The NASCAR Chase Championship Format Is Back!

NASCAR announced on Monday that it is returning to a version of The Chase championship format that was used from 2004-2013.

The top sixteen drivers in points over the first 26 races will qualify for the 10-race postseason that will decide the champion.

There’s no more “win and you’re in” to the postseason, it is entirely based on points. In order to reward race wins NASCAR has updated the points structure so that a win is worth 55 points, up from 40, while second place is worth 39 points.

The points are reset for The Chase with first place getting a 15-point advantage over second, with first starting with 2,100, second with 2,075, third with 2,065, fourth with 2,060 and each spot getting five fewer points down to 16th at 2,000.

The stage points system remains, but there are no longer any playoff points, as there were under the previous multi-round elimination system.

NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell said the goal was to reward winning, consistency and letting the fans know it has been listening to them.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Craftsman Truck Series will use the same format with 12 and 10 drivers qualifying for The Chase, which will be nine and seven races-long, respectively.

This is a breaking story, check back for updates