Ryan Blaney discusses new NASCAR championship format

NASCAR is switching up how its champion is crowned, and it's a throwback nod to "The Chase," the playoff format it had from 2004-2013. How the new playoff system works: -The driver with the most points over the last 10 races will be the champion. Yep. It's that simple now. -The top 16 drivers in the points standings after the regular season will make The Chase — no more "win and in" automatic playoff bids based off of a single race win. They'll be re-seeded as The Chase begins. -The first 26 races will be the regular season, then the 10-race Chase for the championship. -Race wins are now worth 55 points (used to be 40) — but remaining positions remain at a lower value (35 for second, 34 for third, 33 for fourth, etc.). Stage points are still a thing as well. Previously, NASCAR had a pretty confusing elimination-style playoff format, with a one-race finale between four drivers, aka "The Championship 4." Now, with this format, they look to emphasize consistency rather than a "random" one-race result. A great example of a guy who had a great career year and finish to the season, but missed out on that final race and "The Championship 4" in 2025, was Ryan Blaney, driver of the No. 12 Ford for Team Penske.