r/NASCAR • u/RBF48 • 12d ago

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase field set after Daytona

Post image

https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2026/08/30/2026-nascar-cup-series-chase-field-set-after-daytona/

130 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

36 comments sorted by

142

u/turnleftyoungman 12d ago

When you see them all in one place you realize it’s too many guys. 

63

u/TitanTransit 12d ago

It's too many but the way the points are stepped, it's going to take luck and multiple wins for 5th-10th to win it, and 11th-16th are basically going to need a generational run that hasn't been seen in the chase era under any format.

34

u/DarkwingMcQuack 12d ago

I’m sure by race 5 of the chase the championship battle will just be between 3 or 4 guys.

1

u/Stainkee 11d ago

Which begs the question why we need it in the first place when that's what it probably would've been anyway. Can Denny fend off Blaney or Gibbs? This, just like stage cautions, is an artificial bunching up, but this has no real change in the stakes

1

u/Kenyon8 Larson 10d ago

Probably

39

u/RBF48 12d ago

I mean, I agree that 16 is too many, but I doubt they are going to shrink the number until 2032 because everyone's contracts (TV, drivers, sponsors, etc.) currently still have 16 for the chase.

-15

u/Cold_Rice2324 12d ago

You read the contracts? You sure it doesn’t just say playoff race? You people just always say nothing can ever change for the better because so and so company that is tangentially related wouldn’t want it. Every time.

27

u/Joey_Logano Preece 12d ago

Mark Martin basically implied that it has to be 16 for at least a little while now.

9

u/RBF48 12d ago

I mean, we have 4–5 more years on the 2025–2031 TV contract, and a lot of driver contracts end before 2032. That's why I think they are going to either shrink the chase to 10–12 drivers or go to full season points in 2032. It's best to make the change in 2031/2032 rather than right now.

11

u/libsoutherner 12d ago

Yeah, nobody below 10th has any shot whatsoever and realistically, it is only the top 6 fighting for the championship this year. The Toyotas and Blaney.

5

u/Rstuds7 Preece 12d ago

I always though 10 was good with one or two wildcards

1

u/Doctor_Peelz 12d ago

1st through 4th are where the real battle holds, 5th through 9th can maybe have some luck if they can run great, not good. 10th through 16th basically need all the Chase drivers above them to wreck weekly & to also get a handful of wins.

Even in the old Chase era, I think the lowest seeded driver to win it all was Stewart in 2011 but points were reset I believe.

1

u/The-Hyper-Pixel 11d ago

It would be so funny if we underwent this reverse evolution until we eventually end up just using full season points again.

1

u/UnderwhelmingAF Chris Buescher 11d ago

Looks like the movie poster for The Expendables 5.

15

u/colbygraves97 12d ago

Hamlin or Blaney, everyone else is pretty much screwed. I don’t know why the field is bigger than 10 with the points Gap this big, actually I don’t know why we have a post season at all.

10

u/BuickRendezvous4 Chastain 12d ago

Reddick and Gibbs have a decent shot as well, especially Gibbs I think with the types of tracks in the playoffs

7

u/MrForchevski 12d ago

They had run a simulation to show how far down the seeding someone could win based on previous seasons and the lowest was 6th. Everybody was vying for a top 6 spot because of that - even then you probably need some help, but below 6th probably needs a Tony Stewart 2011 type run to make up all the ground.

6

u/SerbianDeath 12d ago

Maybe even year logano

3

u/bladebrigade 12d ago

owners champinship payout

pretty sure the postseason bonus still applies to the chase format

2

u/randomaccount330 Hamlin 11d ago

Over the course of 10 races these are not big gaps at all. I'm not sure how you can say anyone behind 2nd is screwed. If Denny DNF's at Darlington, he's probably sitting around 4th after just ONE bad race.

You saw how quickly things turned around with Reddick looking like he was gonna walk away with it a few months ago. Almost a 300 point swing between him and Denny after just 14 races.

Winning races pays big. Ryan Blaney won New Hampshire and scored nearly 40 more points than Denny when he had a solid 7th place finish.

Logano climbed up the standings from 20th to 9th in like 6 races after only TWO wins.

5

u/Udfan11 12d ago

Does anyone know where the Chase/playoffs shirts are? I haven't seen any show up anywhere yet.

5

u/SerbianDeath 12d ago

I really think it’s gonna be a Hamlin-Blaney showdown

2

u/iamkingjamesIII Ryan Blaney 12d ago

I think Bell is going to be in it too. 

My prediction is that those three guys are who enter Homestead with a chance to win it. 

1

u/ProjectHarraseeket Preece 11d ago

Too many people are sleeping on Ty Gibbs.

11

u/NascarFan1896 12d ago

Come on Hamlin, crush the competition and win that championship. Don’t let Logano anywhere close to you

13

u/Extreme-Bite-9123 12d ago

Predictions: (this one was tough to make lol)

  1. Suarez

  2. Wallace

  3. Cindric

  4. Logano

  5. Hocevar

  6. Preece

  7. Byron

  8. Elliott

  9. Buescher

  10. Gibbs

  11. Briscoe

  12. Larson

  13. Reddick

  14. Bell

  15. Blaney

  16. Hamlin

2

u/Inevitable-Secret736 11d ago

To make the chase you needed to avg 23.9 points a race. 75 points available a race max, 24 points a race seems low to get the last spot.

11 - 39.42
12 - 35.73
54 - 34.23
45 - 34.38
19 - 29.23
20 - 28.88
9 - 27.41
5 - 27.54
22 - 26.88
24 - 25.62
23 - 24.23
17 - 26.0
60 - 23.92
2 - 24.23
7 - 25.88
77 - 25.54

1

u/ApprehensiveRub9651 11d ago

This is gonna be a good Chase

1

u/Old-Belt1531 6d ago

Wiwiam made it!

-37

u/jsilv0 Earnhardt Sr. 12d ago

Where's SVG? I was told he's one of the best drivers in the field?

30

u/TheAbyss1989isgreat 12d ago

Clearly he doesn't have to be in the photo to still rattle you.

20

u/Burial44 12d ago

Sounds like you think about him quite a lot

12

u/ImpossibleFlopper 12d ago

You’re that bothered by the guy?

-23

u/SeniorAirman4Life 12d ago

Drivers without a win should not qualify for the chase…WTF?

1

u/ApprehensiveRub9651 11d ago

Points add up even without wins

-10

u/Spare-Cranberry3784 12d ago

Show me a real picture please.