Kyle Busch has voiced apprehension regarding NASCAR’s decision to reinstate The Chase championship format starting in the 2026 season, sharing his reaction after the official announcement. During a session with reporters, Busch highlighted his primary concern about how the revived postseason structure could impact drivers’ championship possibilities.
Busch Reacts to The Chase Format’s Comeback
On Tuesday, Kyle Busch addressed the return of The Chase format, a key topic among drivers and fans alike. The Chase, first introduced in 2004, will once again determine the NASCAR Cup Series champion through a playoff involving the top 16 drivers over the final 10 races of the season. The structure, similar to its original version, increases pressure as several regular-season crashes can end championship hopes.
Hopefully it’s better and people like it,
Kyle Busch said, per Peter Stratta of TSJ Sports.
Busch expressed cautious optimism but underscored his concerns about the format’s harsh elimination criteria due to accidents during pivotal races. Reflecting on previous seasons under The Chase, he stated:
We’ll see how everybody attacks it and what they do in order to make the most of their opportunity to go race for championships.
Kyle Busch, NASCAR driver
He elaborated on the personal challenges experienced during The Chase, citing the increased risk of elimination after on-track incidents. With aggressive driving and more frequent wrecks becoming common in modern NASCAR, the possibility of sudden championship exclusion is a major concern for Busch.
I remember when we had The Chase format. Getting wrecked once or twice, you’re eliminated,
Kyle Busch said. He added that in the current competitive landscape, heightened chances of wrecks may either disadvantage individuals or, ironically, level the playing field if all contenders face similar misfortunes in the final 10 races.
Understanding the Consequences for Drivers
The reintroduction of The Chase has significant implications for how drivers and teams approach the playoff stretch. Under this system, top drivers cannot rely solely on regular-season wins for playoff security; consistent performance and avoiding crashes throughout the final races become crucial. This format shift introduces complexity, as even a dominant regular-season competitor could see their championship bid ended by just one or two poor finishes caused by wrecks.
Kyle Busch, having raced full-time in the Cup Series since 2005, brings personal experience to his views. His two championships, earned in 2015 and 2019, came under different postseason systems, not the original Chase format. Notably, Busch has not won a Cup Series race since April 2023 and may see this change as an opportunity to break his drought—if he can avoid the pitfalls of elimination.
NASCAR’s Official Position on the Format Shift
NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell outlined the reasoning behind the decision to restore The Chase, emphasizing the importance of race wins and consistent performance throughout the postseason.
Winning still had to matter. We had to make sure that was a big component of what we were doing. We certainly wanted consistency to matter,
Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR President
O’Donnell further explained the need for every race to carry weight and meaning, highlighting a key flaw of the previous format:
Not lost on us that throughout what we’ve seen with the current format, there were times when a driver could win and maybe take a couple races because he had that win in the bank. That’s not something we wanted. We wanted every race to matter. So both of those needed to be front and center.
Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR President
Looking Forward: Implications for the Sport
The return of The Chase format is set to bring new intensity, uncertainty, and debate within the NASCAR paddock. Established competitors like Kyle Busch and emerging drivers will need to navigate an environment where a single race’s fortune or misfortune can dictate championship fate. For fans and teams, this means the stakes for every lap and decision will be magnified in the last 10 races.
As the 2026 season approaches, the focus keyword—Kyle Busch Chase format reaction—will remain central to discussions about strategy changes, possible surprises, and the overall evolution of the NASCAR Cup Series championship fight. The next two years will provide drivers and teams critical time to adjust their approaches to success—and survival—under the returning playoff system.
.@KyleBusch gave his thoughts on NASCAR’s new/old format, testing at @NWBSpeedway, and his friendship with Greg Biffle.
“Any crashes will kill your championship run”#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/HGlnHnAQOh
— Peter Stratta (@peterstratta) January 13, 2026
