NASCAR’s 2026 season has brought back The Chase, and after one wild regular season, we’re down to the wire with just one race left at the always unpredictable Daytona. We’ve got 13 drivers already locked in for the 10-race mini-season, but only three coveted spots are left for the taking. This isn’t your daddy’s “win-and-in” anymore, folks. Now, it’s the top-16 in the regular-season standings that get to battle it out, with their points getting a major reset for the final stretch. The regular-season champ starts at a sweet 2,100 points, second place gets 2,075, third at 2,065, fourth at 2,060, and it goes down by five-point increments until 16th place resets to 2,000. Every single point has mattered all year, and it’s about to matter even more.
Thirteen Drivers Are Set for The Chase
Man, the competition has been fierce, and some drivers punched their tickets to The Chase weeks ago. Denny Hamlin, the Joe Gibbs Racing ace, locked up his spot way back after Atlanta with six races to spare, even snagging the top seed at New Hampshire. Talk about setting the pace! Tyler Reddick from 23XI also clinched after Atlanta and is tearing it up with a series-leading five wins this year. Ryan Blaney, the Team Penske force, secured his spot after North Wilkesboro, boasting three victories and a league-best 16 top 10s. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are having a strong year, with Ty Gibbs clinching at Indianapolis after racking up a series-high 195 stage points. Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell, and Chase Elliott all clinched at Richmond, showing serious consistency. Then came New Hampshire, where Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Chris Buescher, Carson Hocevar, William Byron, and Daniel Suárez all joined the exclusive club. That’s a stacked field ready to go for the title!
The Daytona Bubble Is Brutal
Now, for the real drama: who grabs those final three spots? Bubba Wallace, from 23XI Racing, is feeling pretty good right now. He’s sitting +75 points and literally just needs two points at Daytona. That’s like a 35th-place finish if he doesn’t snag any stage points. For Ryan Preece to bump Wallace, Preece would need to win both stages, the race, and grab the fastest lap point. Talk about a long shot, right? Then there’s Austin Cindric from Team Penske, who’s +44. He needs a lot to go wrong, and Preece is the only driver who can realistically catch him by earning 44 points more. Preece has only managed that kind of points haul in one race all year. Cindric can clinch by finishing fourth or better at Daytona, no matter what, or even with some key stage points in the first two stages. Shane van Gisbergen is +31, and his mission is simple: stay out of trouble. Preece outscored van Gisbergen by more than 31 points twice this year, but both times, SVG crashed out early and only grabbed one point. He just needs to finish clean to clinch.
For Ryan Preece and Brad Keselowski, though, it’s going to take something absolutely epic at Daytona. Keselowski needs to win and then get a lot of help from other drivers. Preece is in a similar boat, needing a huge result. Daytona is always a crapshoot, and with so much on the line for these guys, you know it’s going to be wild. Will someone pull off a miracle? We’ll find out at the checkered flag!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
Leave a Reply