NASCAR is ditching its elimination-based Playoffs for a return to a 10-race Chase, where points accumulation is the name of the game for the 16 contenders.
The American series had run its Playoffs in various iterations since 2014, while Supercars introduced its Finals Series for the first time just last year.
While that makes for somewhat awkward optics for Supercars, the suite of changes made by NASCAR are as much an endorsement of the Australian system as they are an indictment on it.
It’s worth noting that direct comparisons are somewhat complicated by the fact NASCAR weekends feature a single race, while two or three races make up Supercars’ Finals events.
That meant NASCAR’s three Playoffs ‘rounds’ took place over three weekends each leading into a single-race finale, while Supercars has two elimination weekends of two races each before a three-race finale.
Win and you’re in
A key element of NASCAR’s move from Playoffs to Chase is the removal of the ‘win and you’re in’ philosophy.
Previously, NASCAR drivers could book a Playoff spot either on points or by winning a regular season race – a rule that elevated Shane van Gisbergen from far outside the cut-line and into the post-season in 2025.
Supercars does not have this as part of its format, with its Finals Series tickets handed out based on the points standings – and provisionals for the Sprint Cup and Enduro Cup winners.
The Aussie class does have a ‘win to progress’ element once its Finals begin, though, which NASCAR has removed under its new “every race matters’ mantra.
Under the Supercars system, the Saturday winner at both the Gold Coast and Sandown are already guaranteed their spot in the next round regardless of their Sunday result.
NASCAR has meanwhile tweaked its points allocation to better reward wins, in a move to counter the fact they no longer get you straight into the post-season.
Under that revised system, van Gisbergen’s five wins would have helped him sneak into the 2025 16-driver Playoffs on points.
Simplicity
While Supercars’ system is complicated compared to a traditional championship, it is far simpler than the Playoffs were.
That’s because NASCAR simultaneously tallied its regular season points standings and its playoffs bonus points, earned through race and stage wins.
While stage points continue to count in the regular season, the points reset ahead of The Chase will feature a simple seeding based off the standings after 26 races.
That brings it far closer to Supercars, which starts its Finals the same way – albeit with Sprint Cup and Enduro Cup win bonuses also added.
Where NASCAR has truly simplified its format is within the Chase itself, which is an uninterrupted 10-race points accumulation involving 16 drivers.
That removes all of the ‘elimination cut-off line’ calculations and points resets previously used in both categories, which is a win or a loss depending on your point of view.
NASCAR says it wants less focus on drivers scraping through cut-lines and more on its heroes doing the winning, as well as a format that can be quickly explained.
The Grand Final
No matter which way you slice it, NASCAR’s removal of its Playoffs is a vote against an all-in season finale – which is the centrepiece of what Supercars adopted.
Yes, Supercars’ finale has three races rather than the single-race NASCAR weekend, but the Chase is a big step back towards tradition with an emphasis on consistency.
It is now essentially awarding its championship based on points from 10 of its 36 races, rather than three of 37 as Supercars will do in 2026.
A “sample size” of 10 circuits is also a lot greater than one.
While the wheels were in motion for NASCAR’s revamp before its 2025 finale, having a single pit stop deny Denny Hamlin the title proved a bridge too far for many fans.
NASCAR’s Chase announcement featured a callout for “core fans” who have become disenfranchised by the Playoffs system to return.
Supercars must similarly monitor whether its chase for a dramatic finale – said to be a key element in its long-term deal with the South Australian Government – is doing more harm than good.
So what does it all mean?
Run the 2026 NASCAR Chase format over the 2025 season and it doesn’t actually change the fact Kyle Larson would have been crowned champion.
Similarly, if you adopt a Chase mentality to the 2025 Supercars season and add up all points from the Finals Series, Chaz Mostert still comes out on top.
It’s only if you add the Supercars bonus points from the regular season to the points accumulated in the Finals Series that Broc Feeney would have edged ahead.
In any case, the Chase would change how the drivers got there and potentially put more focus on the champion – and less on the heartbreak of those defeated.
On the other hand, simply adding the Finals Series points as per the Chase increases the chances of the title fight being heavily slanted in one direction ahead of the finale – defeating the very point of Supercars’ system.
Supercars will make only minor tweaks to its format this year, focused on points bonuses and how the championship standings play out for non-Finals contenders.
Having also expressed openness to making further changes in future, you can bet Supercars will be closely watching how NASCAR’s new Chase unfolds.
Discussion about this post