2026, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver faces a challenge unlike anything he has encountered before.
“It’s gonna be more stressful than just driving,” Bell admitted. “Whenever you show up to drive for Keith, you know the car is going to be good. He has such a historic career there that you the car is gonna be good. You just gotta do your part driving.”
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Bell is stepping into an entirely new territory. While most of his past experiences were under. Keith Kunz Motorsports; this year, he has assembled his own car and will compete both as owner and driver. That responsibility brings a new level of pressure.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s nearly two-year study into an overhaul of its championship-deciding format concluded Monday with the reveal that in 2026 the stock car series will return to a 10-race version closely resembling the very first iteration introduced 22 years ago.
The system will return to a 10-race format consisting of the top 16 drivers in the regular-season standings. There will be no driver eliminations every three races, winning will be incentivized and its name will return to

Congress will soon be scrambling to renew dozens of tax provisions that expired at the end of 2025. But it should let the motorsports entertainment complex depreciation break, also known as the NASCAR tax break, go the way of the dodo bird. This wouldn’t just save a few million dollars in tax revenue per year; it would send a rare signal that the tax code isn’t a permanent rewards system for well-connected industries.
The “motorsports depreciation provision” first passed the checkered flag more than 20 years ago as a measure to help track owners continue to recover their investments on a shorter timeframe. But like so many supposedly temporary tax measures, it has found its way into extender packages year after year—without any real policy rationale or economic justifications.
Today, a NASCAR facility can be written off in seven years, which is faster than a farm building, residential property, or wastewater treatment plant. It’s a curious conception of economic policy where souvenir shops and concession facilities apparently have a shorter lifespan than affordable housing.
The provision’s origin also reflects a particular political and tax policy moment that Congress should be willing to move beyond. It was enacted as part of the 2004 American Jobs Creation Act—a massive tax bill that used accelerated depreciation as a kind of catch-all incentive tool.
The original justification for the seven-year schedule was similarly rooted in stasis. Before 2004, motorsports facilities were lumped into a category with theme parks, which also received accelerated depreciation.
When the Department of the Treasury moved to reconsider that classification, Congress stepped in and mandated a continuation of the seven-year schedule for motorsports facilities through 2007—ostensibly to preserve the status quo. Since then, the provision has been routinely extended.
Unlike broader incentives aimed at stimulating investment across industries or regions, or even dubious tax breaks for public sports arenas, the motorsports provision serves a distinctly narrow slice of the tax base. It benefits a handful of wealthy track owners operating in a highly profitable, ticketed, and sponsor-driven environment. It also offers very little in terms of economic spillover or job creation.
We’ve spent years debating whether public subsidies for sports stadiums are a good investment of taxpayer funds (spoiler: they aren’t), but even those boondoggles come with at least the illusion of jobs, tourism, or local development. By comparison, subsidizing the depreciation of a track fence or a ticket booth makes stadium financing look like a veritable economic engine.
Of course, the motorsports depreciation break hasn’t survived because Congress believes in it, but because the lobbyists interested in saving it have overcome public indifference. In the rush to authorize dozens of expiring provisions, this kind of low-visibility carveout can slip by on cruise control.
Congress should allow the seven-year depreciation period for motorsports entertainment facilities to remain expired and resist any further efforts to reinstate it. These assets should revert to the standard recovery periods applied to similarly situated commercial real estate—typically 15 or 39 years —based on their actual economic use and real-world lifespan.
One might ask whether Congress would seriously consider creating a tax carveout for racetrack facilities in 2026, absent its prior existence. If not, then it shouldn’t survive simply because it was recently in the code. Letting it go would show Congress is at least willing to say “no” to one industry by doing nothing. That alone would be progress.
More broadly, and ambitiously, Congress needs to establish a framework for evaluating expiring tax provisions that goes beyond lobbyist persistence or legislative reflexiveness. Each extender should be addressed on core policy metrics, just as the underlying policy would be if considered de novo:
Does it promote economic efficiency?
Does it produce quantifiable public or economic returns relative to its cost?
Does it deliver equitable benefits across income and industry lines?
Does it align with broader goals of the tax code?
Is it functionally administrable and resistant to abuse or gaming?
Has its effectiveness been reevaluated since enactment or its last extension?
Without a structured, disciplined, and formulaic approach, the code will continue to be shaped by prior lobbying and inertia rather than modern intention. Congress should evaluate each tax break extension on actual merit based on current economic conditions.
Ending the NASCAR carveout would restore a sliver of horizontal equity to the tax code. More importantly, it could be a first step for Congress to stop reflexively extending provisions that are set to expire. If Congress can let even one unjustified carveout go, it will open the door to a more deliberate and principled approach to tax extenders moving forward.
Andrew Leahey is an assistant professor of law at Drexel Kline School of Law, where he teaches classes on tax, technology, and regulation. Follow him on Mastodon at @andrew@esq.social.

Right now, from the dirt community to the stock car racing fandoms, Chili Bowl Nationals is the name on everyone’s lips. The event is arguably one of the best in the dirt discipline, the star of the NASCAR off-season. Owing to its proximity to the start of the Cup Series, the race has gained a lot of fame. It is rightfully called the Super Bowl of midget racing, but Ken Schrader took it a step further and gave the followers a serious reality check about the race.
Ken Schrader talks about the reality of the “unbelievable race”
Ken Schrader dropped the first episode of 2026 for his podcast, Herm & Schrader, presented by Dirty Mo Media and SiriusXM. In this episode, him, along with Hermie Sadler, discussed the various events happening in the NASCAR off-season. Eventually, they started talking about the elephant in the room–the Chili Bowl Nationals 2026.
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The Tulsa Motorplex proudly hosts the Chili Bowl Nationals every year. This year will be their 40th run for the event. The Chili Bowl Nationals and its “Golden Driller” attract numerous drivers from various disciplines. In a way, the event is a reset switch that equalizes the field for every participant and leaves it all to their skill.
Ken Schrader had the same opinion about the race while talking about it on his podcast.
“This place is a race, and the cream always rises to the top. You don’t just start in the front at Chili Bowl and wind up winning, because it isn’t a racetrack, where you couldn’t pass or something. It is actually a race, and that makes it something that is unique from some of the other races.”
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The Chili Bowl Nationals features more than 350 drivers every year. Notwithstanding the fact that numerous drivers among these are world champions in their respective racing disciplines.
There are also drivers who have already proved their mettle by winning the race multiple times. Kyle Larson, the defending NASCAR champion and Tulsa champion, and Christopher Bell, who is a three-time winner, are examples of the same.
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Tulsa’s event management team also invites champion drivers from other series to participate in the event, giving depth and difficulty to the field. As Ken Schrader mentioned, Tulsa’s Chili Bowl Nationals are definitely different from the other events. Often, the other events during the off-season are purely for entertainment purposes. Sometimes, the drivers end up winning with their luck because the track is not suited to that type of racing or is rather ill-equipped.
The Tulsa Motorplex, on the other hand, is a purpose-built race track that is made for dirt racing. Schrader reminded the audience of the fact that the building that hosts the event used to be one of the largest free-standing buildings in America.
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Schrader also commented on the nature of the fan following. He argues that more than 38000 fans can attend the event this year, although not been confirmed officially.
“Possibly the biggest dirt track race attendance I would think; I don’t know what would be bigger. And it’s hard to pass, but the good cars always wind up at the top, and it’s an exciting event.”
It is no wonder that the drivers can’t resist the event. Chili Bowl Nationals is the ultimate emblem of what motorsports are. Talent is everywhere, and you’ve got to stay on top of your game. The victory is not guaranteed through sheer luck. In a massive pool of 300+ drivers, to race at the top means to master the track and car.
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It’s not just Ken Schrader who thinks this way. Even a multiple-race winner of the current NASCAR grid feels the same.
Christopher Bell compares Tulsa’s Super Bowl and the Daytona 500
For an average NASCAR driver and fan, the Daytona 500 is arguably the biggest race for them. After all, it is the flagship event of America’s greatest stock car racing series. Christopher Bell, on the other hand, has a slightly different opinion.
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For Christopher Bell, the Chili Bowl Nationals is on a whole new level compared to the Daytona 500. Bell thinks that the Chili Bowl Nationals are like “a barometer for drivers.”
The Chili Bowl Nationals keeps on the edge of the grip compared to the controlled and calculated Daytona 500. With a mentality like that, it is no wonder that Christopher Bell is a three-time champion in the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Will you follow the Chili Bowl Nationals this year, or are you planning to? Let us know your predictions for the same below.

The sudden demise of Alan Kulwicki over two decades ago still lingers around the motorsport world, especially NASCAR. The “Polish Prince”, who had one Cup Series championship under his belt, could have won many more, but he lived too less to make it a reality.
Given his trajectory, Kulwicki was one of the most feared drivers in the early 1990s. A reckoning force amidst the likes of Dale Earnhardt Sr., Bill Elliott, Mark Martin, Kulwicki could have ended his career as one of the most successful stars. However, a tragic plane accident ended it all, and his incomplete ambitions still haunt the fans.
Alan Kulwicki’s solid success mindset
Fresh from his 1992 Cup Series title win, Alan Kulwicki appeared for an interview, where he spoke about his plans. When asked if he could come back for another title, here’s what the Polish driver said:
“Well, it sort of waits for your appetite to come back. I mean, I enjoy all the things that go on in being a champion. But in the long run, you gotta not get complacent, not get soft and think, you’re gonna come back next year, and things are gonna fall in place, and it’s gonna happen again. I have to come back and work harder to make sure it does happen again.”
In 1992, Kulwicki claimed the Cup Series title by beating Bill Elliott and Davey Allison. He won with a difference of mere ten points, the closest margin of victory in NASCAR at the time.
His words showed that despite reaching the pinnacle of NASCAR, Kulwicki was far from satisfied. In fact, rather than enjoying the glory, he spoke like a mature driver who was already preparing for his next battle.
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He was aware that in order to maintain your success, you can’t work on things at the same pace, as it’s human tendency to slow down at such occasions. But staying on your toes is key, no matter where you are in your journey.
For the fans, it’s naturally upsetting to see an ambitious driver like him not getting the chance to do what he loved once again. Something that he was really looking forward to.
He did return to the Cup Series the next year, and even ran five races, but that was it. A tragic airplane crash on April 1, 1993, killed him while he was returning from a promotional event in Knoxville in a Hooters corporate plane.
After a thorough investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the crash took place due to the pilot’s error. The pilot failed to use the plane’s anti-ice system to clear ice from the plane’s inlet system.
With this, Alan Kulwicki unfortunately became one of many drivers who lost their lives in a plane crash. And that raises a scary pattern.
NASCAR’s tough luck with plane crashes
A very strange thing that NASCAR as a sport faces is the loss of its beloved drivers in plane crashes. Other than Alan Kulwicki, there’s Davey Allison, who died in a helicopter crash at Talladega. IndyCar driver Tony Bettenhausen Jr. died in the 2000 plane crash.
In 2004, a Hendrick Motorsports plane crashed outside Martinsville, that saw a death toll of 10. Mark Martin’s family is another example. And recently, in December, we lost Greg Biffle and his family.
All of these tragedies pose a pattern that is truly disturbing for the sport and its fans to bear.
Former NASCAR driver Ken Schrader touched upon this with a different lens.
“We’re lucky in our industry. When something like that happens, it’s huge. It’s not like a car wreck, which they have every day and kill people every day, but we fly so many hours a year. Our whole industry does that; we’ve had it happen before with Davey and Allen and the Hendrick plane. But it just hits home, man.”
Of course, it hits him hard too, but Schrader sees it the other way around. As he explained, the fact that racers and their teams have such a vast calendar spread across the country, where they are constantly airborne all the time, they’re actually lucky to face more of this. But it’s nothing to be happy about, as every loss is a big loss, and a hard pill to swallow.

30 years ago, NASCAR broke ground on the iconic Auto Club Speedway in 1995. Due to multiple reasons, its existence as a NASCAR track came to an end in 2023. But while it may have gone from the calendar, it still lives on in the hearts of NASCAR fans. And more than fans, the Fontana community.
It was more than just a race track for them. It fueled the local economy, created jobs, and gave the community a shared identity. This is why its loss is very personal to them. In order to appeal to them, NASCAR tried to pay tribute to it, and as per the latest update, the attempt hasn’t impressed all fans yet.
Currently, it’s undergoing a lot of changes. On the warehouse side, the track has made some progress. The frontstretch and backstretch are called the “Jeff Gordon Drive” and “Jimmie Johnson Drive” respectively. Both drivers have a deep connection with the track.
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Jeff Gordon won three races there, including the inaugural race in 1997. Meanwhile, Jimmie Johnson, a California native himself, scored six wins there, making it one of his most successful tracks and the all-time leader over there.
Not just this, fans can even visit the pit road or drive through it. This dilapidated condition of a once popular racetrack has brought together the NASCAR community in lament.
But the fans aren’t happy with this.
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One major problem with the Speedway is that it has already been demolished to the extent of being nearly unrecognizable. At first, Turns 1 and 2 were replaced with two massive warehouses. Even though Steve Phelps planned to bring it back as a short track, the Speedway has lost its charm.
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Needless to say, the Speedway was unable to live up to its hype after the 2014 Cup Series season. The dwindling numbers first snatched away its second race on the Cup Series schedule.
Eventually, it was set to get renovated after the 2023 season as a part of the Next Gen California project. Multiple obstacles have marred the ambitious project and the Speedway is far from hosting races again. As for the fans, they have their own complaints with the whole thing, including this tribute attempt.
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Fans regret the loss of Fontana’s Auto Club Speedway
It didn’t take long for the fans to understand what NASCAR tried to do with the naming scheme of the front and backstretch of the Speedway.
“It’s cool that they kept the speedway theme and named the street after Gordon & JJ, Still it just feels wrong, I know the racing won’t return there ever, but I guess them carrying the NASCAR essence in their projects is somewhat of a saving grace.”
Some fans even compared the track’s demolition and developments to as massacre, “The epitome of the ‘look how they massacred my boy’ meme. As a product of Southern Cal, it actively makes me sad to see these updates.”
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For many residents of South California, the Speedway holds sentimental value due to their experience at the circuit while growing up watching NASCAR.
“This is honestly so devastating. Some of my greatest memories with my Dad growing up were watching the San Diego Chargers play at the Qualcomm stadium and going to NASCAR races at Fontana. Both are gone now. I’m stoked to see a race in San Diego but it does not make up for this at all. I’d rather still have this beautiful race track….”
NASCAR has not abandoned the project officially. But yet, the sentiment hits hard.
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The sport has still not sold the entire track yet. But with the way things are progressing at this point, whatever plans they may have for the Auto Club Speedway are not coming true anytime soon.
Voicing out their concern about the end of the Auto Club Speedway, another user mentions, “⁠It’ll suffer the same demise as Riverside and Ontario. It won’t be long before every square foot of land in the Inland Empire will be built on.”
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At one point, fans were differing from such sad opinions. During the 2000s, NASCAR made the highly criticized and unpopular decision to move Labor Day weekend to the Auto Club Speedway. The race on Labor Day weekend has been a staple event for the Darlington Raceway, hosting the Southern 500. The sudden switch by NASCAR drew hate for this now-defunct racetrack. Recounting those memories, a fan was lamenting his wishes for Fontana’s ruin.
“⁠⁠I’m sorry, Auto Club, for the hate I gave you in the early 2000’s. I was upset you “stole” Labor Day from my home/favorite race track of Darlington. I thought The Lady in Black was going away forever. If I only had appreciated that track then. Had no idea how good the racing would be there 20 years later. And now she’s gone. I’m sad.”
The loss of historical and sentimental race tracks like these hits hard. Especially, with the aggressive strategy of bringing forth more street tracks that NASCAR seems to be adopting. Even the veteran racers who were successful in street races think that NASCAR is going too far.
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Do you think that NASCAR will actually complete the renovation of Auto Club with its ever-growing track roster?

Before the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season starts, NASCAR lost a key executive. Although his actions were too detrimental to the sport, Steve Phelps was still an important part of NASCAR. But the thing is, in spectator sports, no matter how important you are, the sport won’t run if the spectators stop watching it. Right now, the fans are more than happy after his resignation. But what about the industry insiders?
They don’t all exactly have the same sentiment. Following the trend that has been going around for the past week, one more industry insider has joined in to make the community realize the extent of NASCAR’s “loss.” Brad Keselowski started it, Jeff Gordon supported it, and now, Abraham Madkour has come forward to substantiate it. In fact, his opinion makes a bold claim:
“NASCAR isn’t stronger without Steve Phelps as its commissioner.”
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Leave that aside, he even thinks that the sport should’ve found a way to keep the NASCAR president at the helm of its operations. What is his reasoning for saying this? Well, it’s the same reason the ones who came before him have reiterated again and again.
“Parting ways with the top business executive and culture force in your organization is a questionable strategy, but that’s the void the sport must fill.”
Madkour thinks that it will take a long time for the sport to find a worthy successor for a person of Steve’s stature. The effects of NASCAR’s troubles over the past year may also have started showing up. The France family monopoly is now at stake of ending in favor of partnering with sports businesses.
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A huge part of the entire drama that has unfolded with Steve Phelps and NASCAR was related to his unsolicited messages about Richard Childress and others. That has got to damage his and the sport’s reputation by a huge margin.
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It is very similar to the Christian Horner crisis at Red Bull Racing in 2025. But while Horner’s future remains a question mark, Madkour is pretty confident in his opinion that Steve Phelps “will be fine, with plenty of high-profile opportunities in sports.”
That is a brave claim, and the fans, who are still furious and not at all impressed with the apparent “support” for Steve Phelps, were not too happy with his opinion.
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NASCAR fans hand over outright rejection for Abraham Madkour’s opinion
The community’s flames got stoked again moments before they had a moment to calm down. Once again, forums are bustling with elaborate explanations about how Madkour is heading the wrong way with his opinion on Steve Phelps. A major part of his post deals with the consequences of the vacancy left behind by Steve Phelps.
He argues that, as a commissioner, Phelps’ replacement should be someone who has the charm and grace to appease the stakeholders. NASCAR is a family business, and to help it grow, the next person to take up his role will face a tremendous challenge considering his longstanding history with the France family and NASCAR on the whole.
One user was quick to refute his argument with a counter of his own: “You can’t ‘push a family business forward’ if the owning family doesn’t want to be pushed. The Frances feel like they’ve ‘learned their lesson.’ It’s going to go back to being a family-run ‘benevolent dictatorship.”
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Echoing his words, another user also talked about the vacant commissioner position. Since it is still new to the sport, they doubt that it was able to create that much of an impact.
“The position is kinda new, so it’s not too much of a loss. That said, I support the funniest, most chaotic option possible.”
Then, they went on to joke about Tony Stewart filling in the void. It would be both surprising and like a sharp sting to Steve Phelps’ wound, considering the way Phelps behaved on the topic of Superstar Racing Experience and Tony Stewart.
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The other fans, meanwhile, were busy taking sarcastic jabs at Madkour for his opinions. “Steve Phelps’ friends bothered by his firing. Shocker.”
“‘Timing of this announcement could not be any worse.’•⁠ ⁠R. Childress (currently laughing his *** off at NASCAR).”
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Some comments went as far as subtly hinting at foul play during the 2025 Cup Series by Steve Phelps. “Never forget the contributions Steve Phelps made to NASCAR. Most recently, helping Larson hold up his big boy Cup trophy.” The comment may be light-hearted, but it went too far, especially without solid proof against Phelps. Such comments raise unfair questions about the drivers involved in the championship race itself.
The constant to-and-fro debates between the fans and the insiders/ veterans do not seem to be stopping anytime soon. Whose side are you on, and do you really believe that Steve Phelps was a bane to NASCAR?

Kaulig Racing and RAM Trucks seem to have their plans set for 2026. The two giants have partnered together for the revival of RAM in the NASCAR Truck series. They will host five seats, and three are already booked by Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley. To select the fourth one, Ram is already in the news for the reality show Race for the Seat, the winner of which was leaked, as per rumors. But what happens to the fifth seat?
That’s the most interesting aspect. Kaulig Racing’s “All-Star” seat. They plan to keep that a rotational ride and not full-time. And now, there is hype surrounding Tony Stewart‘s return to this seat. But is it confirmed? A Kaulig insider may just have.
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Kaulig Racing insider shares cryptic comment on social media
According to an official post, Chris Rice’s intention with the free agent seat is an optimistic one.
“Going to re-engage some people that I think were passive NASCAR fans, maybe get re-engaged now because they’re going to see some of their heroes come back and drive.”
Kaulignation, a prominent NASCAR insider, has commented with a GIF of smoke under this post. And for the NASCAR community, ‘smoke’ means only one name–Tony Stewart. It is his nickname and his legacy from his time as a dirt racer.
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The official team release says, “Drivers from across the motorsports world are invited to pilot the No. 25 Ram 1500 truck for Kaulig Racing during the 2026 season.” As such, it is being discussed that Kaulig’s former drivers and Truck series legends will return to the series. And, the most prominent name among them is Tony Stewart.
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Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice has been vocal about the possibility of signing him for future events. While the news and stories surrounding his return are still speculations, a reaction by one of the Kaulig Racing insiders is cementing them for the fans. This fits right into the vision shared by Kaulig Racing.
For them, gaining fan engagement is the top priority. And they hope to do this with “one common thread: the connection to teams and drivers, personalities larger than life. No. 25 isn’t chasing points, we are chasing something bigger—celebrating and amplifying fan engagement with the Free Agents, Kaulig Racing, and the Ram brand. That’s the sole mission.”
But for NASCAR fans like you and I, a question still looms at large…
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Tony Stewart’s return: Is it a wild goose chase?
But why is Tony Stewart going to return to NASCAR, you might ask? The answer is rather tricky. It is not that he was treated well by the management in the previous days. The leaked comments of Steve Phelps essentially made him look like an enemy to NASCAR, due to his involvement in the Superstar Racing Experience. However, given how things are going, NASCAR is trying to make amends with everyone.
The sport is actually trying to listen to fans and give them what they want. They released a new commercial to mitigate the “redneck” comments by Steve Phelps. They are also holding a new press release to announce the changes in the NASCAR championship format.
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After these desperate measures by the France family, it is hard to think that they won’t go the distance and try to approach Tony Stewart to make amends with NASCAR. The rumors suggest that Kaulig Racing is trying to bring him in for the season opener at Daytona.
Nothing has been confirmed officially, as the team will only release the names of the drivers during the race week throughout the season. But whatever it is, the 2026 “All-Star” seat at Kaulig Racing is surely raising the expectations of NASCAR fans.
With such a huge crowd looking forward to his return, if Kaulig Racing fails to bring him in, not even for one Truck Series race, then it will be a massive disappointment to the fans, which will eventually come back at both Kaulig and NASCAR.

It has been over two months since NASCAR’s championship finales. The 2025 season was capped off with cheers and heartbreaks, as fans did not get to see some coveted drivers win titles. Nevertheless, the New Year brings with it fresh possibilities and dreams. And the Daytona 500 is the perfect starter pack for a revamped 2026 campaign. However, fans’ excitement level dropped a little after a recent announcement.
NASCAR hauls in country music star
“As announced during the 49ers-Eagles game on FOX as part of the promotion of the Daytona 500 … Miranda Lambert will do the prerace concert for the Daytona 500,” NASCAR reporter Bob Pockrass posted on X.
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The 68th running of the Great American Race will witness Miranda Lambert, a three-time Grammy Award winner, performing at the pre-race concert. Lambert boasts a host of achievements. She earned seven No. 1 solo albums, 10 No. 1 hit radio singles, over 80 prestigious awards, and countless RIAA certifications, and was named to the TIME100 list honoring the world’s 100 most influential people. She has performed alongside Leon Bridges, the B-52s, Loretta Lynn, Enrique Iglesias, and Sheryl Crow.
“To have this level of talent with an artist such as Miranda Lambert performing our pre-race concert adds an incredible amount of energy for the 68th running of the DAYTONA 500,” said Frank Kelleher, Daytona International Speedway President. “Her powerhouse vocals and passion for music are the perfect mix to represent the prestige of this event. Get ready for the thunder of country music before we wave the green flag, and engines roar to kick off the 2026 season!”
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In addition to Miranda Lambert’s musical performance, comedian Bert Kreischer will also be part of the pre-race bash for the Daytona 500. He will headline the inaugural Full Throttle Festival. Kreischer’s program will be held at the Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach on Feb. 14. It will also have live musical performances by legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, Diplo’s country music project “Diplo Present Thomas Wesley,” and breakout country artist ERNEST.
However eclectic this pre-race festival seems, fans focused on one aspect. And it involved a whole lot of disappointment.
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Fans call out NASCAR’s choice
“Be cool if NASCAR could tap into some current day superstars for pre race concerts,” wrote one fan in response to the sport’s Miranda Lambert concert announcement. In previous years, the Daytona 500 had witnessed Pitbull, DJ Khaled, Luke Combs, Jon Bon Jovi, and so many more. And admittedly, their arrival carried more weight, hence fans’ disappointment for the 2026 guest. Another fan boldly claimed that it would be a “trash concert.”
Others in the community listed their preferences for NASCAR. Although the 2026 guest musician has been confirmed, maybe executives could take note for future reference. “Was hoping for Bad Bunny or Lil’ Wayne,” somebody wrote, clearly with a taste for rap music. Another fan also dropped his favorite names: “Was hoping for Leon Thomas or Pooh Shiesty. Devastated!”
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Somebody else wrote that if NASCAR wants country, it should seek bigger names. William Lee Apostol, better known as Billy Strings by his stage name, figured large in this suggestion. “Would rather hear some real outlaw country. Too many good outlaw choices out there today to choose a pop country singer… make the call to Billy Strings,” the fan wrote.
Clearly, NASCAR’s announcement could not achieve its purpose. The hype for the Daytona 500 went down a little; nevertheless, let’s wait and see what turns out at the grand race.

The moment that was most hyped up in 2025 is probably just around the corner. Drivers and fans alike in the NASCAR community had been clamoring for a change in the title format for years. Their wishes came to fruition at the end of last year, when the sport’s executives announced that tweaks are underway. Now, all clouds of doubt and speculation over said changes in the NASCAR championship will clear out.
A trailer for the new NASCAR championship format
“@NASCAR says it will announce its new championship format tomorrow, and industry execs are predicting a system that puts a greater emphasis on points earned during the entire season but without going fully back to the traditional formula used before 2004,” Journalist Adam Stern posted on X.
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On Thursday, the sanctioning body stated that the announcement will be made on Monday at 3:30 p.m. during a special “Inside the Race” show. It will be livestreamed from NASCAR’s Concord studios on NASCAR.com, YouTube, and the NASCAR Channel on Tubi and other outlets. But its brief release did not indicate anything about the new format, leaving a few more days for race fans to speculate.
The current playoff format conforms to the 2014 norms, allowing 16 drivers to compete for the title in a 10-race, four-round postseason. The four rounds eliminate drivers on the basis of points, and only the chosen four in the Championship 4 race actually get to compete for a title. This format has been criticized time and again as all-rounders like Kyle Larson in 2024 (6 wins) and Denny Hamlin in 2025 (also 6 trophies) lost the title due to trivial mistakes. Things turned haywire, especially after Joey Logano won the 2024 title with the worst average finish (17.4).
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Now, however, fans can look forward to a nostalgic episode. From 1948 to 2004, NASCAR used a full-season points system with no playoffs. And since 2004, a 10-race postseason appeared, allowing the season’s Top 10 point drivers to compete for the title. The field was expanded to 12 drivers in 2007, and the elimination format came in 2014. Now, a mix between the older and newer formats is leaving a lot of hope for fans.
NASCAR put together an industry committee in 2025 to study the issue ahead of making changes for the 2026 campaign and beyond. The results of that committee’s work will be announced on Monday. Adam Stern believes that the new NASCAR championship format will be closer to the old “Chase” system. It is even possible that the sport could go back to using the old term.
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Whatever turns out, a Cup Series competitor is excited to see the sport’s changes.
Gifting brownie points to NASCAR
Well, the sport has been under a lot of scrutiny in 2025. That is especially true due to the NASCAR lawsuit, which pitted two Cup Series teams against the sanctioning body. Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports battled for two weeks during the lawsuit’s trial phase. And the evidence revealed hurt NASCAR’s reputation quite a lot, exposing financial truths that have plagued team owners for years.
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So, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s comments about the upcoming changes to the NASCAR championship format are a fresh change. The Hyak Motorsports driver spoke in favor of the sport’s moves.
“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 also shed light on his personal expectations for the playoffs and his season-starting motivation.
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“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.”
As the 2026 season rolls into reality, the new playoff format creates more hype. Let’s wait and see how far it caters to drivers’ interests.

The NASCAR Cup Series will take a key step toward the 2026 season this week with an organizational test at North Wilkesboro Speedway.
The one-day test is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13. This will serve as the first major on-track evaluation of NASCAR’s updated 750-horsepower rules package. According to Zack Albert of NASCAR.com, one team from each chartered Cup Series organization will participate as the sport prepares for North Wilkesboro’s return to the points-paying schedule.
NASCAR officials plan to use the test to gather data, review competition goals, and allow teams to fine-tune setups ahead of the regular-season event.
NASCAR evaluates 750-horsepower short-track package
NASCAR confirmed the test will focus on the new 750-horsepower rules package for tracks shorter than 1.5 miles. The package increases baseline horsepower from 670 and uses an aerodynamic configuration first introduced on short tracks in 2024.
That setup includes three-inch rear spoilers and fewer strakes on the rear diffuser. NASCAR implemented the changes to reduce downforce and improve racing quality on short tracks.
Teams will spend the day running extended sessions to evaluate tire wear, braking zones, and overall car balance. NASCAR scheduled the test session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
As noted by Albert, the session represents the first full rehearsal of the 750-horsepower package ahead of the 2026 season.
Why NASCAR targeted 750 horsepower for short tracks
The North Wilkesboro test reflects a broader direction NASCAR set in motion last year. Competition officials selected 750 horsepower for short tracks and road courses in 2026 after sustained feedback from drivers, teams, manufacturers, and fans.
Steve O’Donnell said the decision required balance. John Probst added that early tests like North Wilkesboro are important to confirm durability, performance, and competition goals before the package is expanded further across the schedule.
“That gives us an opportunity to sample some of the short tracks, road courses early in the season, get a look at the engines after we’ve raced them at the new power level, Probst said. It is a package. It’s the downforce, it’s the drag, it’s the power, it’s the tire wear, all together that’s creating those good shows, he added. ”
North Wilkesboro prepares for Cup Series return
North Wilkesboro Speedway is a 0.625-mile oval. It last hosted a points-paying Cup Series race in 1996. After years of inactivity, renovation efforts helped return the facility to the NASCAR calendar.
The speedway has hosted the All-Star Race for the past three seasons. Its return to the regular-season schedule will come with the Window World 450 on July 19 at 7 p.m. ET.
TNT Sports will carry the television broadcast, with radio coverage provided by PRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The race will also stream on HBO Max.
NASCAR will open the grandstands for Tuesday’s test from noon to 5 p.m. ET with free admission.
Drivers and teams scheduled to participate
Each chartered Cup Series organization will field one car in the test, with Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota teams all represented.
The expected driver list includes Ross Chastain, Daniel Suárez, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, AJ Allmendinger, Chris Buescher, Chase Briscoe, Josh Berry, Joey Logano, Zane Smith, Cole Custer, Erik Jones, Tyler Reddick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Cody Ware.
Teams will leave North Wilkesboro with data that will shape preparation not only for the July race but for other short-track events on the 2026 schedule.

A back-to-back streak of bad luck stings indeed. Rick Hendrick’s team mostly had a thumping good 2025 season. Most notably, Kyle Larson clinched his second NASCAR Cup Series championship after narrowly defeating season-favorite Denny Hamlin. As 2026 rolls into view, a blooming talent akin to Larson’s is set to join the ranks. However, Hendrick’s recruit slammed into an unexpected roadblock at the Chili Bowl before his season could start.
Rick Hendrick’s new racer laments
“Last year, we were terrible. Just going off on what we had in 2024,” Corey Day told journalist Matt Weaver. “Just kind of playing with it. You know you do something different than outdoors when you come to this building. So we’re trying to figure out what works best for your car. We were one end of the spectrum that first practice session and then the other in there. Just kind of trying to find our limits at both ends.”
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Chili Bowl’s practice day commenced on 11th January, Sunday, and Corey Day almost fell prey to an accident. Wheeling the No. 41 Factory Kahne midget car, Rick Hendrick’s new driver did not have a smooth ride maneuvering the turns on the dirt track of Tulsa, Oklahoma. At one point, his vehicle almost flipped over. According to FloRacing, an announcer apparently gave a foresight about his ill-handling car.
This seems similar to Corey Day’s 2025 Chili Bowl campaign, which was also chaotic. Handling treacherous track conditions, Day had the front tires off the ground on the exit of turn 2 multiple times late in the qualifier race. The Californian did not have the pace to keep up with frontrunners Emerson Axsom and Daison Pursley. As a consequence, he found himself outside of row four for the main event.
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What’s more, Rick Hendrick‘s young racer has a fuzzy idea about what went wrong. “We wish we really knew how. We don’t know. I think that track had a lot of grip in it last year compared to the year prior. Just the curb was really thick and grippy. And it would suck in. Whereas the year before was kinda powdery, and it would crumble and wasn’t completely that way. So I think its like in the middle of both of those.”
Nevertheless, Corey Day is focused: “I don’t really care as long I’m locked come Saturday night.”
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As the 19-year-old navigates his Chili Bowl aspirations, he also looks forward to a grand NASCAR entry despite certain doubts.
Harboring a wild history
Last November, Rick Hendrick announced that Corey Day will drive for Hendrick Motorsports full-time in 2026. Wheeling the No. 17 HMS Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, marking his first full-time entry. Day packs a lot of heat, having started 11 races already in 2025, with a jaw-dropping 4th-place finish in Las Vegas. However, his sprint car racing history has given him a competitive itch that may turn haywire at times.
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“I’m used to 30-lap sprint car races, and I caught myself in the middle of the year getting mad in the car if we weren’t good stage one or if I was backing up, I’d do something stupid. Telling myself, ‘Just hold on until a pit stop,’” Corey Day said.
More specifically, Day was concerned about resorting to short-run explosiveness instead of proper race execution. Dirt racing conditions drivers to attack in small, intense sprints. In contrast, NASCAR demands patience, pit-road strategy, and letting the car pick up pace over a race. So the impending transition is concerning Day.
Nevertheless, a sufficient battery of enthusiasm may be enough for Rick Hendrick’s recruit. Let’s wait and see how he performs.

So far, NASCAR has only one person as the legitimate King, but after this comment, things could change. Mark Martin has been quite active on social media, responding and stirring up discussions; however, this one takes the cake. In conversation with Brad Keselowski’s brother, Brian Keselowski, a lot of old truths about the former NASCAR champ have come up, and neither side has hesitated to describe Brad’s racing style that got banned.
In a recent exchange that stirred up old memories among NASCAR fans, racing legend Mark Martin debated about one of his most controversial tactics.
“Your brother @keselowski was the king of it,” he said.
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The back-and-forth began after Brian Keselowski reflected on the difficulty of tandem racing.
“For sure, tandem racing was the hardest I ever drove on a superspeedway. And I only got to do it a couple times,” the NASCAR veteran wrote.
Racing style had been banned from the Truck series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts back on June 11, 2014, underscoring just how continuous and physically demanding they had become in the eyes of drivers and officials.
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In the middle of that storm stands 2012 NASCAR Cup champion Brad Keselowski. The now 41-year-old’s name is associated with the tandem drafting era at superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega.
Tandem drafting is basically when two cars hook up nose-to-tail and share airflow to turn faster laps. That concept became a defining feature of NASCAR super-speedway racing in the late 2010s.
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In fact, Keselowski’s breakthrough came early in his career when he scored his first NASCAR victory at the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega in 2009, using the tandem draft to his advantage on the final lap. He pushed Carl Edwards before splitting toward the finish line and winning the race.
That victory not only marked the start of Keselowski’s success at superspeedways but also helped cement tandem drafting as a legitimate and powerful strategy in NASCAR’s top series.
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The RFK driver and co-owner continued to excel at these high-speed tracks, especially at the peak of tandem racing.
For example, in the 2012 Talladega race, Keselowski and Kyle Busch used this concept effectively to build a lead and set up a win, with Keselowski then breaking the draft and pulling ahead on the white flag lap.
However, this was not without criticism and complications. While it produced memorable finishes and unique strategic elements, the technique also posed safety challenges, including engine overheating and blind-spot risks for the pushing car.
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NASCAR’s subsequent changes gradually shifted racing back to larger pack racing, and later aerodynamic and restrictor plate adjustments in the Cup Series reduced the viability of sustained tandem drafting.
But Brian Keselowski knows about his brother’s skill all too well. Responding to Martin’s comment, the 44-year-old brought up some memories from the past.
“Oh, trust me, I know. He pushed that old, slow turd of mine into the 500 in 2011. I learned a lot later why that worked so well, and I used that to push other guys to the front in races after that. It was way easier to push a slower car, as I didn’t have to drag the brakes as much,” he said.
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But while this was nothing more than brotherly banter, Keselowski’s 2026 NASCAR Cup season has already taken a hit. After an unfortunate skiing incident, the NASCAR veteran has now laid out his plans.
Brad Keselowski prioritizes recovery amid accident
Brad Keselowski has decided to skip the Clash at the Bowman Gray Stadium. With the NASCAR season fast approaching, teams are getting ready to fire up their engines for the Cook Out Clash on February 1, but fans can expect Keselowski to sit this one out.
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As he continues to recover from the injury, the team has confirmed that Corey LaJoie will step in as a replacement for the event. Moreover, the 41-year-old driver addressed the situation directly, explaining that the decision was made with recovery in mind.
“I didn’t want to rush back. The team and I kind of decided together that if all the rehab went absolutely perfectly, we’d be ready. Like literally the day of the Clash. And that seemed super foolish and didn’t give us any time to, you know, do any testing on myself or anything like that,” he said.
However, the bigger concern revolves around the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most prestigious race. With little time separating the Clash and the season opener, questions remain about whether the Michigan native will be physically ready to compete at Daytona.
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Missing valuable track time adds another layer of uncertainty as he prepares for the Great American Race.
However, given the nature of the fracture, the lengthy recovery was anticipated, and there is optimism that with proper rest, he could return to the No. 6 Ford in time for Daytona later in February.

We said all along that NASCAR just needed to settle with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports over the challenge to its charter system, which, it was obvious, was not going to survive court scrutiny.
It took being dragged into court and having tons of dirty laundry exposed for the France family, the private owner of the racing series, to come to their senses.
ICYMI
NASCAR, 23XI, Front Row come to terms on charter suit: Who blinked?
Denny Hamlin calls out SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in victory lap on charter suit
The fallout, in addition to being forced to cave, now includes the scalp of NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, who, it was revealed during the trial, had called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress “a stupid redneck” and a “total assclown.”
Oops.
Phelps said Tuesday that he will step down from his post at the end of the month, after 10 months in the role of commissioner, and 20 years working for NASCAR and the France family.
The move came at the point of a financial bayonet: Johnny Morris, the CEO of Bass Pro Shops, a major financial backer of NASCAR, had called for Phelps to either step down or be fired in an open letter made public after the trial.
“We can’t help but wonder what would happen if Major League Baseball brought in a new commissioner and he or she trash talked one of the true legends who built the game like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth? Such blatant disrespect would probably not sit well with the fans — such a commissioner most likely wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, keep his or her job for very long!” Morris wrote in that letter.
Phelps tried to apologize his way out of the problem, but that wasn’t going to work; the damage was done.
Not sure if he fell on his sword here, or was pushed into it – NASCAR termed his departure as a “personal decision to step away from the company,” and Phelps, in a statement, said he plans to “embark on new pursuits in sports and other industries.”
Of note: NASCAR signaled that it doesn’t plan to name a new commissioner.

New 911 audio is offering a glimpse into the harrowing scene after Greg Biffle’s plane crashed in North Carolina last month, killing the NASCAR star, his wife, their two children and three others.
In audio of four separate 911 calls obtained by PEOPLE on Wednesday, Jan. 7, witnesses shared what happened in the moments after the Cessna Citation 550 crashed at Statesville Regional Airport on Thursday, Dec. 18.
The witnesses reported seeing heavy black smoke after the plane went down at the end of Runway 28 shortly after 10 a.m. that morning.
All seven people aboard the business jet registered to Biffle, 55, were killed in the crash, including the race car driver, his wife Cristina Grossu Biffle, 35, their five-year-old son Ryder and Greg’s 14-year-old daughter Emma.
Craig Wadsworth, 64 — a well-known figure in NASCAR circles who once drove former race car driver Kenny Wallace’s motorhome — was also aboard the plane, as was commercial airline pilot Dennis Dutton, 67, and his 20-year-old son Jack, who was studying aviation at Auburn University.
The plane left the regional airport, which does not have a control tower, en route to Sarasota, Fla., FlightAware data showed. It turned back minutes later, and was attempting to land at the time of the accident.
“We have a plane crash at the end of runway 28 and a big fire,” a woman calling from the airport said on one 911 call obtained by PEOPLE. “I do know there’s at least two pilots, at least, probably four passengers.”
She added, “There’s a lot of black smoke.”
Two other witnesses called from nearby golf courses to report the crash.
“I work here at the golf course, and I just watched them come over the fairway and crash,” one man can be heard saying on a 911 call.
Another man called 911 from Lakewood Golf Club, which sits just east of the airport.
“We just had a plane fly over our heads and crash into the treeline,” the man says. “We just had a huge explosion near the runway out here.”
He added, “Near hole one, it came from the tree line to our right, flew right over our heads and split the tree line by hole nine and went straight downwards, and a huge explosion. I don’t know if the guy’s okay.”
Another witness at the airport called in to report the crash as well.
“It looks like the plane’s down and burning,” he said. “Pretty good-size fireball.”
He added, “A lot of black smoke, whoever was on the plane probably did not make it, it’s a big fireball. It looks like it made it to the runway … fully engulfed small jet, private jet. There’s nobody alive. Yeah, there’s no way they could have survived it.”
The NTSB is currently investigating the cause of the crash, which happened while fog and heavy rain were present in the area, AccuWeather’s Dan DePodwin previously told PEOPLE in a statement.
In addition, at an initial press conference on Friday, Dec. 19, officials said they had not been able to determine who was flying the plane.

Just weeks after inflammatory text messages sent by NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps were revealed in court documents, the racing executive announced that he is resigning.
NASCAR announced the news Tuesday, Jan. 6, writing in a press release that Phelps, 63, “has made the personal decision to step away from the company and his role as commissioner” of the organization.
“Phelps, who joined NASCAR in 2005, will transition out of the company by the end of the month,” NASCAR announced.
The news comes less than a month after Phelps found himself in the midst of controversy surrounding the release of text messages he had sent about other NASCAR personalities, including former driver and team owner Richard Childress. The messages were unsealed as part of the lawsuit between Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports against NASCAR, which the sides settled in early December.
In one text, Phelps allegedly wrote to another NASCAR executive that he believed Childress, 80, was a “stupid redneck who owes his entire fortune to NASCAR” and in another wrote that Childress should be “taken out back and flogged.

In 2001, Roush Racing had two drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, Mark Martin and Kurt Busch. However, both of them were winless the entire season. With two drivers failing to claim a victory, the warning bell was ringing at Jack Roush’s team. Despite having an experienced driver, an experienced crew chief, and a young blood, they failed to make amends.
Amidst this, the team and the drivers tried a move that went on to change their course in the future, and this was when Martin and Busch swapped their teams. This changed the destiny of the drivers and made them what they are today. Recently, Mark Martin dived in deeper to explain what really happened.
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Team swap with Mark Martin changed Kurt Busch’s racing life
In 2001, Mark Martin was a renowned name on the grid. However, he failed to make it count when it came to races as he went winless the entire season. Even though he was teaming up with the experienced crew chief Jimmy Fenning, their partnership did not bear fruit.
On the other hand, his team, Roush Racing, brought in Kurt Busch, a young blood to the team. Despite the infusion, both drivers remained without a victory throughout the 2001 season. As things started to go out of hand, Martin took the initiative of changing their fate.
“So, Jack (co-owner of Roush Racing) and I, sort of made the executive call to swap teams,” Martin revealed in the Kenny Wallace Media podcast. “Jimmy and I worked together in one. I won two-thirds of my Cup wins, under Jimmy Fenning. It’s a huge one. ASA Championship, all the way back to 1985. But things weren’t working.”
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As the driver duo could not extract the desired performance and results, they decided to make an instrumental change. Speaking about this, Martin said, “Sometimes you gotta make a change, it wasn’t because Jimmy and I wasn’t getting along, but Jimmy and I weren’t getting it done at this time.”
Martin’s words are clear. It wasn’t their partnership, but the outcome. They decided to shake things up to try something new.
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“So, it would be a great swap to put a veteran like Jimmy with Kurt because Kurt was with Ben Leslie, who was pretty much a rookie crew chief, cut to crew chief himself. And most of Kurt’s team were rookie guys as well,” he further added.
Following this, Martin unraveled how Roush Racing swapped his crew chief and the entire team with Kurt Busch. This was done to give Busch, who was an inexperienced driver at the time, an opportunity to race with experienced crew chief Jimmy Fenning. On the other hand, Martin raced with Busch’s former crew chief, Ben Leslie.
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Speaking about this, here’s what he further added, “So, my team, they changed the colors of cars. I got Kurt’s car, Kurt’s got my car. Kurt’s got Jimmy and my guys, and I got all those young guys.”
That year (2002), Martin won the Coca-Cola 600 and was a championship contender throughout the season. Busch, on the other hand, claimed his first-ever Cup win at Bristol. Following this, he went on to win three more races at Martinsville, Atlanta, and Homestead.
Kurt Busch continued his rise to the top in 2003. A year later in 2004, the very next year, he claimed his first ever Championship by beating Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
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Mark Martin shared his thoughts about Greg Biffle’s tragic crash
Mark Martin poured out his feelings about Greg Biffle after the latter succumbed to a tragic death following his plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport. Taking to his official social media, Martin, who is also an airplane pilot, wrote:
“As a Citation pilot for 20 years and a product of around 75 days of @FlightSafetyInt training and over 3000 hours of flight time in the aircraft I have deep knowledge of these aircraft and performance. The more I learn about Biffle’s crash the more disturbing it is to me.”
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Interestingly, Mark Martin has experience flying Citation private jets. One should know that the plane that crashed at the airport was a Citation model, specifically the Cessna C550 Citation II.
“Every day I get sicker and sicker about this tragedy,” he added.
Recently, the 911 calls of the witnesses who saw this tragedy have been released. Calls have been made by people in the airport authority and those playing on the golf course next to the airport. All of this just adds to the horrible picture that the crash has left the people with.

Happy birthday to Daniel Suarez, who turns 34 today, on the 7th of January. Although an American citizen by law now, he was born in Mexico and is still deeply connected to his roots, which he reflected while racing in Mexico City with JR Motorsports in 2025. This was the time when the NASCAR Cup Series held a points race outside of the US since 1958. And it was also a year that Suarez and his fans will never forget.
Daniel Suarez had a fairytale win in The Chilango 150 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico, his hometown. Starting from the last, he battled his way in a backup car and ultimately finished first, a story that can’t be scripted. Today, let’s take a look back at that emotional and historic homecoming victory, which didn’t come so easily.
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There seemed to be no possible way for Suarez to win
JR Motorsports delivered Suarez a competitive #9 car that day for his home race. However, he had a mishap during the morning qualifying session and crashed into the wall. This damaged the car beyond repair, considering the race was on the same day. This was tragic. The car was almost perfect for him (except for the brakes, as he mentioned shortly after the crash).
Not only was Daniel Suarez forced to drive a backup car, but he also started from the back of the field, in 39th place. There seemed to be no chance for him to win. However, he was focused more on the race, and less on the crash.
“The past is the past. Nothing we can do about it. I cannot fix the past but I can fix the future,” he said hours before the race.
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His goal was simple. To keep his head down, focus on consistency, and wait for others to make mistakes. NASCAR drivers aren’t the best ones when it comes to road courses, and Suarez seemed to hammer down on that opportunity.
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He showcased exceptional racecraft and a calm racing attitude, not rushing enough. The main straight on the track helped him make steady overtakes early. Despite being in the backup car, Suarez had managed to get close to the lead by the middle of the race as fans cheered him. But then came the next challenge: patience and resilience.
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Leading with 14 laps to go
“I’m a nervous wreck,” a notable quote from Julia Piquet, Suarez’s wife, as he fought for the lead.
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While the field behind the #9 Chevy was in a fight of their own, Suarez put his foot down and focused on clinching the lead. With 18 laps remaining, he was already battling Ty Gibbs within the top three.
Coming out of the first chicane, multiple cars wrecked, including Gibbs, who was battling Suarez. But there was one car that continued leading, and to the home crowd’s joy, it was the #9. After the caution, Suarez found himself in the lead for the final 14 laps.
But 14 laps is a long time. A lot can go wrong. One oversteer, one tire or engine issue, or a mistimed shift. A lot can go wrong. It wasn’t an easy challenge for him, especially with some light damage on the car’s front and the field racing alongside him.
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But he proved himself. Despite a late contact with the #54 Supra, he kept a calm lead, getting ahead of any obstacle he faced. At the end, he was the first driver to cross the checkered flag.
By doing this, Daniel Suarez had become a hometown hero, in a way that even he couldn’t have imagined. He stood on his car, and let his emotions pour out to his fans.
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“It’s everything I was looking for, just a special day,” an emotional Suarez said.
His wife, Julia Piquet, and other family members came down to celebrate with him. Dale Jr. also congratulated him on the win. “I was so thankful for him to have a moment like he had today,” Junior said.
But that 2025. A year where not everything went well for him in the Cup Series. In fact, he changed teams for the upcoming season, and there are quite a few challenges that he could face.
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How does the 2026 season look for Daniel Suarez?
Suarez’s 2025 season never fully unraveled. It rarely flowed the way he or Trackhouse Racing would have hoped. The expectations had shifted, especially considering his improving performances in the previous season with a race win in Atlanta. Although he did come close to winning races in 2025 as well, there were quite a few inconsistencies, with regular drops out of the top 20 finishers.
Owing to this, Trackhouse announced his departure from the team, claiming that it was a mutual agreement. Suarez also agreed about his performance struggles and the contract situation with the team.
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For the upcoming season, he signed with Spire Motorsports. Bringing his experience and long-time sponsor, the team could benefit from his signing. He comes in as Justin Haley’s replacement and will pilot the #7 Chevy. The latter largely struggled last year, with a few top-10 finishes, but mostly finding himself out of the top competitors.
Owing to the race-winning experience and resilience that Daniel Suarez brings, the team can find themselves in a better position, and the same can be said for him, too. His victory in Mexico City in 2025 showcased the talent that he possesses, and all he needs now is a competitive car and a cooperative team to get back to winning ways in the Cup Series as well.

There’s no second-guessing that NASCAR is at its most vulnerable right now. Say what you must about Steve Phelps, but the soon-to-be ex-commissioner of NASCAR, who worked in the organization for 20 years, has built this sport brick by brick. Stepping down isn’t as easy as it seems, and it may have dire consequences on the sport. Now, one NASCAR insider is peeling back the curtains on what could be driving the sport near the cliff’s edge.
Jeff Gluck stands against Phelps’ decision
Jeff Gluck, NASCAR’s most trusted journalist, laid the truth bare.
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“In fact, without Steve Phelps there, there’s a greater chance that this gets destabilized for a little bit,” he said. “I don’t see them necessarily filling that position. That was sort of a commissioner position created for him as he was looking at broader strategy.”
The comments about Richard Childress in the lawsuit sure did stir up a lot of resentment for the top brass, especially Steve Phelps, but it’s important to note that he wasn’t the target in the lawsuit.
There’s no doubt that on the manager side, the 63-year-old has commanded respect across the industry, so much so that the PGA sought him out as its commissioner less than a year ago.
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The Vermont native proved adept at navigating crisis, stirring NASCAR back to the racetrack after only a brief shutdown during the COVID pandemic.
He was also comfortable operating in high-stakes boardrooms, playing a key role in securing the 2025 to 2031 media rights deal that significantly boosted revenues.
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And he brought a forward-looking vision, championing bold events like the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum clash and the Chicago Street race, both of which drew fresh eyes to the sport.
Surely his tenure wasn’t without flaws. At times, he appeared to underestimate or failed to clearly convey that NASCAR understood the seriousness of competition issues, particularly the violent impacts of the next-gen car. Yet that does not eradicate his work.
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Now with NASCAR scrambling to find its next Steve Phelps, the sport may be on edge for a while. Hence, Gluck stands by his decision against Phelps’ exit, shattering the entire “new era” that hopes for a positive outcome that could come out of this.
“So, I’m not seeing where this is actually going to make NASCAR any better with the addition by subtraction. What it does do from NASCAR standpoint though is it takes away the person that was again the most bloodied and bruised coming out of the trial, right?”
But with Phelps stepping down, it raises more questions about who’s capable of filling those shoes.
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What’s next for NASCAR?
What comes next for NASCAR is less about reinvention and more about restoration. The lawsuit and leadership shake-up exposed fractures in interest between the sanctioning body, team owners, and fans, that can’t be papered over by strong revenues or flashy events.
Stability now depends on whether the sport can rebuild credibility at the top and present a unified direction after a period of public discord.
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That task falls squarely on Steve O’Donnell, who is expected to serve as the stabilizing force. Unlike his predecessor, O’Donnell has already shown a willingness to pair words with decisive action, particularly on the competition side.
His challenge will be translating that decisiveness into a broader vision that reassures stakeholders that the sport is listening and not dictating.
Behind him, Ben Kennedy’s growing influence suggests a longer-term succession plan quietly taking shape. NASCAR is unlikely to look outside its own walls for leadership.
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Continuity and not disruption appear to be the chosen path. That may calm internal nerves, but it also places pressure on the current regime to prove it can evolve without outside provocation.
Ultimately, NASCAR’s immediate future hinges on trust. If leadership can articulate where the sport is headed and back it up with consistent, transparent decisions, the turbulence of the past year may fade into a cautionary chapter rather than a defining one.

In July 2025, Mark Martin had a spat with Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. He did not see eye-to-eye with Danielle Trotta and Larry McReynolds about the playoff format. What followed was a wild battle of words on social media. As it turns out, this beef was not the only one that Martin had with NASCAR’s radio – as he recently lamented about a previous practice that is now discontinued.
Mark Martin hails the privacy that drivers had
“It really started in the early 2000s or early to mid 2000s when they started selling scanners and renting scanners. You could go to the race and just rent a scanner for the day and pick who you wanted to listen to, or multiple people drivers that you wanted to listen to, or teams. And so we started really having to work on cleaning our stuff up. And we still didn’t get it cleaned up, but we got a lot of it cleaned up,” Mark Martin said on a Kenny Wallace video.
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The 40-time Cup Series race winner shed light on a bygone era. In the early 1970s, two-way radios were first introduced in the NASCAR garage. They replaced hand signals and pit boards as means to communicate with the driver. It lessened the risk of crashes due to drivers trying to read signals and also provided the racers with a means to vent. As we know, NASCAR is a sport of flaring tempers and bent fenders. But Mark Martin said that opening up the radio channels to the fans shut that vent.
“It was a double-edged sword. It was good for the fans, but it was horrible for a driver who had been around and using radio since the 70s. Because that was your vent. That’s how you vented. And you know, you could vent, and you could talk trash about other drivers, and you could do all this stuff. And you just started having to tailor that.”
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During the 2018 Coca-Cola 600, a rowdy fan hacked into Alex Bowman‘s car radio. It befuddled Bowman’s communication with his crew chief, Greg Ives, and both had to switch to another channel. During the 2025 F1 Saudi Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz had a verbal spat with his race engineer, Gaëtan Jego. Fans heard the interaction on the radio and created a fuss on social media – however, Mark Martin defended Sainz’s actions, echoing his opinion about a free radio.
Mark Martin’s bold opinions about the radio or the playoffs may not be implemented. But his voice has a powerful authority – and it got a boost.
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Launching a personal venture
Mark Martin’s achievements in NASCAR are unbounded. Besides his Cup Series wins, he has 49 Busch Series wins, five IROC championships and inductions into both the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Motorsports Hall of Fame. He remains one of the only four drivers to have won Cup races over the age of 50. But what reverberates with fans the most is his treasure trove of experience spanning three decades in NASCAR. And nuggets of that trove will be available in his brand new podcast.
On Tuesday, the Mark Martin Archive Podcast launched on the Kenny Wallace YouTube Channel. The first episode included Martin and his son Matt, a former driver himself, discussing topics like sponsorship, his time at Roush Racing, and even some questions from fans. With Martin heavily involved as an outspoken NASCAR alumnus rolling out his opinions about the Next-Gen car or the playoffs, fans can expect exciting episodes of this podcast.
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With Mark Martin accelerating his voice in the sport, it is sure to make an impact on NASCAR. Let’s wait and see what ripples he creates in 2026.

John Hunter Nemechek has no problem finding counsel when it comes to his NASCAR driving career.
His father, Joe, started 674 Cup races over 24 years with four wins, 10 poles and 62 top-10 finishes.
And Nemechek’s boss at the Legacy Motor Club is seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
“If I have a question, I get answers,” Nemechek said recently while making a reconnaissance visit to the North Island Naval Base, site of the history-making three-race NASCAR weekend set for June 19 to 21.
“My dad still plays a role in my career. We chat about things I’m facing and that he experienced as a driver. My dad has done a lot and taught me a lot.
“But when it comes to the car side of it, these cars today are so different than what he drove. These cars don’t react the same way as my dad’s cars. It’s hard to understand how much the cars have changed just in the seven seasons since Dad retired.”
As for the influence of Jimmie Johnson …
“Having a guy like Jimmie who has seven championships and 83 Cup wins, someone who is probably the best who has ever been in the NASCAR ranks, alongside you supporting you and pushing you is an absolute, amazing feeling,” said Nemechek. “Having him as a boss makes it that much better.
“It’s quite an experience being around Jimmie. Culture is a huge thing for us at Legacy Motor Club and with the development of what we’re trying to build. Jimmie’s vision is one of the reasons why I came to Legacy Motor Club. We’re building the team and the club from the ground up. Jimmie is very talented in a lot of different ways. He has a lot of great ideas.”
One of Johnson’s ideas was hiring the young Nemechek to drive for Legacy’s two-car team two years ago. The team and drivers Nemechek and Erik Jones are still searching for that first win as a team.
“The 2024 season was a rough start,” said Nemechek, 28. “But there was a lot of building. We made a ton of improvement in 2025. We were in contention. We built some fast cars. But we have to be more consistent when we’re running toward the front. It’s not one thing. It’s just executing all the factors … cars, drivers, pit crew, strategy.
“We need a win. Hopefully, that will come in 2026.”
What better place than Naval Base Coronado on Father’s Day in Johnson’s first race in his hometown?
“I can’t tell you how excited everyone at Legacy Motor Club is to be part of this historic race and Jimmie’s return to San Diego,” said Nemechek. “It’s just special that NASCAR is celebrating the nation’s 250th birthday with its first race ever on a military base. To be part of that and Johnson’s first race in his hometown is meaningful to all of us at Legacy Motor Club.”
Nemechek recently visited the base, visiting sailors and airmen and driving across sections of what will be the street/road course.
“I’m like everyone else,” said Nemechek. “I’m really looking forward to racing on the naval base. I love the idea and the vision that made it happen. It’s going to be an amazing venue and weekend. It’s historic. We all know that and what that means to NASCAR, the drivers, the base, the sailors and the nation.
“It’s definitely going to be an interesting circuit. I only got to see a couple of the straights and where some of the corners will be. From looking at it, it’s definitely going to have a lot of character as a track. There are going to be some rough patches and bumps. We go over some train tracks. It’s going to be fun and demanding.
“It’s going to be different than anything we’ve ever raced on.”
And Nemechek is excited for Johnson, who will attempt to run in all three races — Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Trucks — during his first time ever driving a stock car in San Diego County.
“Who knows how many more starts Jimmie has left?” said Nemechek. “It would be amazing for him to run in all three divisions here. I know he’s excited. But this generation of Cup car makes it much more difficult for anyone who is not racing every week.
“They are very different from the Cup cars of even five year ago. And you have to drive them differently. I still haven’t mastered all of it. These cars are so different from anything I’ve ever driven before. And they are always changing. As a driver, you have to adapt and make changes.
“Only a driver the caliber of Jimmie Johnson could even hope to pull it off.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cracked the code. The 51-year-old NASCAR veteran, who has spent a lot of time building Dirty Mo Media since 2013, knows what it takes to run one of NASCAR’s most successful talk shows. Tuesday mornings seem to be his cheat code, but there are more tricks up his sleeve. And now, in an honest Junior-style admission, he isn’t holding back on what built his empire.
Speaking to RACER, Dale Earnhardt Jr. laid down the bare truth.
“I like that we get a couple of days to hear what everybody’s opinions are,” he said. “It’s a little bit like cheating, because we can come in and already have an idea of what the temperature of the fan base is, or the reaction to whatever happened Sunday.”
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The strategy works out perfectly for his team. Junior acknowledges that tapping later in the week shapes how he approaches an episode, not necessarily by changing his mind but by exposing him to viewpoints and context he may not have initially considered.
The Dale Jr. Download is recorded and released on Tuesdays. By then, much of the NASCAR media cycle is already in motion.
Dirty Mo’s The Teardown, hosted by Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi, has typically aired, as has the Door Bumper Clear, featuring Freddie Kraft, Tommy Baldwin, Karsyn Elledge, and a rotating guest.
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Denny Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental often lands even earlier, sometimes on Sunday night. Beyond these familiar voices, there is no shortage of NASCAR content circulating, all of which Junior has likely absorbed before he even sits down at the microphone.
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And that is the type of thinking that drives Dirty Mo Media to be one of the most successful NASCAR shows.
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Most databases list the North Carolina media production company with revenue likely in the $50M-$100M category, but it’s based on industry grouping and has not confirmed valuation.
Moreover, unofficial online sources estimated the YouTube channel’s net worth at roughly $600 K – $880 K, based on ad revenue projections.
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Yet, while Junior still struggles to find his voice in the sport, the 51-year-old veteran is not truly comfortable with his new NASCAR responsibility. As his media footprint has grown and expectations have mounted, the trademark openness has begun to cut both ways.
Junior details his agony within the NASCAR media
Junior has been candid about the reality of being NASCAR’s most influential voice. Access brings expectation, and influence brings pressure. The strain and fatigue he has described stem from the constant demand to weigh in on every issue without losing credibility or perspective.
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Despite his openness with fans, Earnhardt has learned that not every moment calls for commentary. The antitrust lawsuit involving NASCAR put him in an uncomfortable position, caught between long-standing loyalty to the France family and an understanding of figures like Denny Hamlin, Michael Jordan, and Bob Jenkins.
At times, the scrutiny became exhausting.
“People were going on and on about either something I had said or the lawsuit or the show, and how I was in a bad (expletive) mood,” he said.
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“Sometimes I’ve said, ‘I don’t want to talk about this today.’ I don’t want to always sit down and say, ‘Here is what I think, everybody.’”
Earnhardt said those moments were not about avoidance, but about recognizing limits. Even as fans expect constant analysis, he acknowledged that the role is not always comfortable.
“I don’t know that I’m comfortable or have gotten more comfortable,” he said. “Some days it’s easier than others.”
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The position he occupies requires judgment as much as access, including knowing when speaking adds value and when it does not.
Even after months of deposition, legal maneuvering, and uneasy revelations that ended in a settlement, the emotional conflict didn’t immediately fade.
Junior understood the frustrations of team owners while also acknowledging what NASCAR has mentioned to him personally and professionally. At times, staying quiet felt like the only honest choice.
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In an era that demands instant opinions, Junior’s restraint underscored a simple reality: transparency has its limits, especially with loyalty, history, and personal values pulling in different directions.