4 changes already made to 2026 NASCAR Cup Series – Sports News
Four changes have already been made to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs forward of Monday’s announcement of the championship format. NASCAR is set for a doubtlessly landscape-changing week, with the governing physique poised to announce changes to its championship format following sustained discontent from followers, in addition to previous and current drivers.
Pressure on NASCAR to change its championship format elevated following final November’s finale in Phoenix, Arizona, which noticed (*4*)Denny Hamlin fall painfully short of being topped Cup Series champion to Kyle Larson. The Joe Gibbs Racing star dominated proceedings and was a few laps away from the checkered flag when a warning threw his victory into doubt.
Hamlin’s No. 11 was then undercut by Kyle Larson on pit street, with the Hendrick Motorsports star taking two tires as a substitute of 4. Larson completed forward of Hamlin, due to this fact being topped Cup Series champion for a second time. The end sparked outrage over Hamlin’s heartbreak, because the race was his final probability to be topped champion earlier than his father, Dennis, handed away. Dennis was critically in poor health final 12 months, however died final month on Dec. 28, following a devastating home fire that additionally left his mother hospitalized.
Hamlin was one of many critics of NASCAR’s playoff format and had long known as for changes to be made. It was speculated shortly after that changes could be made to NASCAR’s championship format.
Still, official affirmation will not come till Monday, which additionally follows final month’s bitter antitrust lawsuit between Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing/Front Row Motorsports in opposition to the governing physique, which was ultimately settled.
However, earlier than Monday’s format announcement, 4 changes have already been made to NASCAR’s playoffs. Miami-Homestead will exchange Phoenix because the host of NASCAR’s championship races in 2026. Phoenix might be pushed back to the Round of 8.
Phoenix Raceway is taking up because the opening race of the Round of 8 (Race 33), changing Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway stay unchanged and can proceed to close out the semifinal spherical as Races 34 and 35.
Las Vegas remains to be half of the postseason, however its function has been pushed back to the Round of 12, filling the spot vacated by New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
New Hampshire had long been in a conventional place because the spherical opener, however Las Vegas will as a substitute host the center race (Race 31). Kansas Speedway will open the Round of 12 (Race 30), whereas the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval will as soon as again function the cutoff race (Race 32) in that stage.
The Round of 16 stays untouched, with Darlington Raceway opening the playoffs (Race 27), adopted by stops at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Race 28) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Race 29).
New Hampshire is the lone race on the 2025 playoff schedule that won’t carry over into the 2026 postseason.
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