Chase Elliott has voiced his strong approval for NASCAR’s decision to reinstate the classic 10-race Chase format, a move that will shape the championship starting with the upcoming season. The announcement was made Monday, signaling a shift away from the recent playoffs structure, and bringing back a system used to crown NASCAR Cup Series champions from 2004 to 2013—a topic that brings out passionate discussion among drivers and fans alike, with Elliott and Ryan Blaney both reacting positively to the changes.
NASCAR Restores the Traditional Chase Format for the Cup Series
The return of the 10-race Chase format marks a pivotal change for the NASCAR Cup Series, as organizers responded to calls from fans and competitors to move away from the one-year playoff system. Under the revised framework, sixteen drivers will qualify for the Chase each season, offering familiar faces like Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney a renewed chance to contest the title in a format that many view as classic. The change echoes the period from 2004 to 2013, which saw legendary postseason showdowns that captured widespread attention, including from NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin’s region. This adjustment is expected to bring a sense of nostalgia and renewed excitement to each postseason battle, both for seasoned competitors and new fans.
Chase Elliott Reflects on the Changes and Competitive Spirit
Chase Elliott was present during NASCAR’s official announcement and offered an emotionally charged perspective on returning to the format that defined much of modern NASCAR racing. Elliott, himself a Cup Series champion and a fan favorite, described the move as a “really nice compromise” between tradition and innovation, and underscored the challenge of maintaining a full season under the previous playoff structure. He recalled the intense and “epic battles” that defined the Chase era, highlighting that the sport often forgets the value of those times when looking back.
“I think we oftentimes forget how good we had it through all those years of {the} Chase format,”
Elliott said. “I think it is a really nice compromise. I think getting a full season was going to be a pretty big challenge, and I’m not sure there’s really a better place to land than a true 10-race Chase, really similar to what we had through those years of the epic battles that we saw.
“This is something that I’m proud of as a competitor, something I’m looking forward to competing in and against these guys with, and I think, just from my perspective, challenge the race fans this year, let’s enjoy what we got.”
– Chase Elliott, Cup Series Champion
Ryan Blaney Shares Enthusiasm for Format’s Return
Ryan Blaney, another accomplished driver in the Cup Series field, echoed Elliott’s excitement at NASCAR’s new direction. Blaney emphasized that the updated format will restore a degree of competitive purity and strategic artistry to the races, returning to the style of racing that inspired his own career. He emphasized that the Chase system balances tension and performance over a critical 10-race stretch, a far cry from the unpredictable chaos of the single-year playoffs.
“I think it’s going to clean up a lot of the racing side of it and get back to the purity side of it to where it is a little bit more of not brash, a little bit more of the beautiful art form that I grew up loving,”
Blaney said.
“I am a huge fan of it.”
– Ryan Blaney, Cup Series Champion
Next Steps: Season Launch and Impacts on the Field
Both Blaney and Elliott are set to return to the track on February 1 for the exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, a race sure to offer fans an early look at how drivers might approach the new 10-race Chase format. The official start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season will be marked by the 68th Daytona 500 on February 15, setting the stage for months of competitive build-up before postseason racing begins. The return to the Chase system is expected to produce familiar postseason contenders, as well as open the door for new rivalries and stories reminiscent of the “epic battles” Elliott referenced. With competitors energized and fans intrigued, the next chapter of NASCAR’s championship hunt promises to blend history with high-stakes action—the essence of the Chase Elliott NASCAR Chase format conversation dominating the racing community.
