Dale Earnhardt Jr. was present earlier this month when NASCAR unveiled its changes to the championship format, placing a stronger focus on points races. Although the NASCAR Hall of Famer still favors the traditional full 36-race season, he welcomed the update. On a recent episode of his podcast Dale Junior Download, Earnhardt explained that the new system brings more legitimacy to the championship.
“As a fan, I now feel the need to stay engaged every week, knowing my favorite drivers must achieve consistent results over the season to have a shot at the title,” he said, emphasizing that the full-season points approach is the most authentic way to determine a champion. He also shared that when he was growing up, the evolving championship storyline was what kept him hooked on the sport.
Earnhardt admitted that the previous format, used from 2014 through 2025, had lost its appeal for him. He felt it became too unpredictable and gimmicky, often sidelining the best driver of the year. “It turned into something artificial, complicated, and hard to follow,” he remarked candidly, adding that at times he lost passion for the sport because the playoff outcomes sometimes seemed based on luck rather than sustained excellence.
While the new system isn’t a full return to the full-season championship, it’s the closest NASCAR has been to that ideal in years. The format will include a single points reset after race 26, with the reset standings determined solely by drivers’ points positions from the first 26 races. The top 16 drivers in the championship after race 26 qualify for The Chase, regardless of race wins.
Fan Take: This shift back toward a more points-driven championship format is a game-changer for NASCAR fans craving consistency and competitive integrity. By rewarding sustained performance rather than unpredictable playoff antics, the sport is poised to rekindle long-term fan engagement and elevate the prestige of the title race.
