The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs begin Sunday at Darlington Raceway, and 16 drivers enter a 10-race fight with no cutoffs and no reset after a bad week. The 2026 NASCAR playoffs bring back the Chase format, replacing the elimination system used in recent seasons.
Denny Hamlin leads the field with 2,100 points, while Ryan Blaney starts 25 points behind him. Tyler Reddick sits third, 35 points off the lead. Ryan Preece is last at 2,000 points. Only 100 points separate first from 16th. Every crash, penalty and lost stage point will remain important until the championship ends at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 8.
NASCAR Playoffs Put 16 Drivers Under Pressure
The NASCAR playoffs open Sunday at 5 p.m. ET with the Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. The schedule then moves through World Wide Technology Raceway, Bristol, Kansas, Las Vegas, Charlotte, Phoenix, Talladega, Martinsville and Homestead.
The NASCAR Cup Series also changed the points system. Race wins now pay 55 points instead of 40, while stage points remain unchanged. The new Chase format gives every playoff driver the same 10-race window to build a championship total.
Denny Hamlin Leads the NASCAR Chase
Hamlin enters the NASCAR Chase as the regular-season champion after wins at Las Vegas, Nashville, Michigan and Pocono. Joe Gibbs Racing has four playoff drivers: Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe and Christopher Bell.
Briscoe has an immediate chance to make an impact at Darlington. He won the last two Southern 500s and returns to the track as one of the key drivers to watch in the opening NASCAR playoff race.
Blaney leads the Ford challenge. He and Ty Gibbs have collected the most stage points this season. Phoenix and Martinsville also give Blaney important opportunities late in the NASCAR playoffs.
Reddick enters the Chase after a strong start to the season. He won at Daytona, Atlanta, Austin, Darlington and Kansas. He will return to several tracks where he has already shown strong speed.
NASCAR Cup Series Title Fight Has No Cutoffs
The NASCAR Cup Series title race now rewards sustained performance across all 10 races. A driver cannot erase a bad result by simply advancing to another round. Every DNF, penalty and missed stage point remains part of the championship total.
Kyle Larson, the 2025 champion, enters the NASCAR playoffs without the same level of consistent speed he showed during his title run. Chase Elliott remains in the field, while Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Daniel Suárez, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric and Preece also begin the Chase.
Suárez and Hocevar secured berths for Spire Motorsports after wins at Charlotte and Talladega. Preece reached the NASCAR playoffs after his Daytona victory.
The NASCAR Cup Series championship will be decided by total points after Homestead on Nov. 8. With no eliminations, the 2026 NASCAR playoffs leave all 16 drivers fighting until the final race.
NASCAR Playoffs Begin With No Mercy: 16 Drivers Face a Brutal 10-Race Chase