2026 Fantasy NASCAR Points Update
Jason Karlavige
NASCAR recently announced a new championship format for 2026, with the return of The Chase. This new points system awards 55 points to race winners, a 15-point jump from the previous playoff format.
NASCAR’s 2026 Championship Format: The Chase
NASCAR’s points system now looks like the following:
- 1st place: 55 points
- 2nd place: 35 points
- 3rd place: 34 points
- and so on
Stage points remain the same. The winning stage driver receives 10 points, 2nd place receives 9 points, down to 10th place receiving 1 point.
Our Fantasy Championship Format
While NASCAR is updating their points system, we are choosing to keep our existing scoring for our 2026 fantasy NASCAR season.
Our default fantasy NASCAR scoring is similar to NASCAR’s new points system. The only difference is awarding the race winner 40 points. Our remaining scoring structure matches NASCAR, with 2nd place receiving 35 points, 3rd place receiving 34, etc. Our default stage scoring matches NASCAR’s as well.
We have always used a season-long points format, rather than having playoffs. This remains the same for 2026. We have season segments (Spring, Summer, Fall), to have three separate championship segments, alongside overall points for the entire season.
I won’t rule out implementing an optional playoff system for leagues in the future, but we won’t have this available in 2026.
Why we are not updating our default scoring
If we updated our scoring so the race winner receives 55 points instead of 40, it increases the already large advantage members who selected the race winner for their fantasy NASCAR lineups. The winning driver often receives a high amount of stage points, and already has a lap-led bonus.
We believe a solid 4-driver roster is more important than simply getting the race winner right. Providing another 15-point advantage to members who have the winning driver would decrease the value of having strong drivers in the other classes.
Changing the scoring for your league
If your league prefers to follow NASCAR’s new points system, league admins have the option to customize the winner’s bonus scoring by upgrading to League Admin Pro. This allows commissioners to customize the scoring for all race, stage, and qualifying positions.
While we are keeping our existing scoring for the 2026 NASCAR season, we are always open to feedback and making adjustments down the road. If you want to reach out, you can contact us here, or send an email to speedwaycollective@gmail.com!
