Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, and Joey Logano are all sitting there with a ridiculous five postseason victories *each* since the Next Gen car dropped in 2022. That’s a distinction nobody else can claim, according to NASCAR Insights, and it’s absolutely wild to think about as they head into the 2026 NASCAR Chase. These guys aren’t just good, they’ve been outright *dominant* when it counts the most.
The Record Holders and the Challengers
Man, talk about a stacked field rolling into the 2026 NASCAR Chase! Logano, for example, turned his postseason success into two Cup Series championships already, taking the titles in both 2022 and 2024. Blaney snagged his own title in 2023, and he has continued to establish himself as one of NASCAR’s most dangerous drivers during the pressure-cooker final stretch of the season. And then there’s Larson, the defending Cup Series champion from 2025. He won his title under the *old* elimination format and now gets to defend it under a totally new system, all while holding that five-win record. How about that for stakes? Don’t even think about sleeping on Christopher Bell, either; he’s right there with four postseason wins, and Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick each have three. This isn’t some random list, buddy; these are the heavy hitters who know how to win when it matters.
This Ain’t Your Daddy’s Chase
But here’s the kicker, the ultimate game-changer for 2026: this Chase is fundamentally different. NASCAR completely threw out that old elimination format. Remember how winning a race practically punched your ticket to the next round, giving you a huge leg up? Gone! Now, all 16 Chase drivers are in it for all 10 races, fighting it out on a cumulative points system. The champion gets crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, with no separate Championship 4 race waiting at the end. Does that mean winning a postseason race matters less now that there are no automatic berths? Hell no! Winning is still incredibly valuable, but the implications are different. Every single point counts big time because there’s no reset after a few weeks, no “survive this round” mentality to fall back on. You gotta be absolutely on it, every lap of every race for ten straight weeks. Blaney is currently sitting second in points with 2,075, Larson’s at 2,045 in seventh, and Logano is ninth with 2,035. They’re all chasing regular-season champion Denny Hamlin, who starts with 2,100 points, even though Hamlin’s “only” got three Next Gen postseason wins himself.
Darlington: Where History Is Made (or Broken)
The whole insane thing kicks off this Sunday at Darlington Raceway with the Southern 500. And if there’s any track to start a high-stakes, no-resets, every-point-counts Chase, it’s Darlington. That place has a brutal reputation for punishing mistakes, and with every point now carrying through *all ten Chase races*, you can’t afford even a tiny slip-up, especially early. For Blaney, Larson, and Logano, it’s more than just a points battle, though. There’s a genuine piece of Next Gen history sitting there for the taking. One of them could break that five-win tie and become the standalone leader in Next Gen era postseason victories. Or, get this: Bell could snag a win at Darlington and make it a four-way tie at the top of that leaderboard! Darlington could hardly be a more fitting place to start this whole thing. It’s gonna be an absolute grinder.
So, yeah, Sunday at Darlington isn’t just another race. It’s the launchpad for a wild, new era of the Chase, and a chance for someone to immediately etch their name in the Next Gen history books. Who’s gonna be the first to grab that standalone record? And who’s gonna show they can master this brutal cumulative points system from day one? I’m absolutely hyped to see who steps up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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