NASCAR acknowledges it must work to get garage relationships back on track

NASCAR finalizing its championship format for 2026 and beyond is not a magic wand that will fix all the complaints the sport has faced. It was undoubtedly one of the biggest topics of conversation, however. NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell acknowledges this and hopes that the industry returning to a 10-race Chase system strikes a good balance between winning and consistency. But, as O’Donnell also admitted during the announcement, there is still a lot of work ahead for NASCAR regarding the relationships it has within the garage.

“I don’t want anyone to think we’re naive and just going to change this format and everything is great,” O’Donnell later explained to RACER. “We think it’s one component of what we need to do. I was talking to Eric Shanks at Fox and he said, ‘You guys need to get the garage back,’ and I think that’s fair."

The championship format was a significant point of contention over the last year and a half. Although it was introduced in 2014, over time, the negatives that fans and industry members had become increasingly vocal. There was debate over the integrity of the system and how it crowned a champion, as well as whether a deserving driver prevailed at the end of the season.

NASCAR formed a committee to discuss the format and explore potential changes. The committee was formed at the end of the 2024 season, when it seemed the complaints had reached their loudest point after Joey Logano, who was 15th in the regular-season championship standings, won his third championship. The first meeting was held in Daytona before the 2025 season started and continued throughout the year. Ultimately, NASCAR decided to return to The Chase.

It is not the full-season format some wanted, but it is described as a “compromise.” The hope is that the focus will shift back to highlighting those who win races on any given Sunday, rather than being overshadowed by eliminations and playoff implications.

“It's hard to win these races,” O’Donnell said. “It's hard to be in the top 10. Really important for us to get back to these storylines. We think the fans will come with us. We've got work to do on this. It's not lost on any one of us at NASCAR. We have talented people who are hungry to get back to where we were. We're going to work our asses off for the industry to deliver to our race fans.”

The championship format is one piece, however. NASCAR went through a harsh winter when the antitrust lawsuit filed by two of its race teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, went to trial in December. In addition to the dirty laundry that had already been aired through document releases and hearings, even more came out during testimony.

The lawsuit was one piece of a bigger puzzle over the business of the sport. Over the last few years, team owners and team executives have become increasingly outspoken about the struggles of running a race team and, in turn, have criticized the sport for creating those struggles. In the end, a settlement in the lawsuit will change the charter agreement and give the team owners many of the key pieces they wanted.

That is the good news and can be put to rest, but there can be no ignoring or unhearing what was said. Steve Phelps, who had been named NASCAR commissioner in the spring of 2025, has departed the company in the wake of the lawsuit. Phelps became the unwanted center of attention when inflammatory text messages he sent about owner Richard Childress became public. NASCAR said it has no plans to announce a new commissioner.

O’Donnell is already a major player as NASCAR president, but is expected to be even more involved and public-facing. He’s optimistic about everyone moving forward, working together to continue to grow the sport, and being excited for the season ahead.

“I think that for the last couple of years we’ve kind of had everyone in their own camps, and they’re all a part of NASCAR," O'Donnell said. "My job going forward, all of our jobs at NASCAR, is to make everyone understand that when you say something about NASCAR, you’re part of that.

“So, if we’re doing something wrong, let’s fix it together because you have a strong voice. I hope this (championship format change) was an example of everyone’s voice matters to make changes. It’s going to be on us to create some industry groups that we meet with consistently and talk about where the sport is going, and rely on the voices who are close with the fans. It’s not just NASCAR. It’s all of us that can make this thing go.”